Anstey Horne strengthens fire engineering team with Charles Betts appointment
Lewis Tyler
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Charles Betts joins Anstey Horne as Senior Director as the consultancy expands its fire engineering capability across the UK
Anstey Horne has appointed Charles Betts as Senior Director within its fire engineering division as part of a wider investment in the business.
The appointment forms part of the consultancy’s plans to strengthen its fire engineering capability, alongside the opening of a new office in Newcastle and the appointments of Luke Jagger and Matthew Lawson.
A chartered fire engineer with almost 20 years of experience, Betts will provide technical and commercial leadership for Anstey Horne’s fire engineering business, supporting its continued growth across the UK.
He joins from Stantec, where he served as national director of fire engineering. His previous senior roles include positions at Arup, AECOM and Design Fire Consultants.
During his career, Betts has developed fire strategies for major projects including BBC Television Centre in White City, Canary Wharf and the Design Museum. He has also led fire engineering work on mixed-use developments across Europe, Africa and the UAE.
The investment will strengthen Anstey Horne’s capabilities across development projects and design-stage fire engineering, complementing its established expertise in fire risk management, specialist surveying, compliance and building safety.
Jagger and Lawson, who also join from Stantec, will lead the consultancy’s new Newcastle office. The appointments will establish Anstey Horne’s fire engineering presence in the North East while providing regional and national clients with access to its multidisciplinary consultancy services.
Supporting growth
Betts said the opportunity to join Anstey Horne was driven by the alignment between his values and those of the business.
“There is a genuine commitment from the board to investing in people and supporting the next generation of fire engineers, and that was hugely important to me.”
He added that the company’s collaborative approach across disciplines and business lines would create opportunities to bring different areas of expertise together for clients.
“Anstey Horne already has an excellent reputation in fire safety. I’m looking forward to building on those strengths while expanding our fire engineering capability to support development projects and design-stage fire engineering across the UK.”
Alex Parry-Jones, managing director at Anstey Horne, said Betts’ technical expertise and project experience would support the next stage of the company’s growth.
“Bringing Charles, Luke and Matthew into the business significantly strengthens our fire engineering capability, enabling us to assist clients across a broader range of projects while continuing to deliver the specialist advice for which Anstey Horne is known.”
Anstey Horne’s history dates back to 1795, with the consultancy having contributed to the development of professional practice, including the London Building Acts Amendments and the formation of professional associations and institutions.
Headquartered in London, Anstey Horne has nine regional offices and employs 145 people.