Building Safety Regulator reports rising Gateway 2 approvals across high-rise projects

Record Gateway 2 decisions to 24 November

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has reported a record 272 Gateway 2 building control decisions to 24 November 2025 for new high-rise residential buildings, with overall determinations now totalling 578 since 31 August.

According to BSR, Gateway 2 determinations have continued to rise across all application types under its pilot operational processes.

The regulator reported an approval rate of 73%, with a large proportion of these decisions made through the recently enhanced approval with requirements route.

BSR stated that 76% of all Gateway 2 decisions to 24 November related to London cases, equating to 206 determinations in the latest update period.

Since 31 August, 409 Gateway 2 decisions have been made for London projects, with 85% of these utilising the approval with requirements pathway.

Historic applications, live cases and unit numbers

BSR confirmed that 40 of 103 historic new build applications submitted under the previous model had been resolved between 31 August and 24 November.

Of these 40 decisions, 20 related to London cases.

The regulator said a minimum of 9 further previous model applications have been assessed as ready to move through the approval with requirements route, subject to final checks and applicant agreement.

The remaining 54 historic applications are a key focus for BSR through to the end of the year.

Face-to-face meetings with regulatory partners are planned during December to finalise the majority of these outstanding cases.

Up to 24 November, BSR reported that new build applications representing 16,313 residential units had been received under Gateway 2.

Over the same period, approvals representing 11,138 units had been issued.

The regulator stated that 36,023 residential units are currently covered within 167 live Gateway 2 cases.

Innovation Unit and batching process in operation

BSR’s latest update highlighted the role of its Innovation Unit (IU) in managing high-rise residential applications.

The IU, described as a dedicated team of registered building inspectors and technical engineers, is currently handling 73 live new build applications representing 17,076 residential units.

According to BSR, the IU is delivering shorter processing times by validating applications rapidly and rejecting incomplete submissions so that applicants can address issues and resubmit.

The regulator reported that the early cohort of IU-managed applications is now being expedited to resolve technical issues, with first approvals from this route expected during December.

BSR is also implementing a batching process, launched in September, which groups applications for assessment by specialised engineering services suppliers.

Mixed-category bundles covering 217 new build and remediation cases have been dispatched under this pilot process.

The organisation said bundles continue to be issued weekly, based on supplier capacity.

BSR is developing a focused plan to apply lessons from these recent processes to remediation cases in the new year.

BSR outlook for Gateway 2 operations

BSR stated that its Operational Team is directly engaging with applicants and regulatory partners while working through individual blockers to keep cases moving.

The regulator linked this approach to the rate at which historic applications are now being closed.

Charlie Pugsley, Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “The immediate, positive results we saw from our pilot operational changes have established a strong foundation for continued success.

“We are on track to continue to clear the majority historic cases by the end of December by engaging with applicants and our regulatory partners, seeing the benefits of our new batching system, and building upon the initial hard work of the Innovation Unit.

“Across BSR there is a confidence that projected milestones remain achievable, but rightly we remain cautiously optimistic.

“We are fully committed to supporting the pace of essential construction while upholding the essential safety standards that keep people safe in new and also existing homes.”

What the latest Gateway 2 data means for built environment projects

The latest Gateway 2 figures from BSR provide new detail on how high-rise residential building control applications are moving through the new regime.

Architects, fire engineering consultants and building services engineers working on high-rise residential projects can see that 73% of Gateway 2 determinations have resulted in approval, often through the approval with requirements route, which sets a clear pattern for how compliant submissions are being handled.

For developers, facility managers and risk assessors, BSR’s focus on resolving the remaining 54 historic applications, supported by face-to-face meetings with regulatory partners in December, indicates how historic cases may be brought into line with current expectations on structure and evidence.

The Innovation Unit’s management of 73 live applications representing 17,076 units, combined with rapid validation and rejection of incomplete submissions, sets practical expectations for the quality and completeness required at submission stage.

System installers and fire-protection contractors engaged in high-rise residential schemes can relate the reported unit and case volumes – including 36,023 units in 167 live cases – to likely sequencing of design, installation and inspection activity under the Gateway 2 process.

The batching of 217 new build and remediation cases for external engineering assessment shows how capacity is being organised around specialist review, which may affect how technical information is prepared and presented in complex projects.