The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has reported a further improvement in Gateway 2 approval rates, with more than 18,000 residential units receiving approval during the latest 12-week reporting period.
The regulator’s latest transparency data, covering the period to 31 August, shows that 84% of all building control applications for higher-risk buildings were approved, up from 82% in the previous reporting period.
A total of 287 of the 340 decisions made were approved, covering 18,029 homes.
For new higher-risk residential buildings and conversions, the approval rate rose to 92%, with a median determination time of 22 weeks for non-complex applications.
NEW-BUILD APPROVALS
The BSR approved schemes representing 9,362 new homes during the period. In London, where much of the higher-risk development pipeline is concentrated, the approval rate stood at 90%.
The figures mark a significant improvement on the same period last year, when approval rates for new-build schemes were considerably lower and median determination times were almost twice as long.
REMEDIATION PROGRESS
The regulator also reported continued improvement in the remediation of existing buildings.
Nationally, 89% of remediation applications were approved, rising to 96% in London. Those approvals covered 8,667 residential units.
The BSR says operational changes introduced earlier this year have helped reduce the number of older remediation cases still awaiting decisions.
Charlie Pugsley (main picture, inset), Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “Our latest performance figures show that we are successfully driving momentum in building control assessments and approvals for more than 18,000 residential units.
“While we are pleased to see determination times reducing, particularly for new builds and remediation projects, the safety of residents and our communities remains at the heart of what we do.”
The regulator has also expanded its technical workforce as it seeks to reduce decision times while maintaining oversight of projects as they move through the building safety regime.
