Quote from BS 5839-1:
"a) Indicating equipment, in conjunction with suitable manual control facilities, should be sited at an appropriate location for both staff and firefighters responding to a fire signal, such that controls can be readily operated and indications are readily visible. This should normally comprise an area on the ground floor close to the entrance to the building likely to be used by the fire and rescue service, or a suitably sited, continuously manned control room from which at least initial control of any fire incident, by staff and/or the fire and rescue service, will be implemented...
...g) In premises in multiple occupation with communal parts, main CIE should be located within a communal area, such as an entrance hall. Where no communal parts exist, the equipment should be sited in an area to which access is possible at all times that the premises are generally occupied"
The existing doesn't seem to comply with the above - that doesn't necessarily make it unsafe, of course.
As David Rooney says, much depends upon the capabilities of the particular CIE - contact the manufacturer (if they still exist) and ask if a remote display option is available (a panel of zone indicating LEDs together with a zone diagram might be all you need)? Also depends upon whether it's a straightforward single-stage evac, or it's something more complex like phased evac or staff alarms, where the user will require swift access to the panel?
