Fire risk assessments for workplaces, HMOs and blocks of flats across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Kevin Bonnar or Jon Sheaf carries out your visit personally. Both are Level 4 qualified assessors, with construction experience behind the advice they give. You receive a signed report, photographic findings and clear priorities for action.
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service covers both the Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes City Council areas. Its Business Safety Team carries out fire safety audits and enforcement work across the two areas. HMO licensing is handled separately by the relevant council.
For premises covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must arrange a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and keep it under review. Since 1 October 2023, the assessment and fire safety arrangements must be recorded in full, regardless of the number of employees. A small workplace still needs a written record.
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service changed its automatic fire alarm response in July 2024. It no longer routinely attends alarm-generated calls from non-domestic, medium and low-risk premises without confirmation of fire. Exemptions include sleeping-risk premises and certain other high-risk sites.
Your emergency arrangements should make clear who raises the alarm, who calls 999 and how people leave safely. Staff should follow the building’s emergency plan and must not put themselves at risk trying to establish whether an alarm is genuine. The assessment should consider whether those arrangements are understood and workable.
Buckinghamshire Council handles HMO licensing across its area, including Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Buckingham. Its published licensing guidance covers HMOs occupied by five or more people in two or more households. Smaller shared properties can still have fire safety obligations, even where mandatory licensing does not apply.
The council’s HMO standards address escape routes, fire precautions and property management. Bring any licence conditions or correspondence to the assessment so the assessor can consider the fire safety issues already raised.
Milton Keynes City Council administers its own HMO licensing. It also has an area-wide Article 4 direction requiring planning permission for a change from a dwellinghouse to an HMO. This planning requirement can apply even when a property is too small to require a mandatory HMO licence.
Planning permission, housing licensing and fire risk assessment have different purposes. Completing an assessment does not itself grant planning consent or an HMO licence.
Our coverage includes Milton Keynes as well as the towns and villages within the Buckinghamshire Council area. Assessments take place at your premises.
Workplaces, HMOs and managed blocks in the county town and surrounding communities.
Offices, commercial units and residential buildings across the city, including its business and industrial estates.
Town-centre businesses, shared housing and commercial premises around Cressex and the wider town.
Rented accommodation, student housing and premises occupied by local businesses.
Shops, workshops, offices and managed residential properties across the Bletchley area.
Small business premises, light industrial units, rented properties and town-centre shops.
Assessments for office occupiers, landlords, managing agents and customer-facing businesses.
Retail, hospitality and managed residential premises across the town.
Pubs, restaurants, shops and workplaces in Marlow and Marlow Bottom.
Shared residential buildings, commercial units and premises adapted for new uses.
Local businesses, rented accommodation and managed properties in the town and surrounding area.
Shops, offices and smaller managed premises in the town and nearby villages.
A commercial unit at Cressex Business Park presents a different assessment task from an office in central Milton Keynes or a converted property in Aylesbury. Layout, occupancy, stored materials and the way adjoining premises are used all affect what needs checking. Local commercial areas include Cressex in High Wycombe and estates such as Kiln Farm and Tongwell in Milton Keynes.
Our work covers offices and commercial premises, warehouses and light industrial buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants. The visit considers how the premises operate, including escape routes, warning systems, storage, staff arrangements and the records supporting ongoing maintenance.
For landlords and managing agents, we assess HMOs, blocks of flats and relevant serviced accommodation. Shared stairs, entrance doors, access arrangements and responsibilities between occupiers need attention. The agreed scope sets out which areas will be inspected and what access or supporting information is required.
Schools, nurseries, high-rise buildings, petrol stations and explosives sites sit outside our current scope. We confirm suitability before accepting the work.
You may be taking over a building, addressing outstanding findings or preparing information for residents and directors. We help establish what needs attention, what evidence is available and which actions should come first.
A licence application, change of occupancy or concern about a shared escape route can prompt a review. We assess the building’s fire safety arrangements and explain the findings in terms you can discuss with tenants, contractors and the council.
An insurer’s request, refit, new lease or overdue assessment often starts the conversation. You need a report that reflects the workplace as it operates, with actions that can be assigned and followed through.
An on-site assessment of fire hazards, people at risk and the precautions in place. Your report records the findings, supporting photographs and a prioritised action plan, with the assessor identified and available to explain the recommendations.
A review of an existing assessment against the building’s current condition and use. We consider completed work, outstanding actions and changes to layout, occupancy or management that may affect the original findings.
For premises approaching handover, letting or reoccupation. The survey considers fire safety readiness and identifies matters requiring attention before people move in or operations begin. The scope is agreed around the building and its intended use.
For landlords and managing agents arranging an inspection of the fire doors within their buildings. We identify defects and remedial priorities, with findings recorded to help you plan the next steps.
Kevin and Jon bring experience in construction, fire-rated doors and windows, façades and building envelopes to their assessment work. That background helps them explain how a finding relates to the building’s construction and day-to-day use. The person who visits remains responsible for the report and its recommendations.
The assessment method also needs to fit the premises. ClearFire’s non-domestic reports follow the PAS 79-1:2020 structure. This is an assessment and reporting method, distinct from an assessor’s qualifications or professional memberships.
“Easy to work with throughout the process. Everything was explained verbally and in writing, with clear, easy instructions to follow.”
There is no universal legal requirement to commission a completely new assessment every year. The duty is to review it regularly and update it when necessary, including after significant changes or when there is reason to doubt its validity. The review interval should reflect the premises and its risks.
No. HMO licensing and fire safety duties operate alongside one another. A licence does not remove the need to assess fire risks or maintain suitable precautions. Buckinghamshire Council’s HMO guidance expressly addresses both housing legislation and the Fire Safety Order.
They can. Since 6 April 2026, the residential evacuation planning regulations cover buildings containing two or more homes that exceed 11 metres and use simultaneous evacuation, as well as qualifying high-rise residential buildings. Duties include building-level evacuation planning and arrangements for relevant residents who need assistance, with consent requirements for the individual process.
Have the existing assessment, available building plans and relevant fire safety records ready. These may include alarm and emergency lighting records, maintenance information, staff training records and evidence of completed remedial work. Tell us about access restrictions and any council, insurer or managing agent correspondence when booking.
Acceptance depends on the specific request and the assessment scope. Send us the relevant correspondence before booking so we can consider the evidence being requested. The report records the findings and recommended actions, but any required remedial work still needs to be addressed. An assessment alone does not guarantee approval.
We aim to respond within one working hour during business hours. Same-week visits depend on availability and the assessment scope. Once the assessment is complete and the invoice has been paid, our stated turnaround for the signed report is 24 hours. We confirm arrangements before you book.
We also cover surrounding communities, including Wendover, Great Missenden, Gerrards Cross, Bourne End, Iver and Olney. Send the full property postcode when enquiring so we can confirm the location, access arrangements and available visit dates.
For portfolios extending beyond Buckinghamshire, our wider coverage includes Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Tell us the building’s location, its use and what has prompted the enquiry. ClearFire will confirm the scope and explain what the visit and report will cover. For an existing assessment, send it with your enquiry so we can understand the starting point.
Tell us about your site. We'll respond within one working hour during business hours.
