Bury in Focus: Fire Safety, Risk and Compliance
Bury is a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, set on the River Irwell at the edge of the West Pennine Moors, with a strong tradition in textile manufacturing that has shaped its built environment over two centuries. The borough's former cotton and wool mills — large Victorian brick structures that once drove the local economy — now house everything from apartments to commercial units, creative workspaces and light industrial businesses, presenting a fire safety compliance challenge that is among the most specific and consequential of any town type in the North West. Beyond its mill heritage, Bury has a lively town centre anchored by the famous Bury Market, a significant care and education sector, active residential communities stretching from Ramsbottom and Tottington in the north to Radcliffe and Whitefield in the south, and a private rented sector that includes a substantial number of houses in multiple occupation. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing authority for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 across the borough, with fire stations at Bury, Radcliffe and Whitefield providing the primary response.
For those who own, manage or occupy non-domestic premises in Bury, the FSO places a direct legal duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and to keep it under review. A fire at a former mill building in Radcliffe in September 2025 illustrates with particular clarity what is at stake when a large Victorian structure of this type is involved in a fire — and what the fire safety lessons are for responsible persons managing or occupying similar premises across the borough.
Mill Building Fire, Milltown Street, Radcliffe — September 2025
Shortly after 7.50pm on Saturday 27 September 2025, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire at a former mill building on Milltown Street in Radcliffe. Nine fire engines and various specialist appliances from across Greater Manchester attended, including aerial appliances and a high volume pump, along with additional resources from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. The building — a large Victorian mill structure that had been subdivided and was occupied by several commercial businesses — was well alight when crews arrived. In the early stages of the incident, a firefighter was seriously injured when part of the building collapsed and was taken to hospital for treatment. Crews tackled the blaze overnight. GMFRS, Bury Council and the Environment Agency worked alongside Greater Manchester Police at the scene, and demolition and structural engineering teams were deployed the following day to make the area safe. Several small businesses were left with significant damage as a result of the fire.
The fire safety lesson for responsible persons in converted mill buildings Victorian mill buildings are built to last — their heavy masonry construction, thick walls and robust floor plates have kept many of them standing for well over a century. But those same structural characteristics create a specific fire risk profile that requires careful assessment. Large open floor areas without modern compartmentation allow fire to spread horizontally across a building's footprint before suppression can be effective. Original roof structures — timber joists, purlins and roof decking — provide a sustained fire load in the roof void that can involve rapidly and is difficult to extinguish from below. And where a mill building has been subdivided into multiple commercial units, the adequacy of fire separation between those units — including fire-stopping at service penetrations and the condition of any shared roof space — becomes a critical element of the fire risk assessment. The lesson is not that converted mills cannot be used safely, but that their assessment must engage specifically with the construction of the building rather than relying on a generic commercial premises template. The compartmentation, detection coverage and means of escape that are adequate for a modern commercial unit may not be adequate for a multi-occupier Victorian mill.
Fire Safety Duties for Responsible Persons in Bury
Mill conversions and multi-occupier former industrial buildings. The converted mill buildings of Bury, Radcliffe and the wider borough are among the most significant compliance challenges in the area. Managing agents and responsible persons in these buildings should ensure their fire risk assessment is specific to the building as currently configured, addresses the adequacy of compartmentation between units, and considers how the original structure behaves in a fire scenario. Fire door inspection is essential wherever fire doors protect the escape routes between units or onto shared stairwells, and where a building has a shared roof space, the assessment must address whether that void is adequately stopped to prevent fire spreading between tenancies.
Bury Market and town centre retail. Bury Market — one of the largest and most visited outdoor and indoor markets in the North West — and the surrounding town centre retail streets carry FSO obligations for all premises accessible to the public. Written fire risk assessments, documented evacuation plans and demonstrably current staff training are baseline requirements. For market traders, the responsible person obligation applies to their trading area, and the market operator carries obligations for the common areas and shared infrastructure.
Warehouses and industrial premises. Warehouse and industrial premises across the borough's commercial estates must hold written fire risk assessments addressing fire load, detection coverage for the full range of occupancy hours, and the adequacy of access for fire appliances. Any change to the goods stored or the configuration of the building is a trigger to review the assessment.
Offices and commercial premises. Office and commercial premises across the borough must hold written fire risk assessments specific to their current use. In multi-occupier buildings, Article 22 of the FSO requires responsible persons to cooperate and coordinate on fire safety.
Hotels and visitor accommodation. Hotels and hospitality premises in Bury must hold written fire risk assessments covering guest accommodation, common areas, kitchens and back-of-house. The evacuation plan must be realistic for overnight occupancy, and staff training must include procedures for assisting guests who may not be able to self-evacuate.
Schools. The primary and secondary schools serving the borough carry FSO obligations requiring written fire risk assessments, staff training and fire drills at least once per term. Where school buildings include older construction or extensions of varying ages, the assessment must address those specific features.
Churches and places of worship. Bury's churches and places of worship are regulated premises under the FSO. Heritage church buildings present specific challenges around construction materials, limited alteration options and the wide range of uses — community events, concerts, hall hire — that many church buildings now accommodate alongside regular worship.
Care homes and residential care. Care homes and residential care premises must hold written fire risk assessments with Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for all residents who may not be able to self-evacuate. Evacuation chair training for care staff is an expected element of compliance, and the assessment must be kept current as residents' dependency levels change.
HMOs and the private rented sector. Houses in multiple occupation carry FSO obligations for their common parts. Written fire risk assessments must cover shared areas, and fire door condition must be maintained through regular inspection and maintenance.
Managing agents. Agents responsible for the common parts of commercial or residential buildings — particularly the converted mill apartment blocks and multi-occupier commercial premises that are a feature of the borough — carry FSO obligations for those areas. Our dedicated service for managing agents sets out how we work with property managers across the region.
Fire Safety Support for Bury and Greater Manchester
Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments in Bury and across Greater Manchester, alongside fire door inspections, fire safety training, evacuation plans, fire safety policies and evacuation chair training. Whatever type of premises you are responsible for, we can advise on your obligations and help you meet them. Please get in touch.
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This article is intended for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Responsible persons should seek professional advice tailored to their specific premises and circumstances. Fletcher Risk Management Ltd provides fire risk assessments, fire door inspections and fire safety training across the North West and North Wales.