The OPSS states that the product presents a risk of fire because the battery is defective. Under fault conditions, this could cause the product to overheat and enter thermal runaway, causing a fire.  

The OPSS was notified about the product following an investigation by the London Fire Brigade’s fire investigation team. It was triggered by a fire that occurred in an underground car park in Kensal Town in March this year. The e-moped was not on charge when the fire occurred, which was safely extinguished by firefighters with no injuries reported.

Fire investigators learned that the e-moped had been placed on a product recall in Europe, but not in the UK. Following a referral to the OPSS through an official Product Fire Notification, it was then confirmed that the recall has now been implemented in the UK as well.

Since the beginning of 2025, the London Fire Brigade has sent nearly 600 Product Fire Notifications covering a range of products including e-bikes, e-scooters, power banks, laptops and white goods such as washing machines and fridge freezers.

Valuable role

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Field, who’s responsible for the London Fire Brigade’s fire investigation team, said: “Our fire investigators play an extremely valuable role in helping to protect consumers from dangerous products. They attend incidents across the city, witnessing first-hand the dangers and consequences products can have on lives and livelihoods. If clear issues or trends are identified, it’s vital that lessons can be learned from these incidents to prevent similar ones in the future.”

Field continued: “The Product Fire Notifications are a crucial part of that prevention work. We’re pleased to see this action taken by the OPSS and echo the warning to those who own this product to stop using it immediately in order to protect themselves and others.”

The OPSS has confirmed that the manufacturer for the e-moped has entered insolvency. Owners should ensure that affected products are disposed of safely via their local household waste disposal site, first checking with their local centre to confirm if the type of battery is accepted.

*Further information is available online at www.london-fire.gov.uk

The new course, BESA DW145: Fire Damper Inspection and Maintenance, is mapped to the industry’s primary guide to good practice (ie DW145) and the sector’s National Occupational Standard BSEFSD04. It’s approved by the specialist Awarding Organisation EAL and delivered by The BESA Academy in conjunction with its training partners across the UK.

The hybrid training programme includes three days of practical work and assessments in a BESA-approved Training Centre as well as online learning and an on-site portfolio build.

BESA updated DW145 in 2024 following a surge in reports that annual maintenance inspections were uncovering a significant number of incorrectly installed dampers that did not comply with manufacturers’ instructions as well as many that were damaged, had never been tested or were otherwise impossible to access.

The new training course focuses heavily on the role of dampers as part of legal life safety requirements to ensure systems comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for England and Wales, the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. It also reflects the need to meet BS 9999, which stipulates damper testing at least annually depending on system type.

Accurate and verifiable records

All testing must be carried out by a competent individual as defined by DW145, with tests and maintenance works supported by accurate and verifiable records and a full asset register logged showing the condition and location of each damper.

The training takes operatives through the whole process of an inspection from checking and recording the physical condition of the damper, including any damage to blades or the frame, to the state of the actuators and penetration seals.

It also includes the process of functional testing and resetting for fire dampers as well as interfacing with fire alarms and building control systems, demonstrating that dampers often don’t operate in isolation, but rather as part of a wider fire control system.

“When inspecting and testing fire dampers, you’re essentially verifying that they will operate correctly in a real fire scenario and maintain compartmentation,” explained BESA’s technical director Kevin Morrissey. “Will they contain the spread of smoke and/or fire at the critical moment and help to keep people and property safe?”

Morrissey added that the training reflects the increased focus on wider industry competence and compliance across the sector. It also forms part of the BESA’s wider response to the heightened attention on building safety following the Grenfell Tower disaster and is designed to support those responsible for demonstrating that fire safety systems are compliant, functional and properly documented.

Keen interest

“Not surprisingly,” continued Morrissey, “UK fire authorities are taking an in-depth interest in this aspect of building safety and many clients, although not all, are now more aware of their legal and social obligations.”

Morrissey added: “In turn, this places greater pressure on damper and ductwork contractors to provide evidence of their own competence and ability to comply with legislation. Hence the need for this kind of specific and targeted training.”

The training course can be accessed via the BESA Academy, while DW145 may be downloaded

*Full title: DW145 ‘Guide to Good Practice for the Installation, Design and Selection, Inspection and Maintenance of Fire Dampers’

Rasool and Blackstone Properties Management Limited were each convicted of all eight charges – managing an unlicensed HMO, failing to comply with an Improvement Notice and six breaches of HMO management regulations – following a retrial at City of London Magistrates’ Court on 29 June.

The case was retried after the defendant challenged the original proceedings from 2023. It relates to 36 Hyde Park Gate, which had been converted from four bedrooms into 22 rooms and was being used as an HMO.

Council officers first visited the property in August 2021. The City of London Magistrates’ Court heard that the premises was being operated without the required HMO licence and that tenants were living with “serious” fire and Health and Safety risks.

At sentencing on 30 June, Blackstone Properties Management Limited was fined £30,000 plus full prosecution costs of £12,176.68. Rasool was issued with a £20,000 fine.

Councillrr Johnny Thalassites, lead member for resident services, planning and enforcement, said: “Rasool and Blackstone Properties Management Limited were given opportunities to put things right, but the court found they chose not to. We will continue to take action where landlords fail to follow the rules. Everyone in Kensington and Chelsea deserves a safe place in which to live.”

Original investigation

The investigation into the property began following a complaint from a tenant back in 2020 and uncovered that the landlord was unlicensed to operate the 22-bedroom HMO.

Despite repeated warnings, the landlord did not apply for a licence and Kensington and Chelsea Council officers eventually visited alongside Metropolitan Police Service officers and inspectors from the London Fire Brigade.

Officers found defective and damaged fire doors, inadequate fire separation between bedrooms and lack of fire safety protection in the boiler room or lobby in addition to covered fire alarms and burned out and loose electrical sockets.

Tenants were cooking in their room using camping-style facilities without proper kitchen facilities. There was rising damp and mould growth throughout the property as well as single glazed windows with rotten frames, draughts and broken sashes.

Four years on from the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, the British Woodworking Federation’s new Fire Door Alliance report (‘Competence, Certification and Compliance: How the Building Safety Act 2022 is Reshaping Fire Door Safety’) shows that awareness of third party certification and the importance of traceability is rising, but specification and competency understanding still have some way to go.

The findings suggest that the sector is embracing the changes and direction set by the Building Safety Act 2022, but the firm belief is that stronger awareness must now be matched by more consistent action in practice.

On average, survey respondents stated that 54% of the fire doors they specify or are responsible for are third party certified. While this is positive, it also highlights that there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

More than 50% of respondents said they specify or use third party certified fire doors to fulfil their responsibilities and comply with fire safety rules and guidelines (54%). Others cited evidence of performance (46%) and a commitment to high standards and Best Practice (40%) as key reasons for choosing certified fire doors.

The research also finds that practitioners are relying more on evidence in response to the Building Safety Act 2022. Almost half (47%) now look for more proof of performance, such as certificates and data sheets (an increase from 35% in 2023). 42% said the legislation has made them more likely to seek out third party certified fire doors. Traceability is also a major priority, with 93% of respondents noting that the ability to trace a complete fire door assembly matters to their organisation or clients.

Awareness and implementation

Despite this progress, there’s still a gap between awareness of third party certification and its actual implementation, with nearly half of all fire doors not currently third party certified.

Some sectors and building types also lag behind: hospitals and university Halls of Residence are cited by only 7% as having third party certified doors specified compared with higher rates in the social housing sector and for hotels. This is worrying given that hospitals and universities are high-occupancy settings with vulnerable occupants and the consequences of fire safety failures can be severe.

Cost continues to be the most cited barrier to specifying third party certified fire doors, with 29% of respondents identifying it as a challenge. Positively, this has decreased from 42% in 2023 and 35% in 2022, suggesting that the value and benefits of third party certification are becoming better understood.

Beyond cost, respondents also point to the availability of certified and competent installers (28%) and uncertainty over the data needed to evidence performance (27%) as key obstacles. A further 25% cite a lack of client demand, indicating that greater awareness and education is needed to help end clients fully understand the role that third party certification can play in evidencing compliance, traceability and performance under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Positive shift

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation, observed: “Since the Building Safety Act 2022 came into force, there has been a clear and positive shift towards more evidence-led and accountable decision-making on fire doors. It’s encouraging to see more professionals recognising the value of third party certification and traceability, but awareness alone is not enough. We now need that understanding to translate into more consistent specification, particularly so in higher-risk and higher-occupancy environments where wrong decision can really mean the difference between life and death.”  

The report also explores how competence is assessed for fire door professionals. In the post-Grenfell regulatory environment, competence sits at the heart of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the duties of the ‘Accountable Person’. Incorrect installation or maintenance can compromise even robustly tested and third party certified fire doors, thereby undermining their performance and placing building users at risk.  

Survey findings show that many organisations are still relying on misleading or incomplete indicators of competence: while 51% of respondents review installer qualifications against the ICSG (SLG10) Specialist Timber Fire Door Installer Competence Framework. 45% look for an NVQ or apprenticeship, 42% would accept a diploma or certificate of achievement and 29% an online or e-Learning course as sufficient evidence on their own. With the over-reliance on short courses and attendance certificates, there’s ongoing confusion about what individual competence looks like in practice.

Competence must be evidenced

Helen Hewitt explained: “Fire doors are life safety-critical products so competence should never be assumed. It must be evidenced through clear demonstration of skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours aligned to robust frameworks developed by the Industry Competence Steering Group’s Sector-Led Group 10: Installers and Trades.”  

Further, Hewitt said: “Our research highlights a clear need to distinguish more effectively between education and training and evidence with competence. While training programmes such as e-Learning courses or certificates of achievement play an important role in building knowledge and supporting professional development, they don’t in themselves demonstrate occupational competence.”  

Hewitt added: “Currently, these terms are often used interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. Education provides learners with understanding and skills, but true competence is evidenced through practical application and assessment in real work settings. Qualifications such as apprenticeships and NVQs are designed to measure this as they require individuals to demonstrate their ability to perform consistently and effectively in their role. Greater clarity is needed to ensure that education, while valuable, is not mistaken for verified competence.”  

In addition, Hewitt commented: “The correct installation and maintenance of a fire door is fundamental to it performing its life-saving role. On that basis, we must treat competence as a measurable requirement. Through our ongoing work with the Sector-Led Group 10, we’re committed to raising competency standards across the fire door supply chain.”

Required standards  

The research findings reinforce the British Woodworking Federation Fire Door Alliance’s mission to ensure that every fire door and door set in the UK should meet required standards throughout its service life and be supported by competent individuals with properly evidenced practice.  

The British Woodworking Federation Fire Door Alliance plays a crucial role in developing competence frameworks, promoting campaigns such as ‘Be Certain, Be Certified’ and helping specifiers and duty holders alike to identify trusted manufacturers and providers through its Find a Member directory.

*Further information is available online at https://firedoors.bwf.org.uk/competence-certification-and-compliance/

Organised in conjunction with Western Business Media’s B2B magazines Fire Safety Matters and Security Matters and supported by sister titles Professional Security Installer and Benchmark, this year’s Fire and Security Matters Awards received over 420 entries and achieved a record crowd of more than 850 guests. The evening was brilliantly hosted by celebrated comedian, actress and presenter Katherine Ryan.

The Headline Sponsor for the event was BAFE. Fire and Security Matters Awards sponsors in 2026 included ADI, Advanced, Apollo Fire Detectors, the Association of Security Consultants, C-TEC, Dahua Technology, EMS, FFE, the Fire Protection Association, The Fire Safety Event, Gerda, HID, Hikvision, Hyfire, Johnson Controls, Kentec, Suprema, The Security Event, Videcon and Vox Ignis.

Industry supporters included ASIS UK, the Fire Industry Association, FireQual, the International Foundation for Protection Officers, the Institute of Fire Safety Managers, the Institute of Strategic Risk Management, the National Security Inspectorate, the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board and The Security Institute.

The 2026 winners

Here are the details of all of this year’s award winners:

Fire Categories

Fire Safety Manager of the Year (Sponsored by Fire Safety Matters)

*Winner: Alec Purdie TIFireE (Quelfire)

*Highly Commended: Kevin O’Neill (AESG)

*Commended: Gary Turnbull MIFSM FSICert (RiskFire)

Fire Safety Team of the Year (Sponsored by EMS)

*Winner: Galliford Try Asset Intelligence (NHS Hospitals Fire Alarm Upgrades Team)

*Highly Commended: Securitas Security Services UK (Fire Safety Team)

*Commended: Legionella and Fire Safe Services (Fire Safety Team)

Fire Safety Project of the Year (Sponsored by FFE)

*Winner: Global HSE Group (Post-Fire Residential Remediation Programme)

*Highly Commended: Bandweaver (Turin Metro Fibre Optic Linear Heat Detection Upgrade)

*Commended: AJS (Fire Safety Upgrades for the Raven Housing Trust)

*Commended: Call Systems Technology (Enhancing MoD Security with Encrypted Fire Signalling)

Fire Safety Manufacturer of the Year (Sponsored by the Fire Protection Association)

*Winner: Eurotech Fire Systems

*Highly Commended: Aico

*Commended: Advanced

*Commended: Vox Ignis

Fire Safety Installation Company of the Year (Sponsored by Apollo Fire Detectors)

*Winner: Galliford Try Asset Intelligence

*Highly Commended: Global HSE Group

*Commended: Aylesbury Fire Systems

Fire Innovation of the Year (Sponsored by The Fire Safety Event)

*Winner: Ajax Systems (EN 54 Line)

*Highly Commended: Gerda Security Products (AlertAssure)

*Commended: C-TEC (FastConvert)

Fire Industry Woman of the Year (Sponsored by the Women in Fire Safety Awards)

*Winner: Coral Morgan (Saint-Gobain)

*Highly Commended: Sally Evans (Bennett Associates)

*Commended: Mabel Higgins (MH Fire Safety)

Fire Safety Consultancy of the Year (Sponsored by Gerda Security Products)

*Winner: Judicium Education

*Highly Commended: FCS-Live

*Commended: C. S. Todd & Associates

Fire Safety Training Company of the Year (Sponsored by Advanced)

*Winner: Aico

*Highly Commended: C. S. Todd & Associates

*Commended: Elevation Fire Training (Elevation Fire and Security Training Academy)

Security Categories

Security/Risk Manager of the Year (Sponsored by the Institute of Strategic Risk Management)

*Winner: James Bradley (Mitie)

*Highly Commended: Ross Harvey (Rockfort Security Consultants)

*Commended: Darren Barber (Kettering General Hospital)

Security Team of the Year (Sponsored by Suprema Systems UK)

*Winner: The Portmarnock Group (The Portmarnock Group Management Team)

*Highly Commended: Cundall (Cundall Security Consultancy)

*Commended: Westgrove Group (Touchwood Shopping Centre Security Team)

Security Project of the Year (Sponsored by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board)

*Winner: SecuriGroup (SecuriGroup and the Royal Albert Hall Grand Sumo Tournament Delivery Project)

*Highly Commended: Genetec (Strengthening Urban Safety Project for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham)

*Commended: i-PRO and North (Strengthening Public Space Protection across the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham)

Security Manufacturer of the Year (Sponsored by Security Matters)

*Winner: Pyronix

*Highly Commended: Reconeyez UK

*Commended: Dahua Technology

*Commended: Hikvision UK and Ireland

Security Installation Company of the Year (Sponsored by Hikvision)

*Winner: SecuriGroup Systems

*Highly Commended: Galliford Try Asset Intelligence

*Commended: Lodge Security (Technical)

Security Innovation of the Year (Sponsored by The Security Event)

*Winner: Suprema Systems UK (BioStar Air)

*Highly Commended: CSL (DualCom Pro 4)

*Highly Commended: Hikvision (Guanlan AI)

*Commended: Ajax Systems (HL Cameras)

Security Industry Woman of the Year (Sponsored by the Women in Fire Safety Awards)

*Winner: Vicki Hearn (SAFECROWDS Group)

*Highly Commended: Derren Fitton (H&A Protection Services)

*Commended: Francesca Boeris (Comelit-PAC)

Security Consultancy of the Year (Sponsored by the Association of Security Consultants)

*Winner: Cundall

*Highly Commended: Alliance Consulting

*Commended: Rockfort Security Consultants

Security Training Company of the Year (Sponsored by Ignite CPD)

*Winner: Invictus Professional Training

*Highly Commended: Mercury Training Services

*Commended: Nu-ology Training

Security Guarding Company of the Year (Sponsored by the National Security Inspectorate)

*Winner: Corps Security

*Highly Commended: SmartSec Solutions

*Commended: SecuriGroup

Joint Categories

Commercial Person of the Year (Sponsored by Benchmark)

*Winner: Jon East (Elmdene International)

*Highly Commended: Derrick Hall (Kentec)

*Commended: Kyle Millward (Xact Consultancy and Training)

Customer Service Award (Sponsored by Professional Security Installer)

*Winner: Aico

*Highly Commended: Eurotech Fire Systems

*Highly Commended: Johnson Controls

*Commended: Orisec

*Commended: Paxton

Unsung Hero Award (Sponsored by Vox Ignis)

*Winner: Paul Meyerhoff (Mitie)

*Highly Commended: Ben Jaggers (Westgrove Group)

*Commended: Eren Bessim (Safer Business Network)

Rising Star Award (Sponsored by Johnson Controls)

*Winner: Michael Warner (Herongrange)

*Highly Commended: Jemma Barton (Westgrove Group)

*Commended: Hayley Clay (Quelfire)

ESG Company of the Year (Sponsored by Videcon)

*Winner: Apollo Fire Detectors

*Highly Commended: Corps Security

*Commended: SGD Fire Protection

Distributor of the Year (Sponsored by C-TEC)

*Winner: FireSealsDirect

*Highly Commended: LGM Products

*Commended: Videcon

Lifetime Achievement Award (Sponsored by Dahua Technology)

*Matthew Holliday (Director of Technical Services and Field Operations, National Security Inspectorate)

In the past few months, we’ve seen fires at Brooklands Primary in Ipswich, Ledbury Primary School, King Edward VI Community College in Totnes and the Bower Park Gymnastics Centre in Collier Row, Essex.

One detail is worth pausing on. Brooklands Primary was fortunate: the fire took hold at the start of the Easter holiday, when the building stood empty and there was no immediate scramble to find somewhere for several hundred children to learn the next morning. Move that fire forward or back by even one week and the narrative looks very different.

Further along the spectrum sits the Promise School in Okehampton, a school for children with special educational needs that was destroyed by fire in February. Pupils returned to face-to-face teaching in mid-March, spread across three different sites, while a permanent rebuild is planned.

This is the pattern to which we keep returning. A fire doesn’t need to destroy an entire school to force it to close. A blaze in a roof void, an attached gymnasium or a temporary classroom next to the main site can still mean days or even one week or more of disruption to education while damage is assessed and the site made safe. If the fire takes hold within the main school building that disruption to education can be prolonged.

Not encouraging

The latest Risk Protection Arrangement provisioning report, which covers claims data to December last year, gives us seven years of evidence on this. Across that period, the average reported fire claim has run at around £450,000, although the figure swings wildly from year to year (from as little as £70,000 to over £800,000 depending on the severity of incidents reported).

Early figures for the current academic year 2025-2026 are not encouraging either, with claims reported so far already averaging close to £1 million each, albeit on a small number of incidents and likely to move as they develop.

These are significant sums, but they only capture what can be valued in pounds and pence: buildings, contents and IT equipment. What the report cannot capture is the cost to pupils whose lessons are interrupted, to the teachers managing logistics on top of an already full workload and to the families and communities waiting for things to feel normal again.

Lifetime earnings

We know from the Department for Education’s own research that each lost day of education can strip around £750 from a pupil’s lifetime earnings. Multiply that across a school of several hundred children and even a short closure period starts to look like a six-figure impact before a single brick has been touched.

With fewer than one-in-ten new schools built with a sprinkler system installed, serious questions must be asked about whether enough is being done to protect educational buildings.

We’re not suggesting every fire warrants a full rebuild, but the recurring shape of these stories (ie fire breaks out, school closes, pupils and staff scramble for suitable premises) suggests we still haven’t found a way in which to value continuity of education as highly as we value the building itself.

Tom Roche is Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance (www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org)

Sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and FIRE AID, the convoy was delivered through a co-ordinated national partnership involving National Resilience, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), UK International Search and Rescue and Fire and Rescue Services from across England and Wales.

This latest convoy has delivered 21 fire vehicles (including 17 fire engines) and more than 2,300 pieces of essential firefighting equipment, helping to replace critical resources lost during the conflict with Russia. It brings the total UK contribution since 2022 to 169 vehicles and more than 220,000 pieces of equipment.

Previous donations from UK Fire and Rescue Services are realising a significant impact on the ground, with vehicles provided through earlier convoys responding to more than 6,000 incidents, and over 2,500 Ukrainian firefighters equipped with fully operational PPE and breathing apparatus.

Ukraine’s Fire and Rescue Service continues to face immense challenges. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, 481 fire stations have been destroyed, with a further 106 located in occupied territories, and 1,792 fire vehicles lost. Since the full‑scale invasion began, 122 firefighters have been killed and 629 of them injured, with three still in captivity.

Despite these losses, Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate on the front line, in turn saving lives, protecting infrastructure and responding to emergencies while under constant threat.

Volunteer involvement

The convoy was made up of approximately 80 volunteers from across the UK’s Fire and Rescue Service community giving their time to prepare and deliver the appliances and equipment.

Participating Fire and Rescue Services include Derbyshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Kent, Lancashire, London, Merseyside, Mid and West Wales, North Wales, North Yorkshire, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan said: “The UK’s Fire and Rescue Service community remains unwavering in its support for colleagues in Ukraine. Four years on from the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate in the most challenging and dangerous conditions imaginable.”

Garrigan continued: “This ninth convoy demonstrates the enduring commitment of the UK’s Fire and Rescue Services to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian counterparts. The equipment being donated will help to replace vital resources lost during the conflict and ensure firefighters can continue their life-saving work.”

Further, Garrigan noted: “This is about firefighters supporting firefighters. It’s a powerful example of the friendship that transcends borders. We must always recognise the challenges our Ukrainian colleagues face and continue to play our part in supporting them.”

Extraordinary solidarity

FIRE AID’s Ukraine lead Oksana Romanukha commented: “We are once again witnessing the extraordinary solidarity of communities right across the UK with Ukraine. These vehicles and equipment are lifelines, helping to save lives, protect firefighters and strengthen the resilience of communities under constant threat.”

Romanukha added: “We are deeply grateful to everyone across the Fire and Rescue Services community, and all those involved, who have made this collective effort possible.”

Samantha Dixon (Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy) explained: “Ukraine has faced unimaginable suffering and we remain unwavering in our support for the nation. This convoy is delivering the critical equipment needed to help Ukraine’s Fire and Rescue Service save lives, respond to attacks and protect communities.”

Dixon went on to state: “I’m immensely proud of the brave volunteers from across our Fire and Rescue Services, as well as all the organisations which have played a role in mobilising these vital assets. They’re making sure that vital support reaches those who need it the most.”

*Further information is available online at www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk

Highlights to 28 June 2026 (12-week rolling period)

Across all categories including internal refurbishment (Category A/B work), 368 Gateway 2 decisions were made by the BSR in the 12 weeks to 28 June, with a 77% approval rate (284 cases). 57% of all decisions across all categories related to London cases.

Operational improvements to achieve the BSR’s External Remediation Improvement Plan’s aim of reducing average decision times have seen approval rates in this rolling 12-week period rise to 85%. This is considerably higher than 2026’s end of year minimum 65% target.

A Remediation Toolkit has also been published to help duty holders navigate the Building Control process, understand regulatory expectations and access other practical resources.

89% of new-build decisions (25 out of 28) in the last 12 weeks were approvals. London witnessed a 91% approval rate for its 20 case decisions. This reflects continued additional work and engagement with applicants to enable the delivery of safe homes.

For new higher-risk buildings and conversions, decisions over the last 12 weeks resulted in approvals representing 6,544 residential units. There are currently 138 new-build and conversion applications in progress, representing a total of 30,393 units.

277 Gateway 3 applications have been received by the BSR to date. This doesn’t yet include a standard new-build or conversion application that has passed through Gateway 2. Of these, 221 are for Category A/B refurbishments. 124 applications have already been determined with an approval rate of 86% and a median determination time of 16 weeks.

Improvements to data set

Based on feedback from stakeholders and industry, this month’s data set updates Gateway 2 performance, including specific London data as in earlier releases. It also introduces new overview and detailed slides for internal refurbishment and regional applications.

Additionally, the data features a breakdown of the BSR resourcing alongside early performance indicators for Gateway 3.

Gateway approvals stand at 77%

Across all categories, 368 Gateway 2 decisions were made in the 12 weeks to 28 June 2026, with a 77% approval rate. 57% of all decisions across all Gateway 2 categories related to London cases.

For new-build and conversion projects specifically, approvals over the last 12 weeks represent 6,544 residential units.

For the first time, internal refurbishment works have been separated into their own category. Data shows that these works make up the majority of the BSR’s current live caseload.

Currently, 63% of all live cases (952 out of 1,504) are for HRB internal works. These applications have a 73% approval rate with a median determination time of 28 weeks.

Recent statistics issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government showed the higher number of starts in 2025 Q4 and 2026 Q1 was in part due to BSR reporting 7,089 total starts in 2025 Q4 and 6,276 total starts in 2026 Q1.

External remediation rates

Operational improvements and intensive work to improve quality of applications has seen approval rates rise to 85% over the last 12 weeks.

This is well above the minimum 65% end of year target for 2026. 85 decisions were made, with approvals for 4,998 units over the last 12 weeks.

Following on from the External Remediation Improvement Plan’s introduction in April, 14 legacy 2024 applications now remain from 42 at the start of 2026. BSR teams are working closely with applicants to resolve outstanding issues such that these projects can be approved as soon as possible.

The median approval time remained at 35 weeks following decisions on older applications in the system for some time. However, recently submitted applications have a much quicker approval time reflecting better quality applications and improved processes. There are currently 30,962 units in 342 live cases.

As stated, a Remediation Toolkit has been published to help duty holders navigate the process, understand regulatory expectations and access other practical resources. This followed external remediation-driven guidance being published alongside April’s plan.

Further resources and support will be introduced this year as the BSR continues to work closely with the sector to help applicants improve the quality of their applications.

New-build approvals rise

New-build applications continued to move through the BSR’s Innovation Unit, with the latter making 25 new-build approvals out of 28 decisions (89%) during the last 12 weeks. 20 of those decisions were in London.

Approvals in London marginally outperformed the national rate over the last 12 weeks at 91%, reflecting ongoing work to support and resolve outstanding complex cases.

Close working with industry on consistency to reduce the number of complex cases in the system is continuing. The BSR is currently managing 138 new-build and conversion applications, representing a total of 30,393 units.

Majority of Gateway decisions

Decisions across the capital continue to be the majority of new-build projects, with 20 of the 28 decisions made in the last 12 weeks for 3,559 units.

Currently, 59% of all in progress new-build applications are in London, representing 55% of the overall residential units the BSR is handling. The BSR is progressing 89 new-build and HRB conversion projects in London, representing 17,010 units.

For remediation, approval rates in the capital have already exceeded the minimum 65% target for 2026 with a rate of 86% that’s above the national rate (which stands at 85%).

Early Gateway 3 performance indicators emerge

While no new-build projects have reached Gateway 3 as yet, a sizeable number of internal refurbishment projects have already completed Gateway 2 and entered the Gateway 3 process.

The BSR has received 277 Gateway 3 applications to date, 221 of which are for Category A/B refurbishments. Of these, 124 applications have already been determined, with an approval rate of 86% and a median determination time of 16 weeks. The fastest approval to date was eight weeks.

The BSR is “fully aware” of the importance of Gateway 3 and working with applicants to solve issues, duly moving towards approvals rather than rejections. This is currently being reflected in the high approval rates.

Scaling resources to meet demand

In order to manage the 1,505 Gateway 2 applications in the system, the BSR has deployed a significant mix of internal and external expertise.

Currently, 152 internal staff members are involved, supported by 493 external specialists from partner organisations (including 222 registered building inspectors and 125 structural engineers).

Sixty-four of these external experts have been fully integrated into the BSR’s Innovation Unit and External Remediation teams.

The BRS is actively recruiting internal regulatory team members over the next six-to-12 months and also growing its integrated resource teams to meet demand and reduce determination times.

Focus on remediation

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the BSR, said: “We continue to see positive improvements in the numbers of approvals for existing building remediation cases and new-build projects, as well as significantly faster decision times for newer applications.”

Pugsley continued: “Ongoing improvements following our External Remediation Improvement Plan are also being seen, with existing building approval rates at 85% over the last 12 weeks. That’s already above our minimum 65% target for the year.”

Further, Pugsley observed: “Support for applicants is also being made available with updated guidance, as well as a new Remediation Toolkit that brings together practical advice to help applicants understand the process and submit higher-quality applications.”

In addition, Pugsley explained: “We recognise that many more people living in other unremediated buildings still want them to be fixed safely and quickly. We will continue to work to accelerate our assessments, decisions and approvals and resource our teams to improve consistency. Doing so will ensure industry can make existing and new buildings safe so that thousands of residents see the essential safety improvements they deserve. We also continue to be committed to ensuring accelerated decision-making for any HRB, either new or existing, will never come at the cost of building safety.”

*Transparency Data – Building Safety Regulator Building Control Approval Application Data: April to June 2026

The landlord pleaded guilty to the offences under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 following an investigation conducted by the City of Lincoln Council’s Housing Standards and Enforcement team.

The case began subsequent to tenants raising concerns about conditions at the property. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue identified immediate fire safety risks during a visit to the premises in January last year.

Following on from that visit, the City of Lincoln Council carried out inspections and identified multiple serious hazards, including fire safety failures, electrical risks, damp and disrepair. Due to the imminent risk of serious harm posed to occupants, the City of Lincoln Council served an Emergency Prohibition Order on the property.

Court proceedings

During proceedings at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court, those present heard that tenants had been living in conditions that posed significant risks to their Health and Safety.

At a sentencing hearing on 12 June, Sharma was fined the aforementioned £4,000 and also ordered to pay £2,000 towards the City of Lincoln Council’s costs. A Lincoln Magistrates’ Court surcharge of £800 was also imposed.

In a related matter, a second individual acting on behalf of the landlord accepted a simple caution in relation to an offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

Protecting tenants

Councillor Donald Nannestad, portfolio holder for quality housing at City of Lincoln Council, said: “Everyone deserves to live in a safe, secure and well-maintained home. This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting tenants and taking action against landlords who fail to meet their legal responsibilities.”

Nannestad continued: “The conditions identified at this property presented serious risks to the Health and Safety of the people living there. We welcome the decision reached at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court and hope it sends a clear message that poor housing management and breaches of housing regulations will not be tolerated.”

Further, Nannestad said: “Our Housing Standards and Enforcement team will continue to investigate complaints and take robust enforcement action where necessary to improve housing standards across the city and protect residents.”

*Further information is available online at www.lincoln.gov.uk

Subsequent to the research findings, TPI is now calling for the Government’s Remediation Bill to include stronger compulsion measures that then force developers who’ve signed up to the Responsible Actors Scheme to act.

At the current rate of progress, TPI estimates that it could take around ten years for all developer-pledged buildings to have started remediation works on-site.

In 2022, 53 housebuilders signed Government‑led pledges accepting responsibility for fixing life‑critical defects in 2,604 buildings they developed. Four years on, many of those schemes remain stuck in assessment or scoping, with little sign of acceleration. The latest Government figures suggest that more than 1,300 buildings have yet to make a meaningful start on remediation, leaving residents in nearly 80,000 homes in unsafe buildings.

Across 511 buildings with identified cladding remediation needs, as collated by TPI from its members and which includes buildings covered by both Government-funded schemes and pledged developer, just 24% of them are in active delivery, with 13.5% complete and 11% currently on-site. Around half (48%, in fact) of buildings remain stalled in early stages. That’s up from a figure of 32% last year.

Research methodology

As stated, the thorough research analysed Government-funded (117) and developer-pledged (394) remediation scheme projects. Data was collected and compared across three time points spanning the past 12 months to assess the rate of progress.

The estimate of ten years to reach full developer-pledged completion is based on the observed rate of approximately 32 buildings per year progressing to on-site or completed status as applied to the current pipeline of approximately 316 stalled or early-stage developer-pledged buildings.

The findings follow on from the King’s Speech in Parliament. This confirmed that a Remediation Bill will be brought forward in the next Parliamentary session. As a result of the findings, TPI is calling on the Government to use the legislation to introduce a backstop: a legal enforcement mechanism that automatically kicks-in if a developer fails to meet a remediation deadline. As things stand, this only applies to landlords and not developers.

The Remediation Bill will be introduced to close long‑standing gaps in the post‑Grenfell regime and speed up work across thousands of unsafe buildings. Government estimates suggest between 9,000 and 12,000 residential blocks over 11 metres tall contain serious defects, with many still awaiting full assessment. TPI is therefore calling for the scope of the Bill to also cover internal safety defects as well as external cladding.

Faster progress

More promisingly, Government-funded schemes recorded by TPI (totalling 117 projects) are making considerably faster progress:

*40% of Government-funded projects are on-site or in the completion stages compared to just 19% of developer-pledged projects

*26% of Government-funded remediation projects are now complete, which is up from 13% when compared to the previous year

*Only 14% of Government-funded projects remain at the early stages, down sharply from 41% last year and signalling momentum

Developer-pledged schemes (394 projects have been assessed as part of TPI’s research) tell a very different story:

*58% of developer-pledged projects remain at the early stages (ie application or scoping), a proportion that has barely shifted across three data sets over the past 12 months

*Only 10% of developer-pledged buildings are complete compared to 26% of Government-funded projects

*Just 10% of developer-pledged projects have commenced on-site, which is up from 6% last year, but still far behind Government-funded counterparts

“Genuinely alarming”

Andrew Bulmer, CEO at TPI, said: “This data is genuinely alarming. Thousands of people across the country are living in unsafe buildings, often unable to sell their homes, having faced nearly a decade’s worth of uncertainty since the Grenfell Tower tragedy.”

Bulmer continued: “The fact that the current remediation progress is so slow, and with no end in sight, is a national scandal. The goal for the Government and everyone involved in the housing sector should be to make these homes safe as soon as possible.”

In conclusion, Bulmer noted: “The Government’s Remediation Bill is an opportunity to give developers a legally binding backstop that reassures residents every step legally possible is being explored and taken to make their homes safe. Pledged developers need a hard deadline to ensure there are no more unnecessary delays.”

Professional body

TPI is the leading professional body for the residential property management profession, representing around 7,500 property managers and more than 380 managing agent and factoring firms across England, Scotland and Wales.

The Institute is wholly dedicated to advancing industry practices and actively supports its members to continually improve building management standards, ensuring people’s homes are managed competently, safely and ethically.

This is achieved through the delivery of a wide range of Ofqual-accredited qualifications, training courses and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) alongside compliance reviews for Company Members in England and Wales delivered against the Consumer Charter and Standards, as well as the provision of comprehensive guidance and support to the profession at large.

*Further information is available online at www.tpi.org.uk