Fire risk assessments and fire safety across South Wales
From our Newport office we provide fire risk assessments, fire strategies, fire door and fire stopping work, alarm servicing and compliance contracts across South Wales, from Monmouthshire to Swansea. We work for landlords, housing associations, care homes, schools, businesses and developers, under Welsh law.
- Two fire servicesSouth Wales; Mid and West Wales
- Ten councilsEach licenses HMOs locally
- Welsh lawFire Safety Order, Renting Homes Act
- M4 and the valleysFrom our Newport office
One team for the whole region
South Wales is our core working area. We have dedicated pages for Newport and Cardiff; this page covers the surrounding counties. Many clients hold buildings in several council areas, such as a care group with homes in several valleys or a housing provider with stock from Monmouthshire to Bridgend. We can assess, remediate and maintain the whole portfolio under one contract, to one reporting standard.
- Gwent and the eastern valleys: terraces, post-war estates and flats above shops.
- Monmouthshire: older and listed hotels, pubs with rooms and care homes.
- Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr and Bridgend: terraced housing, care homes and schools.
- Vale of Glamorgan: coastal towns, villages and industrial units.
- Swansea and Neath Port Talbot: student housing, waterfront flats and industry.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan, as well as Newport and Cardiff.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The same Welsh law applies, but a fire safety audit or enforcement letter there will come from Mid and West Wales FRS.
Assess, remediate and maintain, site by site
Fire risk assessments
PAS 79-1 and BS 9792, to one standard across every council area.
Fire strategies
To Approved Document B (Wales), with sprinklers factored in for new and converted homes.
Fire doors
Surveys, repairs and installation, including upgrades that respect historic fabric.
Fire stopping
Separation between commercial ground floors and the flats above, common in valley towns.
Alarms and emergency lighting
Alarm, emergency lighting and smoke control servicing for care homes, schools and workplaces.
Compliance contracts
Multi-site contracts, with visits planned by area and every record in the Vocus Fire Safety Portal.
Councils, local buildings and Welsh law
Which council and fire service covers each area
Each council is the local housing authority for its area. It licenses HMOs, enforces housing standards under the Housing Act 2004 and runs building control.
| Area | Local authority | Fire and rescue service |
|---|---|---|
| Monmouthshire | Monmouthshire County Council | South Wales FRS |
| Torfaen | Torfaen County Borough Council | South Wales FRS |
| Caerphilly | Caerphilly County Borough Council | South Wales FRS |
| Blaenau Gwent | Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council | South Wales FRS |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council | South Wales FRS |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | South Wales FRS |
| Bridgend | Bridgend County Borough Council | South Wales FRS |
| Vale of Glamorgan | Vale of Glamorgan Council | South Wales FRS |
| Neath Port Talbot | Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council | Mid and West Wales FRS |
| Swansea | Swansea Council | Mid and West Wales FRS |
The building stock, area by area
Gwent and the eastern valleys. Torfaen, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent have long runs of stone and brick terraces, post-war estates, and town-centre flats above shops. Common issues are poor separation between commercial ground floors and the flats above, and fire doors and alarms that have not kept pace with changes of use. Valley-floor industrial estates bring warehouse and manufacturing risks.
Monmouthshire. Many older and listed buildings, so improvements often need to respect historic fabric. We look for solutions that achieve the right standard without unnecessary damage.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend. Social and private landlords need assessments that reflect the Welsh Housing Quality Standard or the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, depending on who owns the home.
Vale of Glamorgan. Everything from care homes and holiday accommodation to offices and industrial units.
Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. Swansea has a large student and shared-housing market near its universities, plus city-centre flats and waterfront developments. Neath Port Talbot has a strong industrial base as well as terraced housing and town-centre conversions.
Welsh law across the region
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016: interlinked, mains-powered smoke alarms on every storey, carbon monoxide alarms where there is a gas, oil or solid-fuel appliance, and electrical testing at least every five years.
- HMO licensing: mandatory for HMOs of three or more storeys with five or more people forming two or more households, with councils able to add additional licensing.
- Rent Smart Wales: registration for private landlords and licensing for those who self-manage.
- Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011: sprinklers in new and converted homes, and in care homes, HMOs and similar premises built or converted since 2014.
- Care Inspectorate Wales regulates care homes, and social landlords work to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023.
The England-only Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the higher-risk building regime do not apply here. The Welsh Government is reforming building safety law, including new duties for multi-occupied residential buildings.
What we look after, and how we reach you
Fire risk assessments, fire strategies, fire doors, fire stopping, extinguishers, PAT testing and training are carried out by our own team. Alarms, emergency lighting, sprinklers, smoke ventilation and risers are serviced under the same contract, so you have one point of contact for everything.
We travel from Newport along the M4 corridor and up the valley roads, and plan visits by area so multi-site clients get a sensible programme. We cover the NP, CF and SA postcode areas.
At a glance
- Fire and rescue services
- South Wales FRS; Mid and West Wales FRS for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot
- Local authorities
- Ten county and county borough councils, each licensing HMOs in its own area
- Law that applies
- Welsh: Fire Safety Order 2005, Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, ADB (Wales)
- How we cover it
- From Newport, along the M4 corridor and into the valleys
- Postcodes
- NP, CF and SA postcode areas
Speak to the team
Questions about your building or your duties? Talk them through with us before you commit to anything.
0330 133 4591Fire safety across South Wales: common questions
Can't see your question? Call us on 0330 133 4591.
Do you cover the valleys as well as the M4 corridor?
Yes. We cover Torfaen, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf as well as the coastal towns. Where you have several buildings, we plan the visits by area to keep travel efficient.
Is Swansea covered by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service?
No. Swansea and Neath Port Talbot are covered by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. The same Welsh law applies, but any fire safety audit or enforcement notice will come from Mid and West Wales FRS.
Who licenses HMOs in my area?
Your local council. Each of the ten councils in the region runs HMO licensing and housing enforcement for its own area, so licence conditions and any additional licensing can differ from one council to the next. We can help you meet the fire safety conditions wherever your property is.
Can you manage fire safety for all our sites under one contract?
Yes. A compliance contract covers the assessments, servicing and inspections for every site, with one point of contact. Reports, certificates and next-due dates for all your buildings sit in the Vocus Fire Safety Portal.
Can you work on older or listed buildings in Monmouthshire?
Yes. Older and listed buildings often need a balance between fire safety and conservation. We look at the whole package of measures, such as detection, management and door upgrades, and can talk to the conservation officer where changes affect the building's fabric.
Do new homes in South Wales need sprinklers?
Yes. Under the Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011, new houses and flats built since 1 January 2016, and converted homes, need sprinklers, with care homes, HMOs and similar premises covered from 2014. We factor this into fire strategies for new and conversion projects.
Services
Sectors
Further reading: HMO fire risk assessments in Wales: do you need one? · Landlord fire safety in Wales: the Renting Homes Act · Sprinklers in new homes in Wales · Care home fire safety: CIW and CQC
Fire safety support across South Wales
Tell us where your buildings are and what you need. We will confirm the scope, a visit plan and a fixed price in writing.