Hampshire-based · Nationwide coverage
Fire risk assessments for organisations that can't afford to get it wrong — from someone who spent 15 years deciding what wrong looked like.
Independent fire risk assessments from a former Hampshire FRS Group Manager, A31 signatory and enforcement officer.
In Brian's words
"I spent 30 years with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service — the last 15 or so on the fire safety side. I ended up as a Group Manager with A31 signatory authority, which means I was one of the people who could walk into your building and close it down.
I also created Hampshire's enforcement and prosecution team — one of the first in the country to actively prosecute under the Fire Safety Order.
I set up SimplyNeat Fire Solutions Ltd when I retired. I do fire risk assessments — but from the perspective of someone who's been on the other side of the enforcement desk. My clients tend to be people who want it done properly, not just done cheaply."
What we offer
Professionally structured assessments for commercial, residential and complex premises. Clear, actionable reports written for the Responsible Person — not filed away.
Learn more about fire risk assessmentsReceived a notice or facing an inspection? Brian's enforcement background means he understands how enforcement decisions are made, the framework officers work within, and what a defensible, compliant response looks like.
Learn more about enforcement-facing instructionsSpecialist experience in higher risk and complex residential buildings. Level 6 equivalent qualification. IFE HRB accreditation in progress.
Learn more about higher risk buildingsAbout Brian
SimplyNeat Fire Solutions Ltd is led by Brian Neat — a former Hampshire FRS Group Manager, A31 signatory, and one of the creators of Hampshire FRS's dedicated fire safety enforcement and prosecution team.
With over 15 years as a fire safety practitioner — from inspector through to Group Manager — Brian brings a perspective that very few independent assessors can offer: he has been on the other side of the enforcement desk. He contributed to the development of the fire safety audit form and risk rating methodology working nationally through CFOA and with DCLG, and served as CFOA's liaison lead between government departments during the Red Tape Challenge, the Better Regulation programme and the Primary Authority Scheme. The ambition behind that work — enforcement effort proportionate to actual risk, decisions grounded in evidence — runs through every SimplyNeat assessment.
Full career profileQualifications & registrations
Specialist sectors
Each sector has distinct fire safety characteristics. SimplyNeat brings specific knowledge to each — not a generic approach applied uniformly.
Where we work
Based in Petersfield, SimplyNeat covers the whole of Hampshire — from Southampton and Portsmouth in the south to Basingstoke and Farnborough in the north. Every assessment is carried out personally by Brian Neat, with no travel surcharge for premises within the county.
Get in touch
We endeavour to respond to all enquiries within one working day. SimplyNeat is a sole practitioner practice — if Brian is on site or unavailable, there may occasionally be a short delay. For urgent enforcement matters, call directly.
Common questions
If you're the Responsible Person for non-domestic premises in England or Wales — an employer, occupier, or the person in control of the building — yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for virtually every non-domestic premises, kept up to date and reviewed regularly. There is no minimum size or employee-count threshold that exempts you; offices, care homes, HMOs, industrial units and licensed premises are all in scope.
The "Responsible Person" under Article 3 of the Fire Safety Order 2005 — typically the employer, the person in control of the premises, or the building's owner or managing agent. That person must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and kept under review. The assessment itself can be instructed out to a competent assessor, but the legal duty to have one in place stays with the Responsible Person.
SimplyNeat is Hampshire-based, working nationwide, led personally by Brian Neat — a former Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager and A31 signatory. Every assessment is carried out by Brian himself; there are no sub-contracted assessors or junior staff sent in his place. There's no single national directory that verifies competence, so it's worth checking an assessor's actual qualifications and registrations rather than searching on location alone.
Fire certificates were abolished in England and Wales when the Fire Safety Order 2005 came into force — there is no such document any more. What replaced it is an ongoing duty: the Responsible Person must carry out and maintain a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. If a provider offers to issue you a "fire safety certificate", that's a red flag — the current legal requirement is an assessment and action plan, not a certificate.
Track record
30+ years' fire safety experience · Every assessment personally conducted by Brian — no subcontracted assessors