Rochdale in Focus: Fire Safety, Risk and Compliance
Rochdale is a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, situated in the Roch valley at the edge of the Pennines, with the moorland above Littleborough and Milnrow forming its eastern boundary. The town has a distinctive place in British history as the birthplace of the co-operative movement — the Rochdale Pioneers established their society on Toad Lane in 1844 — and a long industrial heritage in textile manufacturing that left a stock of Victorian mill buildings, many of which have since been converted to residential, commercial and mixed-use purposes. The M62 motorway provides direct access to both Manchester and Leeds, making the borough an important corridor for logistics and distribution, and the town centre retains a mix of retail, hospitality and civic uses. Rochdale also has one of the largest Muslim communities in the North West, with a number of mosques and Islamic community centres forming a significant part of the borough's social fabric. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing authority for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 across Rochdale.
For those who own, manage or occupy non-domestic premises in Rochdale, the FSO places a direct legal duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and to keep it under review. Two fires in the town — an overnight blaze at commercial premises near Mellor Street in November 2025 and a large fire at a Summer Street commercial property in June 2024 — illustrate the fire risks present in the borough's older commercial and industrial building stock and the scale of GMFRS response they can produce.
Commercial Building Fire, Near Mellor Street, Rochdale — November 2025
Shortly after 3.15am on Friday 14 November 2025, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire at a commercial building near Mellor Street in Rochdale. Several fire engines attended, along with the hydraulic platform from Oldham fire station. On arrival, crews used two ultra high pressure lances and two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire. Road closures were put in place on College Road and Mellor Street, between Spotland and the town centre, with traffic diverted and heavy congestion reported on surrounding roads including Spotland Road, Edenfield Road, Manchester Road and Dane Street. A cordon was established and the public was asked to avoid the area. A number of people are reported to have sustained injuries during the incident. An investigation into the cause was expected to follow once the site had been secured and made safe.
Footage of the fire at commercial premises near Mellor Street, Rochdale, 14 November 2025. Video: YouTube.
What responsible persons at commercial premises should take from this A fire at 3.15am in a commercial building, with injuries reported, road closures across a wide area and a multi-appliance response including specialist hydraulic platform equipment, points to a serious overnight incident in premises where the risk profile during out-of-hours periods had not been fully suppressed by detection, sprinkler or other automatic systems. For any commercial premises that is occupied or attended outside standard working hours — or that simply sits empty overnight with a significant fire load — the fire risk assessment must address the detection coverage and response arrangements that apply during those out-of-hours periods, not just during normal business operations. The assessment should also confirm that means of escape and evacuation arrangements are valid for any persons who may be in the building during those periods.
Commercial Property Fire, Summer Street, Rochdale — June 2024
Just before 2pm on Saturday 22 June 2024, GMFRS were called to a fire at a commercial property on Summer Street in Rochdale town centre. Eight fire engines from Rochdale, Heywood, Littleborough, Oldham, Hollins, Blackley and Ashton fire stations attended. A turntable ladder was deployed and crews used hose reels to fight the fire and prevent it spreading to surrounding buildings. Drone footage released at the scene showed the extent of the fire. Smoke from the incident was visible from Wardle and Norden, several miles away. Residents and businesses in the surrounding area were asked to keep windows and doors closed. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
What responsible persons in Rochdale town centre should take from this The Summer Street fire — eight engines from seven fire stations across the borough, a turntable ladder, and smoke visible from several miles — is the profile of a fire in a commercial building with a substantial fire load and limited automatic suppression. Town centre commercial premises, particularly older stock with open upper floors, timber roof structures and mixed occupancy histories, can develop fires very rapidly once ignition occurs. A fire risk assessment for any town centre commercial building must consider the fire load of the current use, the condition of compartmentation in a building that may have been altered or subdivided many times over its history, and the adequacy of means of escape for any occupants present during both normal trading hours and any out-of-hours use.
Fire Safety Duties for Responsible Persons in Rochdale
Mill conversions and heritage industrial premises. Rochdale's former textile mills — large Victorian brick-built buildings, many now converted to residential apartments, managed workspaces, creative studios or mixed commercial use — present specific fire safety challenges that are among the most complex in the borough. A converted mill's original structure was designed for industrial production, not for the compartmentation requirements of a residential or mixed-use building, and the conversion process may have introduced new layouts, materials and uses that are not fully reflected in historic fire risk assessments. Managing agents and responsible persons in converted mill buildings should ensure their fire risk assessment is current and specifically addresses the building as it is now used, not as it was originally designed. Fire door inspection is particularly important in converted mills, where the integrity of compartmentation between apartments or units is often the primary means of protecting escape routes.
Retail and town centre commercial premises. The town centre includes a mix of retail, food and beverage, and service businesses, many occupying older buildings with upper floors used for storage, ancillary accommodation or separate commercial tenants. Responsible persons at these premises must hold written fire risk assessments and ensure that means of escape from all floors — including upper floors that may not be directly visible from the ground floor — are adequate and clearly documented in a written evacuation plan. Staff training must be current and recorded.
Mosques, faith buildings and community centres. Rochdale's mosques, faith buildings and community centres are places of assembly under the FSO and carry specific obligations around means of escape, emergency lighting, fire safety signage and evacuation planning for gatherings that may include people of all ages and varying mobility. A written fire risk assessment is required, and the assessment must reflect the building at peak occupancy — Friday prayers and community events — not just in its everyday configuration. Staff and volunteer training in evacuation procedures is essential, and the evacuation plan should be rehearsed periodically.
Industrial and logistics premises. The M62 corridor and the borough's established industrial areas support a significant logistics, distribution and light manufacturing base. DSEAR obligations apply where flammable substances are stored or used, alongside the standard FSO requirements. Responsible persons at warehouse and distribution premises must pay particular attention to detection coverage for buildings that may be unoccupied for extended overnight periods, and to the fire load implications of any changes to the goods being stored or the configuration of racking and storage systems.
Licensed premises and hospitality. Rochdale's pubs, bars and restaurants carry the standard FSO obligations for licensed premises, including written fire risk assessments that reflect the premises at full capacity, documented evacuation plans and demonstrably current staff training. Premises used for late-night events should ensure their evacuation plan is realistic for the numbers, layout and potential circumstances of a late-night evacuation.
Care homes and HMOs. Care homes must hold written fire risk assessments with Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for all residents with relevant needs, and evacuation chair training is an expected element of staff competence. HMO landlords must hold written assessments and ensure fire doors are maintained in effective condition — a specific and recurring compliance concern in the borough's converted residential stock.
Managing agents. Agents responsible for the common parts of residential or commercial buildings — particularly in the borough's converted mill apartment blocks — 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 Rochdale and Greater Manchester
Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments in Rochdale and across Greater Manchester, alongside fire door inspections, fire safety training, evacuation plans, fire safety policies and evacuation chair training. Whether you manage a converted mill, a town centre commercial premises, a mosque or community centre, a care home or an HMO, we can advise on your obligations and help you meet them. Please get in touch.
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Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments, fire door inspections and fire safety training for responsible persons across Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, North Wales and the West Midlands. To discuss your requirements, please get in touch.
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.