The Fire Safety Documentation Landscape for New Developments

The documentation required to demonstrate fire safety compliance for a new development has grown significantly in recent years. The Building Safety Act 2022, the updated Approved Document B, and increasingly detailed building control requirements have together created a more demanding documentation landscape. This guide sets out what fire safety documentation is required and at which stage.

Planning Stage

• Gateway 1 fire statement — required for higher-risk buildings (over 18m or 7 storeys with residential units). Prescribed form, produced by a competent fire engineer
• London Plan D12a fire statement — required for all major applications in Greater London. Must address all ten D12a fire safety requirements
• Fire safety section of the Design and Access Statement — increasingly requested by local planning authorities for significant developments outside London

Building Control Stage

• Fire strategy report — the primary fire safety document for the building control submission. Must be coordinated with architectural and structural drawings
• Structural fire protection specification — the specification for fire resistance periods for all structural elements
• Fire compartmentation drawings — annotated plans showing compartment boundaries, fire resistance periods and fire door locations
• Sprinkler system design — where sprinklers are required, the design must be produced to BS EN 12845 or BS 8489 (for residential mist systems)
• Smoke control design — where smoke control systems are required, design documentation supporting the fire strategy

Gateway 2 Stage (Higher-Risk Buildings)

• Comprehensive fire strategy report — more detailed than the standard building control fire strategy, addressing all BSR requirements
• Structural safety assessment — complementing the fire safety documentation
• Construction Product Information — evidence of the fire performance of materials used in the construction
• Fire door schedule — comprehensive schedule of all fire doors in the building with performance specifications
• Golden thread documentation plan — setting out how building information will be maintained through design and construction

Gateway 3 Stage (Completion)

• As-built fire strategy — confirming any changes from the Gateway 2 fire strategy
• Completed golden thread — all building information compiled and ready for handover
• Fire safety handover pack — the information to be passed to the accountable person for the building safety case