The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has reported a significant increase in Gateway 2 approval rates, with 75% of applications approved during the 12 weeks to 30 May 2026 as efforts to reduce delays and tackle application backlogs begin to show results.

The latest figures reveal that 358 Gateway 2 decisions were made during the period, covering projects representing almost 15,000 residential units. Of the 14,928 units determined, 9,499 received approval.

The update also shows progress in reducing longstanding remediation cases, with the number of outstanding legacy applications dating back to 2024 falling from 42 at the start of the year to just 16.

Gateway 2 approvals increase across new-build and remediation projects

BSR said approval rates have risen across all categories following the introduction of its external remediation improvement plan in April.

For existing building remediation projects, approval rates reached 79% during the latest 12-week period, exceeding the regulator’s minimum target of 65% for 2026.

New applications covering 13,964 residential units were submitted during the same period, while there are currently 38,775 residential units within live Gateway 2 cases.

The regulator’s Innovation Unit, which handles complex higher-risk building applications, recorded a 90% approval rate during the latest reporting period.

A total of 31 decisions were made by the unit, with 28 approved. London schemes accounted for 19 of those decisions and achieved a 100% approval rate.

The Innovation Unit currently manages 131 applications representing 30,369 residential units.

BSR said decisions are now outpacing new applications received, with all-time Innovation Unit approvals standing at 43 and a median approval time of 22 weeks.

London dominates Gateway 2 activity

London continues to account for the majority of Gateway 2 activity, representing 65% of all decisions made during the reporting period.

Over the last 12 weeks, 472 applications were closed across the capital, while 436 new applications were submitted.

The regulator said 66% of all live Innovation Unit applications are based in London, accounting for 58% of the residential units currently being assessed.

BSR said its batching pilot programme is helping accelerate assessments by grouping applications and assigning them to specialist engineering services suppliers, while maintaining regulatory oversight.

Under the process, the median time between a case being issued and a decision being made is now between 12 and 14 weeks, depending on the application type.

The regulator said the approach is aimed at reducing backlogs across both new-build and remediation applications.

Building Safety Regulator highlights progress on approvals

Charlie Pugsley, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “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.

“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.

“We are also making important improvements following the recent introduction of our external remediation improvement plan, with existing building approval rates of 79% over the last 12 weeks already above our minimum 65% target for the year.

“However, we recognise that people living in other unremediated buildings still want them to be fixed safely, and at pace.

“We continue to work to accelerate our assessments, decisions and approvals, and to improve consistency, ensuring industry can build new and make existing buildings safe, so thousands of residents see essential safety improvements they deserve.

“But we remain steadfastly committed to continuous improvement, ensuring accelerated decision-making for any HRB, either for new build or for existing buildings, must never come at the cost of building safety.”

The latest figures suggest the regulator is beginning to reduce application backlogs while increasing approval rates across both new-build and remediation projects, although almost 39,000 residential units remain within live Gateway 2 cases awaiting determination.