Fire safety for Anglican
& parish churches.
Properly assessed, from £295.
An Anglican parish church is usually an old, often listed building, with candles in regular use, a tower and bells, an organ, and a heating system of a kind that has caused more than its share of church fires. On top of that, improving fire safety in the building is not as simple as fitting what you like, because changes go through the faculty system. We carry out fire risk assessments for parish churches across the North West, built for the building and the way the parish actually uses it.
Who is the Responsible Person?
In an Anglican church the duty sits with the parish, and several people share it without always realising.
The PCC is the Responsible Person for the church building. It is a charity and the body legally accountable for the premises, with the incumbent as chair. The duty cannot be passed to the diocese or to a volunteer; it rests with the PCC.
The churchwardens carry particular responsibility for the fabric, goods, and contents of the church, which puts them at the centre of day-to-day fire safety, from candles and heating to keeping escape routes clear.
Alterations to the church, including many fire safety measures, need a faculty granted on the advice of the Diocesan Advisory Committee. You cannot simply install detection, alarms, or new wiring without going through the right process, so fire safety has to be planned with that in mind.
The building is inspected every five years by the church's appointed architect or surveyor. The quinquennial report is valuable, but it is not a fire risk assessment, and the two are often confused.
The problems we
hear most often
Fire safety in a parish church usually sits with churchwardens and a PCC who are volunteers, juggling the building alongside everything else. These are the gaps we find most regularly.
"We have a quinquennial inspection report, and we assumed that covered fire safety. We have now been told we also need a fire risk assessment."
The quinquennial inspection looks at the condition of the building, not at fire safety in the way the law requires. They are different documents with different purposes. We carry out a proper fire risk assessment that sits alongside your quinquennial report and gives the PCC the evidence it actually needs under fire safety law.
"We want to improve our fire precautions, but we are not sure what we are allowed to do to a listed church, or how the faculty system fits in."
Improving fire safety in a listed Anglican church almost always means working within the faculty system, with the DAC advising on what is acceptable. We assess the church and recommend measures that are both effective and realistic to get through the faculty process, rather than proposing things that would never be approved.
"We use candles, we have a tower and an old heating system, and honestly we are not sure where our real risks are."
Candles, ageing heating, and old wiring are between them responsible for a large share of serious church fires. We identify where your genuine risks lie, in plain language, and give you a prioritised action list so the PCC can deal with the most important things first rather than worrying about everything at once.
What makes a parish church
different to assess
A parish church is not an office or a hall. The building, its contents, and the constraints on changing it all shape what a suitable assessment has to cover.
Candles & altar lights
Candles are part of normal worship in most Anglican churches, from the altar and the Advent wreath to candlelit carol services. They are a recurring ignition source close to timber, textiles, and decorations, and need assessing properly rather than treated as harmless because they are familiar.
Old boilers & heaters
Heating systems are one of the leading causes of serious church fires, from ageing boilers and flues to portable and blown-air heaters running in a cold building. The age and condition of the heating, and how it is used and maintained, is a central part of the assessment.
Ageing electrical systems
Many parish churches run on wiring that has been added to over decades, with overloaded circuits and dated installations. Electrical faults are a common cause of church fires, so the condition and testing of the electrical system matters.
Restricted spaces & access
The tower, ringing chamber, and roof spaces are confined, hard to escape from, and often used for storage. Bell-ringing brings people into these spaces, and their safety and escape need specific attention rather than being overlooked.
Electrics & concealed voids
The organ combines electrics, a blower, and large concealed voids behind and around the pipework. It is both a fire risk in itself and a route for fire to spread unseen, which the assessment needs to recognise.
A prominent, open building
Churches are often open, prominent, and accessible, which makes them targets for arson and for fires started in porches, notice boards, and external stores. Security, external combustibles, and out-of-hours access all form part of the assessment.
Fire safety in a listed church — within the faculty system
The thing that catches parishes out is that you cannot improve fire safety in a listed Anglican church by simply installing whatever you fancy. Detection, alarms, emergency lighting, and rewiring are alterations to the building, and they go through the faculty system, advised on by the Diocesan Advisory Committee, so they have to be designed sympathetically. That is exactly why a fire risk assessment for a parish church is more useful when it comes from someone who understands both fire safety and the constraints of a protected building. We assess the church, recommend measures that will actually get through the faculty process, and give the PCC a clear, prioritised path.
Three services.
One point of contact.
Fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training, delivered by one company who understands historic churches and the faculty system.
Fire risk assessments
From £295 per assessmentA thorough assessment of your church, its tower, roof spaces, and contents, with recommendations that work within the faculty system. Clear written report, prioritised action list, and documentation the PCC can rely on.
- Whole building assessed, including tower, organ, and roof voids
- Candle, heating, and electrical risks identified
- Measures recommended that work within the faculty process
- Escape and occupancy for services and events considered
- Arson and external combustibles assessed
- Prioritised, plain-English action log for the PCC
Fire door inspections
From £14 per doorChurches have fewer doors than most premises, but the ones that matter, vestry, tower, and hall doors, matter a great deal. We inspect every component and give you a clear, photographed condition record.
- Frame, leaf, intumescent seals, hinges & hardware
- Self-closing devices where fitted
- Vestry, tower, and hall doors
- Photographic evidence per door
- Prioritised remedial recommendations
Fire safety training
From £395 per sessionPractical, on-site training for clergy, churchwardens, vergers, and volunteers, tailored to a church and the realities of services, events, and lone working.
- Fire marshal training for staff and volunteers
- Safe use and management of candles
- Evacuation during services and events
- Hands-on extinguisher use on a live fire
- Certificates issued to all attendees
The framework
parish churches work within
An Anglican church answers to fire safety law like any other building, while the faculty system governs what can be done to the fabric.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to churches as non-domestic premises. The PCC, as Responsible Person, must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, act on what it finds, and keep a written record. A church is treated as a place of assembly, so occupancy at services and events is part of the picture, not just the empty building.
Because most Anglican churches are listed, fire safety improvements are alterations that go through the faculty system. The Diocesan Advisory Committee advises the diocesan chancellor on what is acceptable, and Historic England and the amenity societies may be consulted on significant works. Fire safety therefore has to be designed in a way that respects the building, which is where heritage-aware assessment earns its place.
Government guidance on fire safety in places of assembly, together with guidance from church insurers and from Historic England on historic churches, sets out what good practice looks like. The quinquennial inspection of the building runs alongside all of this, but it is a condition survey, not a fire risk assessment, and does not discharge the duty under the order.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Always appliesNames the PCC as Responsible Person. Requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for the church as non-domestic premises. Failure to comply can result in unlimited fines or prohibition.
Faculty jurisdiction & DAC
Heritage consentFire safety alterations to a listed Anglican church go through the faculty system, advised by the Diocesan Advisory Committee, so measures must be designed sympathetically to the building.
Places of assembly fire guidance
Good practiceGovernment and insurer guidance on fire safety in places of assembly and historic churches sets the benchmark for a suitable and sufficient assessment.
Quinquennial inspection
Separate dutyThe five-yearly inspection assesses the building's condition. It complements but does not replace the fire risk assessment required by law.
Experience you can
put in a report.
Tim founded Fletcher Risk Management to bring genuine expertise and personal accountability to fire safety consultancy in the North West. With more than 30 years in the fire industry, he has assessed churches, chapels, and places of worship across the region, and understands what makes a parish church different, the candles and old heating, the tower and organ, and the faculty system that governs what can be done to a listed building. When you book with Fletcher Risk, Tim carries out the work.
- ABBE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate
- FPA Fire Safety Management Certificate
- Member — Fire Protection Association
Sam oversees operations and documentation, so you have one point of contact and a consistent standard of reporting. For circuits, dioceses, and groups of churches managing several buildings, that means consistent documentation and a single point of contact.
- ABBE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- 10+ years fire safety experience
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. The work produced exceeded our expectations by far. I would definitely recommend using this company." — Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd ★★★★★
"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used for our Fire Risk Assessment. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building."
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites. I would never hesitate to send Tim — always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations."
"Thorough, professional, and excellent value. The report was clear and the action points prioritised in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to tackle first. Would recommend without hesitation."
Book an assessment
built for your church.
Whether you need a fresh assessment, help understanding how the faculty system affects your fire safety plans, or training for your wardens and volunteers, we can help. Call us for an honest conversation with no obligation.