Southampton, Hampshire
Enforcement-grade fire risk assessments in Southampton, delivered personally by Brian Neat — a former fire service Group Manager and A31 enforcement signatory, based 30 miles away in Petersfield.
Fixed fees agreed in writing. Defensible reports. Done properly, not cheaply.
A Hampshire assessor
SimplyNeat Fire Solutions is based in Petersfield — The Engine House, 77 Station Road — about 30 miles up the A3 from Southampton. Every assessment is carried out personally by Brian Neat, with no sub-contracted assessors. For a Southampton premises that means an assessor who knows the city's building stock first-hand: the Victorian terraces converted around Portswood and Polygon, the student HMOs near both universities, the city-centre retail units, and the industrial estates along the western docks.
Southampton is a unitary authority in south Hampshire. Every assessment is written to withstand scrutiny from the fire and rescue authority, a solicitor or an insurer — because it's written by someone who has been the enforcing officer. The finding reflects what was actually found, calibrated to real risk, at a fixed fee agreed before work starts.
Local coverage
From the office at The Engine House on Station Road, SimplyNeat covers Southampton and the surrounding area — roughly a 45-minute drive down the A3 and M27. There's no travel surcharge for premises within Hampshire, and Brian covers the wider county and beyond.
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 assessmentsReviews after any material change, and at least annually for higher risk premises — keeping your assessment suitable, sufficient and up to date.
Learn more about FRA reviews and revisitsReceived 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 buildingsA clear explanation of what each level of access and invasiveness does and does not include — so you commission the right assessment for your premises.
Learn more about assessment typesKnow your fire safety position before the Fire Safety Order duty is triggered — ahead of moving into or opening a Southampton premises.
Learn more about pre-occupation assessmentsSpecialist sectors
Each sector has distinct fire safety characteristics. SimplyNeat brings specific knowledge to each — not a generic approach applied uniformly.
Local premises
Southampton is a port city, and its building stock is dense and varied — that shows in the premises we assess here. Because Brian assesses every premises personally, each assessment is matched to the real building in front of him — not a template with the town name swapped in.
Local authority & licensing
Licensing and fire safety are separate legal duties. Whether or not your Southampton HMO needs a council licence, the Responsible Person still has a duty under the Fire Safety Order 2005 to hold a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment — and for a licensed HMO, the council will expect to see one. (More in do I need an FRA for my HMO?)
SimplyNeat's reports are written by a former enforcement officer, so they stand up to exactly the scrutiny a council licensing officer or fire inspector would apply.
Get in touch
Tell me about your Southampton premises and I'll come back with a fixed-fee quote — usually within one working day. Based at The Engine House, 77 Station Road, Petersfield.
Track record
30+ years' fire safety experience · Every assessment personally conducted by Brian — no subcontracted assessors
Common questions
Yes. SimplyNeat is based in Petersfield — about 30 miles up the A3 from Southampton — and covers the city and its surroundings regularly. There's no travel surcharge for premises within Hampshire.
Often yes. Southampton City Council runs an additional licensing scheme covering smaller HMOs of three to four occupants across nine designated wards, in force from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030. Licensing and fire safety are separate duties, though — a licensed HMO still needs a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment under the Fire Safety Order 2005.
It's around a 45-minute drive from the Petersfield base. Send your premises details and Brian will confirm availability.
Get in touch for a fixed-fee quote.