National commercial building, project and sustainability consultancy Jones Hargreaves has launched an in house Fire Consultancy service in response to growing demand for specialist fire safety and strategy advice.
The service will be led by Partners Simon Benton and Stuart Bourne, who have joined the company to establish and develop the new offering.
The launch follows continued changes to fire safety legislation and building compliance, which are increasing demand for specialist advice across commercial, residential and mixed use properties.
Fire safety expertise expanded
Benton and Bourne bring more than 36 years of combined experience across senior fire risk assessment, fire engineering, technical consultancy and analytical roles.
The Fire Consultancy will provide services including Fire Engineering support across all RIBA Stages, 0 to 7, Building Safety Act advice, Fire Risk Assessments, fire safety management, technical due diligence and specialist strategic advice.
Matthew Jones, Founding Partner of Jones Hargreaves, said: “We are focused on providing a seamless service for clients across every stage of a building’s lifecycle. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in demand for specialist fire safety advice, and it makes sense to bring this expertise in-house to ensure both new and existing clients have access to specialist fire safety expertise from the earliest stages of every project through to completion and ongoing asset management.
“Launching our Fire Consultancy is another important step in expanding our multi-disciplinary offer. I’m pleased to welcome Simon and Stuart to the Jones Hargreaves team. They have already made a positive impact on the business, and we look forward to seeing the opportunities ahead.”
Strategic approach to fire safety
The new team will act as strategic advisers throughout the lifecycle of projects and property portfolios, helping ensure fire safety is considered from the earliest stages rather than solely as a compliance exercise.
Clients will also receive proactive advice as fire safety regulations continue to evolve.
National service planned
Based at Jones Hargreaves’ Birmingham office, Benton and Bourne will provide services nationally across commercial, residential and mixed use property portfolios. The team expects to grow over the coming months and plans to expand its expertise into non commercial property portfolios.
They join Jones Hargreaves’ multidisciplinary team of building surveyors, ESG consultants and mechanical and electrical engineers.
The consultancy advises investors, occupiers and developers, predominantly across industrial, office and retail assets, providing services including building surveying, project management, technical due diligence, ESG consultancy and dilapidations.
