Preparing for Building Control Fire Safety Reviews
A practical guide to preparing for building control fire safety reviews — what to submit, what to expect, and how to respond to queries.
7 May 20244 min readFire Safety Services
Why Preparation Matters
Building control fire safety reviews — whether by a local authority building control body, a registered building control approver, or the Building Safety Regulator at Gateway 2 — can be a source of significant programme delay and cost if the submission is not well-prepared. The most common cause of delay is not a fundamental failure of fire safety design: it is a fire strategy that is incomplete, inconsistent with the design drawings, or that fails to address issues that the reviewer will inevitably identify. Preparing thoroughly for a building control fire safety review can save weeks or months of programme time and the cost of redesign or resubmission.
Step 1: Appoint the Right Fire Engineer Early
The single most important step in preparing for a building control fire safety review is to appoint a competent chartered fire engineer at RIBA Stage 2. A fire engineer who has been involved in the project from the outset understands the design intent, has contributed to the fire safety concept, and will produce a fire strategy that is consistent with the design — because they helped develop the design. A fire engineer appointed at Stage 4 to produce a building control submission inherits design decisions they may not have been involved in making, and may identify problems that require expensive changes.
Step 2: Coordinate the Fire Strategy with the Design Drawings
One of the most common sources of building control queries is inconsistency between the fire strategy and the design drawings. The fire strategy describes escape routes, compartment boundaries, fire door positions, and firefighting facilities that must match exactly what is shown on the architectural plans, sections, and elevations. Before submission, the fire strategy and the design drawings should be reviewed side by side to confirm that they are fully consistent.
Inconsistencies between the fire strategy and the design drawings are among the most common sources of building control queries and can be entirely prevented by a coordinated review before submission. This review is the fire engineer's responsibility, but the architect should also participate.
Step 3: Address All Required Topics
A fire strategy submitted for building control must address all the fire safety elements specified in Part B of the Building Regulations. Before submission, check that the report covers: evacuation strategy, means of escape and travel distances, fire compartmentation, structural fire protection, fire detection and alarm, sprinkler systems (whether required or not, and why), smoke control, firefighting facilities, and external wall compliance for buildings over 18 metres. Any missing section will generate a query.
Step 4: Pre-Application Engagement for Higher-Risk Buildings
For higher-risk buildings, the BSR offers a pre-application service that allows developers and their fire engineers to discuss the proposed fire safety approach before formal submission. Taking advantage of this service is strongly recommended for projects involving performance-based fire engineering, novel design solutions, or any other aspect where the BSR's likely approach is uncertain. Pre-application engagement is not a guarantee of Gateway 2 approval, but it significantly reduces the risk of fundamental queries at the formal assessment stage.
Step 5: Allow Adequate Time in the Programme
The BSR's statutory 8-week assessment period for Gateway 2 begins when the application is complete. For applications that are queried and require resubmission, the total time from initial submission to Gateway 2 approval can be significantly longer. Developers should build contingency into their programme to allow for queries and resubmissions, and should not plan construction start dates that assume Gateway 2 will pass at first submission without queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a building control fire safety review take?
For standard building control applications, the statutory period is 8 weeks. For Gateway 2 applications to the BSR, the statutory period is also 8 weeks, extendable for complex cases. Applications that are incomplete or require resubmission will take longer.
What is the most common reason for building control fire safety queries?
Incompleteness — missing sections in the fire strategy — is the most common cause. Inconsistencies between the fire strategy and the design drawings, unresolved sprinkler questions, and inadequate performance-based justifications are also frequent.
Should I engage with the BSR before submitting a Gateway 2 application?
Yes, for complex or novel projects. The BSR's pre-application service allows developers to discuss their proposed approach and identify any fundamental concerns before formal submission. This significantly reduces the risk of Gateway 2 queries that could delay construction.
What documentation should be submitted alongside the fire strategy at building control?
The fire strategy should be accompanied by the architectural drawings (including plans, sections, and elevations), the fire door schedule, the fire stopping specification, and — for buildings with performance-based approaches — any supporting CFD models, evacuation studies, or structural fire engineering analyses.
Can a peer review of the fire strategy help with building control approval?
Yes. An independent peer review by a second chartered fire engineer before submission identifies issues that the building control reviewer might otherwise raise, allowing them to be resolved before submission. Peer review is particularly valuable for complex or performance-based fire strategies and is expected by the BSR for some Gateway 2 applications.
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