Holiday Let Fined £33k for Serious Fire Safety Breaches in St Ives

A self-catering holiday let business in St Ives has been ordered to pay more than £33,000 in fines and court costs after breaching fire safety regulations.

Gill [St Ives] Holiday Enterprises Limited, the company behind Premier Apartments Flats 1 to 4 in St Ives, was sentenced at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 23rd April 2025. The prosecution followed a fire safety inspection by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service in October 2023.

Fire Safety Concerns Spark Investigation

On 17th October 2023, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service received concerns about the safety of the holiday flats. Inspectors visited the property the same day and uncovered several serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

These included:

• No suitable or sufficient fire risk assessments

• Inadequate fire detection and warning systems

• Lack of general fire precautions

• Failure to ensure safe evacuation in the event of danger

The court heard that the company had since spent around £25,000 to rectify the issues identified during the inspection.

Fined Over £33,000 for Putting Lives at Risk

Gill [St Ives] Holiday Enterprises Limited pleaded guilty to all charges and was ordered to pay:

• A fine of £22,660

• A victim surcharge of £2,000

• Court costs of £8,998

The business was given 28 days to pay the total amount of £33,658.

Sentencing, District Judge Jo Matson said:

“Fire safety matters were extremely serious due to the risks that can occur. Those staying at the premises were on holiday and should be protected.”

Warning from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

Kathryn Billing, Chief Fire Officer at Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“The Fire Safety Order is designed to protect life in the event of fire, and whilst prosecution is always a last resort, the case serves as a strong reminder to those with responsibilities that if they fail to meet their regulatory requirements or put people at significant risk in the event of fire, we will not hesitate to seek the highest sanctions possible.”

Business owners can find out more about their legal obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order via the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Business Fire Safety website.