28/06/2010 - Bed and breakfast fire costs cut
Bed and breakfast owners in Scotland will see a reduction in the cost of fire safety measures after a review of the existing rules, the Scottish Government has said.
The new measures will see the price of installing fire safety equipment decrease by 90%.
Under the rules owners will now assess the size and type of property when putting agreed fire safety procedures in place.
The previous guidance saw proprietors conduct their own risk assessments and extra measures could be enforced by the fire service if it felt they were needed.
The review follows complaints from businesses about the expense and the complexity of meeting the previous guidelines.
Analysis has shown that the cost of installing the required fire safety equipment has fallen from an average of £19,690 to just £960.
Hamish Fraser, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Highlands and Islands chairman, said: "B&B and self-catering owners are determined to ensure the safety of their guests but a better system needed to be found."
The new guidance covers B&Bs with up to eight paying guests and self catering establishments providing accommodation for up to 10 people.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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