Cannock Shopping Centre
Cannock Shopping Centre
JRA Fire Safety Advisors were commissioned to carry out a detailed site inspection and prepare a Fire Engineering Technical Note to support proposed alterations to Cannock Shopping Centre, following the removal of part of the covered mall canopy. The primary purpose of the commission was to review the continued requirement for an existing smoke curtain and to assess the adequacy of the remaining smoke control arrangements within the mall.
Our assessment focused on understanding the original fire safety design intent, including the role of the smoke curtain as an active downstand between smoke reservoirs, and the interaction between mechanical and natural smoke ventilation systems across the centre. In the absence of complete design and cause-and-effect information, a structured, engineering-led review was undertaken based on site observations and established fire safety principles.
The review concluded that the existing smoke curtain was no longer a viable or effective solution following the demolition works, and that its requirement was directly dependent on confirming how the smoke control system was designed to operate. Clear, proportionate advice was provided setting out when the curtain could be safely removed and when an alternative fixed downstand would be required to ensure that means of escape within the mall were not compromised.
This project demonstrates JRA Fire Safety Advisors’ ability to apply robust fire engineering judgement to complex existing retail environments, supporting informed decision-making where building alterations interact with legacy fire safety systems




















