The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has reported an increase in Gateway 2 approval rates across all application categories, including remediation and existing building safety projects. The latest update follows the introduction of the BSR’s External Remediation Improvement Plan in April, which aims to accelerate the assessment and determination of applications.

For new-build projects, the Innovation Unit continued to demonstrate strong performance during the latest 12-week reporting period, achieving a 90% approval rate. The unit also processed more applications than it received over the same period, helping to reduce overall workloads.

Key figures to 30 May

• The BSR made 358 Gateway 2 decisions during the 12 weeks to 30 May, with an overall approval rate of 75%. Approximately 65% of all decisions related to projects in London.
• Applications covering 14,928 residential units were determined during the reporting period, with 9,499 units (64%) receiving approval. A total of 38,775 residential units remain within live applications currently being assessed. During the same 12-week period, new applications covering 13,964 residential units were submitted.
• The Innovation Unit approved 28 of the 31 applications it determined during the reporting period, representing a 90% approval rate. In London, all 19 applications considered by the unit were approved. The BSR says this reflects increased engagement with applicants to support the delivery of safe, compliant homes.
• Operational improvements introduced through the External Remediation Improvement Plan have contributed to a remediation approval rate of 79% over the latest 12-week period. This exceeds the BSR’s year-end target of 65% for 2026.
• Since the launch of the Improvement Plan in April, the number of outstanding legacy remediation applications dating from 2024 has fallen to 16. A further ten applications are expected to be determined during June, compared with 42 outstanding cases at the start of 2026.

Accelerating assessments through batching

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve performance, the BSR has continued to trial a batching process that groups applications and allocates them to specialist engineering services suppliers for assessment, while retaining regulatory oversight.

Under this approach, the median time between a case being issued to a supplier and a decision being made is between 12 and 14 weeks, depending on the application type.

The primary objective of the batching process is to increase assessment capacity and support the timely resolution of both new-build and remediation applications, helping to address existing backlogs while maintaining safety standards.

Positive progress

The latest figures suggest that the measures introduced by the Building Safety Regulator are beginning to deliver measurable improvements in application processing and approval rates. While significant volumes of applications remain in the system, the reduction in legacy remediation cases and the continued performance of the Innovation.

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, stated: “We continue to see positive improvements in numbers of approvals for both new-build and existing building remediation cases, as well as significantly faster decision times. This includes continued positive results from our Innovation Unit by virtue of working closely with applicants to safely resolve complex technical challenges. This positive engagement has energised a growing number of decisions and rising approval rates.”

Pugsley continued: “We are also making important improvements following the recent introduction of our External Remediation Improvement Plan, with existing building approval rates of 79% over the last 12 weeks already above our minimum 65% target for the year.”

Continuing this theme, Pugsley observed: “We recognise that people living in other unremediated buildings still want them to be fixed safely and at pace. We continue to work to accelerate our assessments, decisions and approvals and also to improve consistency, ensuring that industry can build new and make existing buildings safe. As such, thousands of residents then see the essential safety improvements they deserve.”

In conclusion, Pugsley commented: “We remain steadfastly committed to continuous improvement, ensuring that accelerated decision-making for any high-risk building, either for new-build or for existing buildings, must never come at the cost of building safety.”

Access Building Safety Regulator Building Control Approval Application Data March to May 2026 here

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