Fire risk assessments in Ware

Why is Ware different for fire safety?

Ware grew up beside the River Lea, and its centre is full of old buildings that have been altered many times. Timber-framed houses, coaching inns, Georgian fronts, narrow yards and long runs of riverside outbuildings stand side by side. Much of the centre is a conservation area, and many buildings are listed.

Fire risk assessors take notice of that history. Old structures can hide voids behind panelling, between floors and in roof spaces, through which fire and smoke can travel unseen. Later alterations often leave gaps where pipes, cables and new doorways were cut through older walls.

What about former maltings and industrial buildings?

Ware's malting trade left behind large brick buildings, some now converted into flats, offices and studios. A conversion of this kind is often a mix of uses under one roof, with a residential part and a commercial part that share stairs, lifts or an entrance. An assessor will want to know how the two are separated, who looks after the shared areas and whether the alarm system works across the whole building.

Are pubs and guest rooms covered?

Yes. Any premises where people sleep that are not a private home come under the Fire Safety Order, from an inn with a few rooms to a guest house. People asleep are slower to notice and react, so detection, alarm coverage and escape from upper floors get particular attention. Say so in your enquiry if guests stay the night. The written record should show how guests are warned at night and who checks the escape routes before the doors are locked.

Does a listed building change what can be done?

It can. If a building is listed or in a conservation area, work that changes its character, such as replacing historic doors, can need consent from the local planning authority. A good assessor will recommend measures with this in mind, and you should mention in your enquiry that the building is listed. East Hertfordshire Council can advise on consent.

What about the villages around Ware?

SG12 includes Stanstead Abbotts and Great Amwell, along with farms and rural businesses. Barns converted into workshops or offices, village halls, churches and small hotels are all in scope of the Order, although each has quite different hazards from a town shop. Say whether the building is used in the evenings or only now and then, since that changes who is there to raise the alarm.

How does an enquiry from Ware work?

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