Fire Safety systems in kitchens

We have a development where the block insurer now requires ansul fire protection in a number of commercial units where the installed cooking systems were never designed to accommodate them and there was no planning or safety need to have them what so ever. The net result is that we have become uninsurable save for one company who wants to double the premium to compensate for this. The OMC has no control over the internal operations of any private business and to make such a change would require easily tens of thousands of euros even if it were possible which we don't believe it is.

Is it me or is it strange that having never heard of this now every single company now carry's this clause and requirement. It's like all the CEO's of every block insurer met one afternoon and ticked boxes on the agreed changes they will all be making. Up until today the premium has not changed for 5+years and the commercial unit usage has not changed.

Any thoughts or advice? The entire budget for 2014 is now wiped out in one afternoon. sigh...

edit: the policy is claim free.

Many insurers use a small number of underwriters, it's possible the underwriters are insisting on this clause.

looks like this is the case. IF the current insurer also makes the same policy change as insurers tend to have a herd mentality then we would be uninsurable unless the required changes were made which we estimate could cost between 20 to 40 thousand euros at a very broad brush estimate without including the maintenance contracts.

Pass me more pain killers......