Nine-in-ten Gateway 2 applications approved as BSR clears 19,400 homes

Highlights to 1 November 2026 (12-week rolling period)

Overall decisions Over the last 12 weeks, the Building Safety Regulator made 403 Building Control decisions across all higher-risk building categories, achieving an overall national approval rate of 92% (with a total of 370 cases approved). These equate to 19,409 residential units.

New high-risk buildings and conversions The approval rate stood at 95% (40 approvals out of 42 decisions) with a median approval time of 20 weeks for 9,453 units. In London, approvals stood at 97% with a 20-week median approval time for non-complex cases (6,733 units in total).

Existing building remediation Existing building remediation approvals stood at 93% (113 approvals), significantly exceeding historical performance levels and equating to 9,956 units. In London, approvals reached 98% (4,881 units).

National Health Service applications Approvals for National Health Service healthcare applications reached 86% nationally with 18 approvals from 21 decisions and a median determination time of 20 weeks.

Increased applications and Building Safety Levy contingency The Building Safety Regulator activated contingency plans to manage a pre-Building Sfety Levy surge of 93 applications submitted ahead of the Building Safety Levy coming into force on 1 October 2026.

Investigation and enforcement The Building Safety Regulator intends to publish future transparency data on investigation and enforcement activity, thereby providing greater visibility of its risk-based regulatory interventions.

New-build, conversion and complex projects

The Building Safety Regulator continues to drive improvements regarding the assessment of applications for new high-rise residential buildings and major conversions.

Over the latest rolling period, the Building Safety Regulator made 42 decisions on new-build projects, approving 95% of applications (40 approvals in all) with a median approval time of 20 weeks.

These approved schemes represent 9,453 new residential units. In November 2025, overall remediation decision times stood at 44 weeks with an approval rate of 32%. In short, “substantial progress” has been made.

Data shows an increasing number of new-build projects progressing through Gateway 2, with 24,689 homes under construction and a further 24, 833 approved, but yet to start on-site.

Most new-build activity continues to take place in London, which accounted for 30 of 42 national decisions made.

The Building Safety Regulator approved 29 of these 30 projects in London. This represents an approval rate of 97% in the capital, unlocking a total of 6,733 residential units. The median determination time in the capital was 20 weeks for non-complex cases.

Nationally, the Building Safety Regulator is managing 183 live new-build and conversion applications (39,843 units).

Managing the Building Safety Levy application surge

In the period leading up to the introduction of the Building Safety Levy on 1 October 2026, the Building Safety Regulator experienced a surge in higher-risk building applications. Submissions rose to 64 in September, compared to 34 in August and 17 in July. This was followed by a post-Building Safety Levy drop to six in October.

The Building Safety Regulator anticipated this surge and deployed a structured five-step handling plan of enhanced validation, triage categorisation, demand management, senior management assurance and detailed assessment.

Earlier messaging also highlighted to the sector that the Building Safety Regulator will reject clearly sub-standard submissions that fail to meet statutory requirements if they cannot be brought up to standard.

Existing building remediation

Targeted operational measures under the Building Safety Regulator’s External Remediation Improvement Plan, introduced in April 2026, continue to drive significant performance gains. The Building Safety Regulator determined 122 remediation applications over the rolling period, approving 113 projects (93% approval rate) representing 9,956 residential units.

In London, regional remediation approvals reached 98% (55 approved from 56 decisions), in turn unlocking 4,881 units.

The Building Safety Regulator has made substantial inroads into clearing legacy applications. The volume of remediation cases dating from 2024 has fallen from 42 at the start of 2026 to just five (including four in one development). All are targeted for full clearance by the end of November this year.

While resolving these older and more complex cases maintains the overall rolling median determination time at 32 weeks nationally and 39 weeks in London, newer applications submitted in 2026 are progressing more quickly in 22 to 26 weeks with a 90% approval rate.

Nationally, the Building Safety Regulator is managing 292 active remediation cases, representing 23,479 residential units (with 171 in London, representing 13,180 units). As regulatory performance has improved, application quality and applicant engagement have become increasingly important factors in securing timely approvals.

Data shows that well-prepared applications progress around 50% faster than poorer-quality ones. Delayed responses to requests for information can also have a significant impact on determination times.

National Health Service healthcare applications

Building Control applications for National Health Service healthcare facilities (encompassing hospital maintenance, wing expansions and structural upgrades) are tracked as a distinct regulatory category to support critical public infrastructure.

The Building Safety Regulator made 21 determinations on National Health Service applications, approving 18 (86%), with a median determination time of 20 weeks. London saw six projects approved from seven determinations.

Refurbishments and early Gateway 3 indicators
Category A and B internal refurbishments accounted for 218 decisions over the 12-week period. This represents 54% of all Gateway 2 decisions nationally and 63% in London.

The Building Safety Regulator achieved a 91% national approval rate (199 approvals from 218 decisions) with a median determination time of 30 weeks.

In London, approvals reached 92% (151 approvals from 164 decisions) with a 32-week median determination time for refurbishments. Plans are also underway to increase resourcing and drive improvements for internal refurbishments in the coming months.

New applications were received at an average rate of 39 per week (470 total). The Building Safety Regulator is currently overseeing 1,116 active internal refurbishment cases nationally (751 in London).

At Gateway 3, no new-build projects passing Gateway 2 have reached final assessment. Active Gateway 3 cases stand at 138 for internal works, 16 for National Health Service works and ten for external remediation.

Growing regulatory momentum and maturity

Charlie Pugsley KFSM, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, explained: “Our latest data reflects continued momentum and growing maturity across the regulatory regime. Overall Gateway 2 approvals have reached 92%, unlocking 19,409 residential units, with remediation approvals climbing to 93% nationally and 98% in London.”

Pugsley continued: “While we continue to streamline determination times for high-quality applications, safe homes require high-quality applications and robust, but proportionate regulation. Through our expanding site inspection programme and multi-disciplinary workforce, we’re focused on ensuring adherence to approved designs during construction.”

Further, Pugsley commented: “Coupled with our structured handling of the recent pre-Building Safety Levy surge, the Building Safety Regulator is determined to maintain rigorous scrutiny at every stage.”

In conclusion, Pugsley noted: “Our core objective remains unchanged: driving accountability across the sector to guarantee that residents are safe, and feel safe, in their homes.”