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Council Admits Fire Safety Failings at Maidenhead Town Hall

Council Admits Fire Safety Failings at Maidenhead Town Hall Following Damning Drill Findings

Fire safety compliance in public buildings is not optional, and a recent admission by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) has brought that reality sharply into focus.

The council has confirmed that serious fire safety issues identified at Maidenhead Town Hall occurred while responsibility for the building sat with its now-defunct property company.

The concerns came to light after a fire evacuation drill revealed multiple failings that could have placed staff and visitors at risk in a real emergency.

Among the most troubling findings were locked fire doors, evacuation equipment that could not be used, and a lack of trained personnel to assist disabled occupants.

Fire Drill Exposes Longstanding Gaps

During a council meeting earlier this month, Daniel Houston, Health and Safety Adviser at RBWM, explained that a fire drill had not taken place “for some time” prior to the most recent exercise. When the drill was finally conducted, it exposed systemic issues rather than minor oversights.

Evacuation chairs intended to assist disabled people during an emergency were found to be unserviceable. Shockingly, these chairs had not been serviced since 2011. One was completely out of order, and no members of staff had received training on how to use them. In a real fire scenario, this combination of failures could have had catastrophic consequences.

Locked doors during an evacuation exercise also raise serious questions. Fire doors are designed to provide safe and rapid escape; when they remain locked, they become hazards rather than safeguards.

Property Management Under Scrutiny

The council has since confirmed that fire safety at the town hall was managed by its property services department, which until recently operated under RBWM Property Company, commonly referred to as PropCo.

PropCo was established in 2011 as a wholly council-owned company, originally intended to provide affordable housing and homes for key workers.

However, earlier this year it was shut down following what was described as a “politely damning” independent report.

A council spokesperson stated that the property services function has now been brought back in-house.

While the spokesperson maintained that fire drills take place annually, with the previous drill held in 2024, this assertion appears at odds with comments made during the council meeting regarding the lack of recent drills.

Notably, the council declined to disclose how much it paid PropCo to manage Maidenhead Town Hall, leaving unanswered questions about oversight, accountability, and value for money.

“Evacuated Safely” — But Is That Enough?

In a public statement, the council said:

“Although the building was evacuated safely, the exercise identified a number of issues, some of which have developed since the previous drill – and these will now be addressed through an action plan.”

While it is reassuring that the drill did not result in injury, relying on good fortune rather than robust systems is not acceptable under UK fire safety law. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order places clear duties on the “Responsible Person” to ensure fire precautions are maintained, equipment is serviced, and staff are adequately trained.

An action plan is a necessary step, but it also implicitly acknowledges that failings were allowed to persist for years — particularly in relation to evacuation chairs that had gone more than a decade without servicing.

A Wider Lesson for Public and Commercial Buildings

This incident serves as a stark reminder that fire safety is not a one-off exercise or a box-ticking exercise carried out once a year. Buildings change, people change, and risks evolve. Regular drills, maintenance schedules, and staff training are fundamental to ensuring that procedures work when they are genuinely needed.

Public buildings such as town halls host staff, councillors, contractors, and members of the public every day, including vulnerable individuals. When fire safety management is outsourced or delegated, robust monitoring and governance are essential. Without it, responsibility becomes blurred, and critical tasks can fall through the cracks.

Transparency and Accountability Matter

The original reporting, published by the BBC on 23 June 2025, highlights how governance structures can directly impact life safety. You can read the original BBC article here:
👉 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4n833p1e2o

As councils and organisations across the UK review their property and facilities management arrangements, this case should act as a cautionary tale. Fire safety failures rarely happen overnight — they develop gradually, through missed inspections, deferred maintenance, and a lack of ownership.

Ultimately, ensuring fire safety is not about paperwork or public statements after the fact. It is about consistent action, clear responsibility, and a culture that treats life safety as non-negotiable.

Why This Matters — And What Should Happen Next

The issues uncovered at Maidenhead Town Hall are not unusual — but that does not make them acceptable. In our experience, many organisations assume that because a building has been “used for years without incident,” fire safety systems must be adequate. Unfortunately, fire drills, evacuation equipment, training records, and management responsibilities often tell a very different story when they are finally tested.

This case highlights two critical lessons:

  1. Fire safety failures usually develop quietly over time, through missed inspections, unclear responsibility, or outsourced management without proper oversight.
  2. Evacuation arrangements for disabled and vulnerable people are frequently the weakest link, despite being a clear legal requirement.

Having an action plan after problems are exposed is important — but prevention starts long before that point.

The Role of a Professional Fire Risk Assessment

A suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment is the foundation of legal compliance under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. More importantly, it provides clarity:

A professional assessment does not just identify problems — it prioritises risk, assigns responsibility, and provides a defensible audit trail should enforcement action ever follow.

Why a Fire Safety Manager Makes the Difference

Many organisations now recognise the value of appointing a Fire Safety Manager — someone responsible for coordinating fire safety day to day, not just reacting to issues when something goes wrong.

A Fire Safety Manager helps ensure that:

In larger or more complex buildings, this role can be the difference between ongoing compliance and the slow drift into dangerous non-compliance.

How ESI: Fire Safety Can Help

If this story has prompted you to question whether your own building would stand up to scrutiny, now is the right time to act.

ESI: Fire Safety supports organisations across Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, and the wider South East with:

We understand the realities of managing real buildings with real people — not just ticking boxes.

Take Control Before You’re Forced To

Fire safety failures rarely come to light by choice. More often, they are exposed during drills, inspections, or following enforcement action — when reputational damage and legal risk are already in play.

If you want confidence that your fire safety arrangements are robust, compliant, and defensible, speak to a competent, experienced assessor.

Contact ESI: Fire Safety today to discuss a Fire Risk Assessment or Fire Safety Management support — and make sure your building is genuinely prepared, not just assumed to be safe.