The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published its latest Gateway 2 update, highlighting continued positive momentum, with increased decision volumes, improvements through the pilot batching process and a sustained focus on remediation projects.

In the 12 weeks to 29 March, 284 Gateway 2 decisions were made, with an overall approval rate of 67%. Applications covering 12,975 residential units were received, while 16,721 units were determined, of which 61% were approved.

The Innovation Unit recorded a 61% approval rate (19 of 31 decisions), with the 12-week rolling approval rate increasing and a median decision time of 22 weeks.

London continues to account for the majority of activity, representing 62% of all decisions. A total of 372 applications were closed in the capital during this period.

Remediation remains a key focus, with 92 decisions made (61% approved), including 49 in London. This compares to 228 remediation decisions across the whole of 2025. Legacy cases have reduced to two, with 13 complex cases now managed under a dedicated process.

Processing improvements

Early data indicates that the batching model is improving efficiency compared to the previous MDT approach. Applications are grouped and assessed by specialist external suppliers, with the BSR retaining regulatory oversight.

Across new build, remediation and refurbishment, the median time for supplier assessment is four weeks. Median end-to-end decision times are nine weeks for new build and ten weeks for both remediation and refurbishment.

Focus on existing buildings

There are currently 299 live cases representing 25,921 units, with 97 new cases received in the period. The Remediation Improvement Plan sets out measures to increase resources, enhance processes and improve application quality, supported by updated guidance and applicant engagement.

London activity

London remains a key area of focus, with 470 new applications received and 845 live cases across all categories. The Innovation Unit also shows a strong London concentration, with 65% of applications and 54% of associated residential units.

Open remediation cases in London have reduced slightly, from 172 to 164.

This update follows recent Government and Mayoral announcements aimed at accelerating stalled developments and increasing housing delivery in the capital. Under new leadership, the BSR has improved operational performance, with most legacy Gateway 2 cases cleared and 3,800 new homes approved in London.

Increasing availability

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “We continue to see improvements to the numbers of approvals for new-build and remediation cases and the time taken to reach a decision. The data we’ve published reinforces the significant improvements we’ve seen when you look at where we were in July 2025, with median decision times of 51.5 weeks.”

Pugsley continued: “A big part of our work to drive improvements is now focused on improving technical consistency in the sector and ensuring that learning from challenging designs or applications is shared. We have less complex cases to work through, which then further reducing decision times. This is directly increasing the availability of thousands of safe new and existing homes across England.”

Further, Pugsley noted: “To manage applications – particularly so the intense demand we are seeing in London, which accounts for six in every ten of our Gateway 2 decisions – our batching pilot is proving highly effective. By collaborating with specialised external engineering suppliers, we’re significantly accelerating processing times, while maintaining our rigorous regulatory oversight.”

In conclusion, Pugsley said: “We recognise the need to push further on existing buildings. That’s why our Remediation Improvement Plan provides targeted measures to bolster our resources and support industry in submitting higher-quality applications. Speed can never come at the cost of safety. Our goal continues to be to ensure that industry can construct safe buildings and that residents see the essential safety improvements they deserve.”

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