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Mace head calls for tax incentive to boost construction apprenticeships

Mark Reynolds has called for a radical new incentive to encourage employers to take on apprentices

Image: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Loughborough university professor made new construction adviser

Women’s PPE ‘still putting safety at risk’

Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Image: Abdullah Al Osman | Dreamstime.com

In our age of perma-shock, global construction confidence has plummeted: Currie & Brown

CIOB chief executive Dr Victoria Hills said regulations should undergo full review before being scrapped. Image: Rod Sweet

Industry unconvinced by Tory plan to scrap Future Homes Standard

CIOB publishes free drugs and alcohol policy template

Contractor fined £120,000 after carpenter falls to death on house refurb

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The Passive Fire Knowledge Group: A different kind of industry collaboration

The latest building control gateway 2 update from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) shows a continuing de-gumming of this new and complex process. The 12 weeks to 30 May saw an increase in approval rates across all categories of applications, including existing building safety projects, after it introduced an external remediation improvement plan in April. The plan introduced a new external remediation multidisciplinary team to mirror the Innovation Unit (IU) set up last September. This streamlines communication and processing through dedicated account managers. It also saw a recruitment drive to cut individual caseloads from an average of 25 down to around 10. For new builds, IU decisions overtook the number of new cases received in the period. Across all categories, BSR made 358 gateway 2 decisions, with a 75% approval rate. 65% of all decisions related to London cases. Applications representing 14,928 units were determined, of which 9,499 (64%) were approvals. There are currently 38,775 residential units in live cases. New applications for 13,964 units came in during the period. External remediation approvals up The IU approved 90% of cases – 28 out of 31 – in the period. London saw a 100% approval rate for its 19 case decisions. The regulator said this reflects the extra engagement with applicants. All-time IU approvals now stand at 43, with a median approval time of 22 weeks. The IU is currently managing 131 applications, representing 30,369 units. On external remediation, approval rates rose to 79% over the last 12 weeks, well above the minimum 65% end of year target for 2026. BSR credits operational improvements and intensive work to improve quality of applications. Currently, 16 legacy remediation applications from 2024 remain. A further 10 are on track to be determined in June. This is down from 42 outstanding at the beginning of 2026. BSR said the data show that 2026 applications are progressing faster than before. The average approval time is still 39 weeks in a rolling 12-week period, but BSR said this was “being skewed by our focus on closing out the older 2024/2025 applications”. People still waiting “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,” said acting BSR chief executive Charlie Pugsley. “This includes continued positive results from our Innovation Unit by working closely with applicants to safely resolve complex technical challenges. This positive engagement has seen a growing number of decisions and rising approval rates.” He added: “However, we recognise that people living in other unremediated buildings still want them to be fixed safely, and at pace.”

Experts warn of Building Safety Levy’s ‘unintended consequences’

Image: McLaren Construction

Images of the month – Wrexham FC, British Library and historic carvings

The Crown Prosecution Service has committed to making the charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the fire in June 2027. Image: Abdullah Sakr | Dreamstime.com

Met submits Grenfell files to prosecutors after ‘immense’ investigation

A battery energy storage unit at the Lower Thames Crossing site. Image: National Highways

30 zero-emissions machines now working on Lower Thames Crossing

A plant operator using a simulator to improve plant safety. Image: CM Labs

Can training simulators improve plant safety?

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Architect complains to BSR over tortuous housing application

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CITB names organisations to deliver specialist skills programme

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Construction professionals urged to train next generation

Despina Katsikakis, executive partner and global chair of strategic consulting at Cushman & Wakefield, gave this year’s Sir James Wates Lecture. Image: Adam Duke Photography | Courtesy of CIOB

‘In the age of AI, offices will need to be magnets for employees’

Inspecting the aftermath of the fire. Image: MSMR Architects

Things we learnt from the fire: two years on from the Somerset House blaze

Image: Historic Environment Scotland

Glasgow Cathedral’s three-year spire rebuild begins

PPEthatfits campaign wins MemCom Best Lobbying Campaign

Berkeley arm fined £1m after penthouse window fell and killed coach driver

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