Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) have ended their prosecution of four companies over the 2019 fire
Legal advice given to CFRS has seen the withdrawal of the prosecution of four companies relating to the devastating fire at the Beechmere retirement complex in Crewe in 2019 as it was deemed that a prosecution was not realistic.
Alex Waller, Chief Fire Officer at CFRS, said: "Following extensive legal submissions heard over the first two days of the trial, unfortunately it became clear this morning (Wednesday 7 May) that there would be no realistic prospect of securing convictions. After carefully considering legal advice, regrettably we have taken the very difficult decision to withdraw our prosecution case against all four defendants.”
As previously reported by the FPA, the trial had begun at Chester Crown Court just two days prior to collapsing, with four companies – Avantage (Cheshire), Your Housing, Morgan Sindall Property Services, and Total Fire Group – pleading not guilty to a total of 14 fire safety charges relating to their work involving the retirement complex.
The blaze saw more than 150 residents lose their homes and possessions, and although no one was injured, a 2023 letter from CFRS to residents recognised that “the impact on their lives has been significant”.
In his statement, Waller also said, “We understand that former residents of Beechmere and their families will be disappointed with this outcome, which is not the one we have been working hard to achieve."
The fire was one of the biggest ever attended by CFRS, with over 70 firefighters deployed at its height to bring the blaze under control and it had been the subject of a lengthy and complex investigation by CFRS since it occurred to establish the events of the fire and why it was able to spread so rapidly and case such widespread damage.
Following the withdrawal of prosecutions by CFRS, Darren Baird, Group Director of Total Fire Group Ltd, said in a statement: "We are delighted to announce that Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have finally dropped the case against Total Fire Group (TFG) Ltd and all other defendants in the case. The prosecution offered no evidence and not guilty verdicts were returned by the Court.
"TFG has always maintained that it acted professionally and properly and always in compliance with the Fire Safety Order. By dropping the case, CFRS and the Court have recognised this. We remain mindful of the impact that this fire had on the residents of Beechmere."
Baird added: "The company that constructed the building, which had numerous latent defects, was in liquidation and could not be prosecuted.
"It was disappointing that it took almost 6 years for CFRS to drop this case, given the time, cost, and unnecessary stress/damage this has caused to TFG and all concerned. We are grateful to the fantastic legal team and our staff who have supported us through this very difficult time."
Your Housing Group said: "We fully recognise the impact of the devastating fire at the Beechmere retirement living scheme in 2019, which was part of the Avantage PFI, and our focus ever since has been supporting residents and colleagues who were affected.
“We have always maintained that we were not guilty of the charges which were brought against us and welcome the decision by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service to withdraw its prosecution of all charges against Your Housing Limited and Avantage, which led the court to record a not guilty verdict on all charges.
“We will continue with our plans to deliver great homes and services to the people living across our communities.”
Prosecutions against two other companies involved in the complex had already been withdrawn in October 2024 and February 2025, and there is now no further legal action currently taking place in relation to the incident.