Waking Watch case study
St Paul’s Place at 40 St Paul’s Square is a historic Birmingham factory converted to mixed use, with private apartments and penthouses on its upper floors. Centrick needed waking watch in place while remedial works and fire safety upgrades were carried out. We have provided cover since 1 April 2026.
St Paul’s Place, at 40 St Paul’s Square in Birmingham, is a historic factory converted into a modern mixed-use building. High-end private apartments, including multi-bedroom flats and penthouses, occupy the upper floors.
Centrick needed waking watch cover in place while remedial works and upgrades were carried out on site, as the interim measure set out in the building’s Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
We have provided waking watch cover since 1 April 2026, running for the duration of the remedial works and upgrade programme.
Staffing was set by the site’s Fire Risk Assessment. Converted heritage buildings rarely behave like purpose-built blocks, which is exactly why NFCC guidance calls for a building-by-building judgement rather than a fixed ratio.
Officers are fire-marshal certified and trained in fire awareness and evacuation, uniformed and identifiable to residents, and carry radios linking them to the building’s management team and, where needed, the fire and rescue service.
The watch has been in place since April 2026 and remains ongoing while the remedial works progress.
The Fire Risk Assessment is kept under review throughout, in line with NFCC guidance that waking watch is a short-term measure under active review rather than an indefinite arrangement.
The service
This engagement was delivered by our waking watch team. Read how the service works, what it covers and how it is staffed on our waking watch and fire safety services page.
The area
We work across Birmingham and the surrounding region. See the sites, sectors and services we cover in Birmingham.
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