The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has reported a sharp acceleration in decision-making on high-rise residential developments, signalling improving momentum in the post-Grenfell building control regime as industry confidence returns.
In its latest Gateway 2 (GW2) update, the regulator said it had issued 347 determinations across all application types in the 12 weeks to 22 December, taking the total to 727 decisions since late September.
The final quarter of 2025 is on track to deliver more than 700 determinations, compared with just over 200 in the first quarter of the year – an increase of more than 250%.
The number of live GW2 applications is now falling, easing from 1,219 to 1,158 over the past 12 weeks, suggesting the regulator is beginning to work through a backlog that has previously been blamed for delaying housing delivery.
CAPITAL RISING
London continues to dominate activity, accounting for 69% of all GW2 decisions in December.
A total of 503 determinations have been made in the capital since late September – the highest level since the BSR began operations – while live London cases have dropped from 791 to 740.
The regulator has also seen a rise in new applications from developers. In the 12 weeks to 22 December, 101 new GW2 new-build applications were submitted, while 94 were determined.
Overall, applications representing more than 22,000 residential units have been received, with approvals issued for 15,117 units. There are currently 37,773 units tied up in live cases.
Progress has been supported by the BSR’s recently established Innovation Unit, which is managing more than 100 live new-build applications.
“High-quality submissions are now achieving approvals in around 12 to 13 weeks.”
High-quality submissions are now achieving approvals in around 12 to 13 weeks, according to the regulator.
A continued focus remains on resolving legacy cases inherited from the previous system. Since late September, 54 historic applications have been closed, with an approval rate of 83%, as the regulator adopts a more pragmatic, case-by-case approach rather than rejecting complex schemes outright.
The update comes as ministers face mounting pressure to accelerate housing delivery while maintaining tougher safety standards for high-rise buildings.
CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
Charlie Pugsley, Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator, says: “The immediate, positive results we saw from our pilot operational changes are now firmly established across BSR and show a clear path to continued success.
“We have made the most determinations in BSR’s operating history, cleared significant numbers of our complex historic cases by engaging with applicants, as well as publishing guidance on staged applications and continuing to build upon the work of our Innovation Unit.
“Across BSR, and we believe within industry too, there is a confidence we can continue to make more decisions at an increasing pace through our new processes and by engaging appropriately with applicants.
“But rightly, we continue to remain cautiously optimistic, as we know the pace of improvements must continue into 2026 and beyond.
“We all remain fully committed to supporting the pace of essential construction while upholding the critical safety standards there to keep thousands of people safe in both new and also existing homes.”
