Building Safety Regulator data points to Gateway 2 progress.

Building Safety Regulator data points to Gateway 2 improvement, but programme risk remains

New data from the Building Safety Regulator suggests that Gateway 2 approvals for higher risk residential buildings are moving in the right direction. However, developers and design teams shouldn’t mistake improvement for certainty.

The latest GOV.UK transparency release on BSR building control approval applications covers applications from March to May 2026. This was updated on 9 June 2026. It shows a 90% rolling approval rate for new build Innovation Unit applications over the 12 weeks to 29 May, with a median approval time of 22 weeks.

Higher risk building projects need Gateway 2 approval before building work can start. The Building Safety Regulator’s strategic plan for 2026 to 2027 acknowledges that the post Building Safety Act regime requires more detailed designs earlier in the process, with new expectations around demonstrating compliance.

For clients, funders and project teams, the message is practical. Gateway 2 is becoming more navigable. But project teams still need to build it into strategy from the outset.

What the latest data shows

Over the 12 week rolling period, the regulator determined 31 new build Innovation Unit applications, with 28 approvals and 3 rejections. Over the same period, the regulator received 64 new applications.

The data also shows that the regulator received applications covering 13,964 residential units, while they made decisions on applications covering 14,928 units. Of those determined units, 9,499 were approvals.

That is an encouraging sign of progress in processing higher risk building applications. However, there were still 178 new build Gateway 2 cases in progress as of 1 June, covering 38,775 residential units.

Project teams should read the figures as evidence of movement, not as a reason to relax.

Why this matters for project teams

Gateway 2 approval is required before building work can start on higher risk buildings. The Building Safety Regulator’s own strategic plan for 2026 to 2027 acknowledges that the post Building Safety Act regime requires more detailed designs earlier in the process, with new expectations around demonstrating compliance.

That shift has real commercial consequences. A scheme that reaches Gateway 2 with unresolved fire strategy, structural coordination, building services integration or product information issues may face delay, redesign, or rejection. Even where approval is likely, a 22 week median approval period means that project teams should treat Gateway 2 as a central programme item. ot an administrative step near the end of pre construction.

The current data also reinforces the importance of complete, coordinated submissions. The regulator has said it is working more closely with applicants on complex cases, but that should not be interpreted as a substitute for early technical clarity.

A wider regulatory direction

The data lands against a broader backdrop of continuing building safety reform. The regulator’s strategic plan says it is seeking to become faster, clearer and more data driven, while maintaining safety standards. Separately, the May 2026 Grenfell Tower Inquiry progress report confirms continuing work on Approved Document B, including consultation on fire safety guidance for residential buildings over 18 metres, external walls, balconies, photovoltaic panels and other technical areas.

For built environment clients, this points to a maturing regulatory landscape rather than a settled one. Guidance, expectations and scrutiny are still developing, particularly around fire safety, higher risk buildings and the quality of evidence submitted to building control.

What clients should do now

Project teams working on higher risk residential schemes should build Gateway 2 preparation into the earliest stages of design and procurement. That means aligning the client, architect, fire engineer, structural engineer, MEP team, principal designer and contractor around the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance.

It also means being realistic about programme allowances. Where planning, funding, procurement or vacant possession dates depend on a start on site milestone, Gateway 2 timing should be tested as a live risk, not added late as a regulatory assumption.

The most resilient projects will be those that treat building safety information as part of design quality from day one. The latest BSR data suggests approvals are improving, but the safest commercial position remains clear: coordinated design, robust evidence and early regulatory planning are now fundamental to delivery.