The Building Safety Regulator has approved 82% of higher-risk building applications determined during the latest 12-week reporting period.
The BSR made 349 Gateway 2 decisions nationally in the period to 1 August, approving 287 applications across new developments, conversions, remediation and internal works.
Approval rates for new higher-risk buildings and conversions reached 91%, with a median determination time of 22 weeks. A year earlier, the equivalent approval rate was 39% and the median wait was 43 weeks.
The 45 new-build decisions made during the period cover projects containing 7,587 residential units.
LONDON ACCOUNTS FOR MOST NEW-BUILD ACTIVITY
London represented 27 of the 45 new-build decisions, with 25 projects approved. This produced a 93% approval rate covering 3,841 homes.
The capital currently accounts for 65% of live new-build applications and 58% of the residential units being assessed.
Nationally, the regulator is managing 131 new-build and conversion applications representing 30,421 homes.
Existing-building remediation approvals reached 85%, substantially exceeding the BSR’s 65% target for the end of 2026. In London, the rate was 92%.
The regulator approved projects covering 7,433 homes from 110 remediation decisions. Its remaining legacy applications dating from 2024 have fallen from 42 at the beginning of the year to 13.
NEWER APPLICATIONS MOVE MORE QUICKLY
Older remediation cases recorded a median approval time of 34 weeks, but applications submitted during 2026 have taken a median of 21 weeks.
The regulator attributes the improvement to better-quality submissions, closer engagement with applicants and streamlined internal processes.
Internal refurbishment applications achieved a 77% approval rate, with an overall median determination time of 32 weeks. For applications submitted this year, that falls to 16 weeks.
At Gateway 3, the BSR determined 29 applications during the reporting period, approving 72%. The median determination time was 16 weeks, with the fastest decision completed in eight weeks.
SPECIALIST RESOURCES EXPAND
Charlie Pugsley (main picture, inset), acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, says: “By scaling up our resources and deploying integrated teams of registered building inspectors, fire and structural engineers, we are successfully clearing older legacy applications and accelerating determination times for new projects.
“The first year of our Innovation Unit also highlights this progress, showing how bringing specialist teams in-house can cut setup times from months to days and safely unlock new developments.
“While we remain absolutely focused on further improving our processes and supporting safe development across healthcare, housing and complex developments, our core commitment remains unchanged.
“We will never allow faster decision-making to compromise the safety of the people who will live, visit and work in these buildings.”
