Hotel owners fined for fire safety breaches

Inspectors found a number of issues at the Union Hotel in Penzance

Author: Simon McleanPublished 17th Oct 2022

The company that owns a hotel in Penzance has been ordered to pay £16,590 for not meeting fire safety regulations.

It comes after officers from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service identified a series of issues at the Union Hotel during an inspection.

They found:

The fire detection and warning system fell short of the standard expected in a premises providing sleeping accommodation

Fire safety provisions and compartmentation had not been adequately maintained

The escape routes serving the sleeping accommodation were not adequately protected and

The fire risk assessment was not suitable and sufficient

A subsequent investigation by CFRS revealed that the company had failed to review the fire safety provisions at the premises and was served a restriction and enforcement notice.

Union and Western Hotels LTD, was fined £12,000 (reduced from £18,000 to account for their early guilty plea) after pleading guilty to four offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The company was also ordered to pay £4,400 in costs and a victim surcharge of £190 when they appeared before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court.

The District Judge in her summing up, said that there had been significant failings in fire safety and these failings went on for some considerable time and could potentially have caused significant harm.

She went on the say that despite warnings from the alarm company the faulty fire alarm was not rectified, and these failings risked people potentially dying.

Councillor Martyn Alvey, the portfolio holder responsible for CFRS at Cornwall Council, said: “I’d like to thank the team who have worked hard to bring this prosecution. When people put others’ lives at risk, we will not hesitate to take action and prosecute where necessary.”

Kathryn Billing, Chief Fire Officer at Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I urge all business to ensure they comply with fire regulations. These measures are in place to protect people and can ultimately save lives. It is not worth taking the risk.”

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