An Altrincham-based construction company has been fined £165,000 after it repeatedly failed to implement fire precautions during the renovation of a residential project in Preston.
Glovers Court Ltd was found guilty of four offences relating to the redevelopment of a former city centre warehouse into 35 apartments across six floors.
In May 2023, the Glovers Court project was under construction when it was visited by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS). The fire service prohibited the use of the building after identifying several fire safety issues.
Residents already living there had to leave their homes.
As construction work was still ongoing, LFRS and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) worked together to deal with the premises.
Continuous failures
When a HSE inspector visited the site again, they found the company was not complying with its duty to ensure suitable fire safety precautions were in place during ongoing construction work.
Failures included a lack of a fire detection system, no means of raising the alarm in case of a fire, inadequate escape plans, and a lack of construction work phasing to ensure fire compartmentation to prevent fire spreading to all floors.
HSE served a prohibition notice against Glovers Court Ltd to stop all further work on the property until adequate fire precautions were in place. It also served an improvement notice requiring the company to design and implement a fire management plan.
However, during further visits in June and November 2023, HSE found construction work had been ongoing while no action had been taken to comply with either of the notices.
Prosecution
Glovers Court Ltd, which is now in liquidation, was found guilty in its absence of breaching multiple sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 following a trial at Preston Magistrates’ Court on 26 June 2025.
The company was fined £165,000 and ordered to pay £10,512 in costs.
HSE inspector Christine McGlynn said: “This company showed a blatant disregard for both fire safety and the laws in place to protect both people and places.
“Each year, there are estimated to be hundreds of fires on construction sites, potentially putting the lives of workers and members of the public at risk.”
A spokesperson for LFRS added: “This prosecution highlights the positive outcomes multi-agency working has for fire safety in Lancashire.
“It also highlights the critical importance that property developers, owners and managers must give to fire safety.
“We welcome the court’s recognition of the seriousness of these breaches and hope this serves as a clear message to all about their legal and moral responsibilities.”
