What Is a Planning Fire Statement?

A planning fire statement is a document submitted alongside a planning application to demonstrate that fire safety has been considered in the proposed development from the outset. The concept was formalised by the Building Safety Act 2022, which requires a fire statement at planning stage — Gateway 1 — for higher-risk buildings. In Greater London, London Plan Policy D12a extends this requirement to all major planning applications.

Gateway 1 Fire Statements

Under the Building Safety Act 2022, a Gateway 1 fire statement must be submitted with planning applications for higher-risk buildings. The statement must be completed on the prescribed form published by the government and must address:

• The design team's approach to fire safety at planning stage
• How the building has been designed to provide satisfactory means of escape
• The provision of firefighting facilities and access
• How the building's construction will address fire spread
• The fire safety management approach for the completed building

The Gateway 1 fire statement is reviewed by the local planning authority, which will consult the relevant fire service. Where the fire statement is inadequate, the planning authority can request additional information or impose planning conditions requiring fire safety matters to be addressed before construction begins.

London Plan Policy D12a Fire Statements

For major planning applications in Greater London — regardless of building height — London Plan Policy D12a requires a fire statement that addresses all ten fire safety requirements of the policy. D12a fire statements must cover means of escape, protection of the external envelope, internal firefighting facilities and access, water supply for firefighting, fire safety design and management, and the fire safety information to be provided to residents.

D12a fire statements must be accepted by the local planning authority (typically one of the 32 London boroughs) and in some cases by the Greater London Authority. Fire Safety Services has produced D12a fire statements accepted by all London boroughs and the GLA.

Pre-Planning Fire Safety Advice

In addition to producing planning fire statements, fire engineers provide pre-planning fire safety advice — reviewing concept schemes for fire safety constraints before a planning application is submitted. This enables design teams to address fire safety issues in the design rather than discovering them through the planning process, reducing the risk of planning conditions and programme delays.