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De-gumming BSR Gateway 2: Approvals rise to 75%, 9,499 housing units approved
Rod Sweet Global Construction Review
Cladding remediation underway at a UK residential high-rise. Image: Richardjohnsonuk | Dreamstime.com.
The latest building control Gateway 2 update from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) shows a continuing de-gumming of this new and complex process.
In the 12 weeks to 30 May, approval rates increased across all application categories, including existing building safety projects, after BSR introduced an external remediation improvement plan in April.
The plan introduced a multidisciplinary team to mirror the Innovation Unit (IU) set up last September. This streamlines communication and processing through dedicated account managers.
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A recruitment drive also cut individual caseloads from an average of 25 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 residential 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 its cases – 28 out of 31 – in the period. London saw a 100% approval rate for its 19 case decisions.
The regulator said this reflects 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 residential 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 its own improvements and intensive work to improve the 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 shows 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.”
