Gateway 2 Approval Index

Last updated: 5 September 2026

Gateway 2 Approval Index

The Gateway 2 Approval Index is a London Construction Magazine intelligence tracker monitoring Building Safety Regulator decision patterns, approval rates, London case concentration, residential units affected, remediation movement, Gateway 3 emergence and operational delivery signals under the Building Safety Act regime.

The index is designed for contractors, developers, consultants, dutyholders, project managers, funders and commercial teams who need to understand how Gateway 2 performance is changing and what those changes mean for higher-risk building delivery. London Construction Magazine tracks not only the headline approval rate, but decision volume, London concentration, live case pressure, internal refurbishment activity, remediation throughput, new-build progress, Gateway 3 performance, major change activity, BSR resourcing and construction-stage inspection signals.

Current Index Snapshot

Latest BSR release: 4 September 2026 · data to 31 August 2026
The Building Safety Regulator made 340 building control decisions across higher-risk building categories during the latest rolling 12-week period. It approved 287 cases, producing an overall approval rate of 84%, up from 82% in the previous LCM index update.
New higher-risk buildings and conversions reached 92% nationally, with 46 approvals from 50 decisions representing 9,362 residential units. London approved 28 of 31 projects, producing a 90% approval rate and representing 4,477 units.
External remediation reached 89% nationally and 96% in London. New-build and remediation approvals together represented 18,029 residential units.
BSR is now managing 1,654 live Gateway 2 applications across all categories, an increase of more than 100 during August.
Approval Rate Timeline

Reporting Period Approval Rate Determinations / Units LCM Operational Interpretation
2024 Transitional Period Substantially lower initial rates Gateway 2 regime entering live statutory operation The early Gateway 2 market exposed widespread misunderstanding of evidence architecture, dutyholder coordination and design maturity requirements.
Early 2025 ~60–65% Significant proportion of applications queried or returned The industry was still adapting operationally to BR Principal Designer obligations, Golden Thread expectations and evidence sequencing standards.
Late 2025 Mid-60% range Rapid increase in Gateway 2 submissions nationally Submission quality became the dominant programme risk as development teams accelerated applications ahead of funding and procurement milestones.
1 May 2026 release 71% 323 decisions · 17,046 units determined Approval performance was improving, but live case pressure and remediation delays remained major delivery constraints.
30 May 2026 release 75% 358 decisions · 14,928 units determined · 9,499 units approved The May data showed a clear improvement in approval rate and decision throughput, with approvals rising across Gateway 2 categories while London remained the dominant case concentration.
1 July 2026 release 77% 368 decisions · 284 approvals Approval performance continued to improve, with stronger remediation, new-build and early Gateway 3 indicators suggesting that process changes were beginning to produce measurable gains.
6 August 2026 update 82% 349 decisions · 287 approvals · 91% new-build approval rate London new-build approvals reached 93%, remediation reached 92% in the capital and newer applications were generally moving faster.
4 September 2026 update — latest release 84% 340 decisions · 287 approvals · 92% new-build approval rate The headline rate improved again, although absolute approvals remained at 287 across the two latest rolling windows. New-build throughput strengthened, remediation accelerated materially and London remediation reached 96%, while NHS performance weakened and Gateway 3 decision volume fell.

Current Snapshot — 12 Weeks to 31 August 2026

Category Approval Rate Key Figure LCM Operational Interpretation
All Gateway 2 Categories — National 84% 340 decisions · 287 approvals · 1,654 applications in progress The headline rate has risen from 82% to 84%, but the absolute number of approvals across the two latest rolling periods remained 287. The increase should therefore be read alongside lower total decision volume and rising live caseload.
New Higher-Risk Buildings and Conversions 92% 46 approvals from 50 decisions · 9,362 units · 22-week median The Innovation Unit continues to show substantially stronger performance than one year earlier, when BSR reports a 39% approval rate and 43-week median.
London New-Build and Conversion Decisions 90% 28 approvals from 31 decisions · 4,477 units · 23-week median The percentage has reduced from 93% to 90%, but actual approvals increased from 25 to 28 and approved residential units increased from 3,841 to 4,477.
New-Build and Conversion Live Pipeline — 147 applications · 32,691 residential units The live new-build pipeline has increased from 131 cases and 30,421 units in the previous period, keeping Gateway 2 materially relevant to development finance, procurement and mobilisation.
London Share of New-Build Pipeline 65% 96 live applications · 20,046 units · 61% of national units London continues to carry the majority of BSR's new-build higher-risk building workload.
Existing-Building Remediation — National 89% 105 approvals from 118 decisions · 8,667 units · 33-week median Remediation performance has strengthened materially from 85% in the previous period while the outstanding caseload has reduced slightly.
London Existing-Building Remediation 96% 55 approvals from 57 decisions · 3,936 units · 32-week median London remediation is now one of the strongest approval categories in the dataset, with only two rejections across the latest 57 determinations.
Remediation Live Pipeline — 327 national cases · 28,274 units · 182 London cases · 15,395 London units The live remediation workload remains substantial despite stronger approvals, meaning the category will continue to generate specialist façade, fire, structural and investigation work.
Legacy Remediation Cases — 12 outstanding 2024 applications · down from 42 at start of 2026 Backlog clearance continues, although older and technically complex files still influence headline determination times.
HRB Internal Refurbishment Works 78% 111 approvals from 143 decisions · 1,082 live cases · 32-week median Internal works remain the largest live Gateway 2 category. Applications submitted in 2026 have a substantially shorter 16-week median.
London HRB Internal Works 78% 65 approvals from 83 decisions · 734 live applications · 32-week median London is performing broadly in line with the national internal-work position and carries a substantial share of the category's active workload.
NHS Applications — National 82% 18 approvals from 22 decisions · 22-week median · 32 active cases The headline rate has eased from 84%, although the overall median has improved. NHS applications submitted in 2026 have a 13-week median.
London NHS Applications 78% Seven approvals from nine decisions · 33-week median · 13 active cases London NHS performance has weakened from the previous 86% position and the 33-week median remains materially above the national figure.
Gateway 3 88% 346 applications received · 16 determinations in latest period · 20-week median The approval percentage has improved, but decision volume fell from 29 to 16 and the median increased from 16 to 20 weeks. No standard new-build project that passed Gateway 2 has yet reached Gateway 3.
Major Change Requests — 184 live · 123 closed · 7-week new-build median Gateway 2 approval does not end regulatory programme risk. Changes during construction remain subject to classification, documentation and regulator review where required.
BSR Resourcing — 177 internal staff · 508 external specialists · 64 integrated specialists BSR continues to expand both internal and integrated multidisciplinary resource as the live Gateway 2 caseload increases.

LCM Index Reading

The September update is positive, but the headline 84% approval rate needs context. Across the 12 weeks to 31 August, BSR recorded 340 decisions and 287 approvals. In the previous rolling period, it recorded 349 decisions and the same 287 approvals.  The improvement from 82% to 84% is therefore a higher approval ratio rather than an increase in the absolute number of approved cases across the two overlapping reporting windows. At the same time, the live Gateway 2 workload has increased to 1,654 applications, more than 100 higher during August.

The category-level picture is more informative. National new-build approvals rose from 91% to 92%, remediation rose from 85% to 89% and internal refurbishment moved from 77% to 78%. NHS approvals moved in the opposite direction, falling from 84% to 82% nationally. London also presents a mixed but generally stronger delivery picture. The new-build approval rate reduced from 93% to 90%, yet BSR approved more projects and more residential units than in the previous period. Remediation improved sharply from 92% to 96%, while NHS approvals fell from 86% to 78%.

The practical lesson is that approval percentages should not be read in isolation. Decision volume, unit count, live workload, complexity and determination periods all affect whether Gateway 2 is becoming more predictable for construction teams.

What Changed in the September BSR Update?

  • Overall Gateway 2 approval performance increased from 82% to 84%.
  • BSR recorded 340 decisions and 287 approvals across higher-risk building categories.
  • The total live Gateway 2 caseload increased to 1,654 applications.
  • New-build and conversion approvals reached 92% nationally.
  • London new-build approval performance was 90%, with 28 approvals covering 4,477 residential units.
  • The national new-build live pipeline increased to 147 applications representing 32,691 residential units.
  • London represents around 65% of live new-build applications and 61% of units under assessment.
  • External remediation reached 89% nationally and 96% in London.
  • Only 12 remediation applications dating from 2024 remain, down from 42 at the start of 2026.
  • Internal refurbishment reached a 78% approval rate and remains the largest Gateway 2 workload at 1,082 live cases.
  • NHS approvals reached 82% nationally but fell to 78% in London.
  • Gateway 3 approval performance reached 88%, although only 16 cases were determined during the latest rolling period.
  • BSR is processing 184 live major change requests.
  • The regulator reports that 126 new-build projects have now commenced work.
  • BSR says the increase in Gateway 2 applications could be linked to the Building Safety Levy taking effect on 1 October 2026, although that causal link is not confirmed.

New Build: 92% Nationally, 90% in London

BSR made 50 decisions on new higher-risk buildings and conversions during the latest rolling period. Forty-six were approved and four rejected, producing a national approval rate of 92%. Approved schemes represent 9,362 residential units.

The median approval time for non-complex cases remains 22 weeks. BSR now tracks 33 complex new-build cases separately, with a median determination time of 33 weeks. The longer-term comparison remains significant. When the Innovation Unit was established approximately 12 months earlier, BSR reports a new-build approval rate of 39% and a median determination time of 43 weeks.

London accounted for 31 of the 50 national new-build decisions. Twenty-eight were approved and three rejected, producing a 90% approval rate and covering 4,477 residential units. The median determination time for non-complex London cases was 23 weeks. London also contains 23 of the 33 live complex new-build cases. Their median determination time is 32 weeks.

The capital currently has 96 new-build and conversion applications in progress, representing 20,046 residential units. That is around 65% of the national application pipeline and 61% of residential units under active assessment.

126 New-Build Projects Have Commenced Work

Gateway 2 approval is permission to proceed with controlled building work; it is not itself evidence that construction has started. BSR now separately reports that the number of new-build projects that have actually commenced work has grown to 126 projects.

This distinction is important for construction-market analysis. A project can receive Gateway 2 approval before mobilisation and main construction begin, so approval figures should not automatically be counted as site starts.

BSR's growing inspection programme has also identified a small number of cases where building work did not follow the design agreed at Gateway 2 and remedial work was required. The regulator says it will continue monitoring construction-stage compliance and take action where appropriate.

Existing-Building Remediation Reaches 89% Nationally and 96% in London

Existing-building remediation recorded one of the strongest improvements in the latest dataset. BSR determined 118 applications and approved 105, producing an 89% national approval rate and representing 8,667 residential units.

The national live remediation workload has reduced to 327 cases representing 28,274 units. The rolling median approval time has reduced to 33 weeks. London performed more strongly. BSR made 57 remediation decisions in the capital and approved 55, producing a 96% approval rate and covering 3,936 residential units. The London median was 32 weeks.

The number of open London remediation cases has fallen from 200 to 182 during the reporting period, representing 15,395 residential units. Legacy remediation applications also continue to reduce. Twelve cases submitted in 2024 remain nationally, down from 42 at the start of 2026. BSR says newer applications submitted during 2026 are generally moving more quickly because of earlier design collaboration and changes introduced through its remediation improvement plan.

Internal Refurbishment Remains the Largest Gateway 2 Workload

HRB internal refurbishment Category A and B works remain the largest live Gateway 2 category. BSR currently has 1,082 applications in progress nationally. During the latest rolling period, 143 internal-work decisions were made. Of those, 111 were approved and 32 rejected, producing a 78% approval rate and a 32-week median determination time.

New applications have been arriving at an average rate of approximately 38 per week, with BSR recording higher volumes during August. Applications submitted during 2026 have a much shorter median determination time of 16 weeks.

London has 734 internal-work applications in progress. BSR made 83 decisions in the capital, approving 65 and rejecting 18, producing the same 78% approval rate and a 32-week median. The category is significant because Gateway 2 is not limited to major new residential towers. Internal refurbishment, structural alteration, fire-safety work, services changes and fit-out activity within existing higher-risk buildings can also fall within the higher-risk building control regime.

NHS Applications: National Times Improve but London Slows

BSR made 22 determinations on NHS applications during the latest rolling period and approved 18, producing an 82% national approval rate. The national median determination time was 22 weeks. Applications submitted during 2026 have a 13-week median, and BSR says some recent healthcare applications have been determined within the statutory eight-week period. London recorded seven approvals from nine NHS determinations, producing a 78% approval rate. The median approval period in London increased to 33 weeks. BSR is managing 32 active NHS building-control cases nationally, including 13 in London.

Gateway 3: Approval Rate Rises, but Throughput Needs Context

BSR has now received 346 Gateway 3 applications. Of these, 260 relate to internal refurbishment, while most of the remainder are transitional cases and NHS internal refurbishment work. During the latest 12-week period, BSR determined 16 Gateway 3 applications, producing an 88% approval rate and a 20-week median determination period. The fastest approval was completed in seven weeks.

The improvement in approval percentage should be read alongside lower decision volume. The previous LCM index recorded 29 determinations at a 72% approval rate and a 16-week median. The latest period therefore shows a higher approval ratio but fewer determinations and a longer median. There are currently 105 internal-work Gateway 3 cases in progress, 15 NHS cases and eight external-remediation cases.

No standard new-build development that passed through Gateway 2 has yet reached Gateway 3. The current Gateway 3 figures therefore remain an early indicator dominated by refurbishment and transitional work rather than a full benchmark for new higher-risk residential development. As more Gateway 2-approved buildings move through construction, completion-stage evidence, approved change records and Golden Thread information will become increasingly important to occupation programmes.

Major Change Requests Increase to 184 Live Cases

BSR is processing 184 live major change requests across projects already in construction.

Category Live Requests Median Closure Time
New HRBs and conversions 78 7 weeks
External remediation 11 10 weeks
HRB internal works 67 9 weeks
NHS applications 25 20 weeks
Transitional 3 —

BSR closed 123 major change requests during the latest 12-week period. For new-build developments, the median closure time is seven weeks, one week longer than the statutory target cited by the regulator. For project teams, this is an important construction-stage programme issue. Gateway 2 approval fixes an approved design basis, but subsequent major changes still require appropriate regulatory control. Late design development therefore has potential implications for sequencing, procurement and affected work packages.

Gateway 2 Caseload Rises Ahead of Building Safety Levy

BSR reports 1,654 Gateway 2 applications in progress across all categories, an increase of more than 100 during August. The regulator says the increase could be linked to the Building Safety Levy, which comes into effect on 1 October 2026. BSR has not established that the levy is the sole cause of the increase and says it will continue monitoring new application volumes. The latest workload comprises 147 new-build and conversion cases, 327 external-remediation cases, 1,082 internal-work applications, 32 NHS applications and 66 transitional Gateway 2 cases. The rise in live applications matters even as approval rates improve. Higher throughput must keep pace with new submissions if the regulator is to avoid a fresh backlog forming around the levy introduction.

BSR Resourcing and Technical Capacity

BSR reports 177 internal staff members involved in higher-risk building control activity:
  • 101 regulatory leads;
  • 14 principal regulatory leads;
  • 58 case officers; and
  • four case officer managers.

The regulator is also supported by 508 people sourced or seconded from external organisations:
  • 240 Registered Building Inspectors;
  • 106 fire-service professionals;
  • 127 structural engineers; and
  • 35 other specialists.

Of those external resources, 64 are integrated directly into the Innovation Unit or external-remediation teams: 36 Registered Building Inspectors, eight fire-service professionals and 20 structural engineers. BSR says it has grown its internal regulatory team by 25 people over the previous three months and intends to continue recruiting and expanding integrated technical capacity.

Telecoms Rules Changed from 1 September 2026

The latest BSR update also introduces a specific change for certain telecoms work in higher-risk buildings. From 1 September 2026, eligible fibre-optic cabling and rooftop telecommunications mast work can proceed without prior notification to, or approval from, BSR before work starts.

For eligible fibre-optic cabling, dutyholders are required to notify BSR after the work is completed. Eligible rooftop mast installations require a completion certificate application. This should not be interpreted as a general relaxation of Gateway 2. The change applies to defined telecommunications work, while core dutyholder, competence, building-regulation and safety requirements remain in force.

Evidence-Based Summary

Gateway 2 performance continues to improve, but the September data is more nuanced than the headline 84% rate.
BSR recorded 340 decisions and 287 approvals. The approval rate increased from 82% to 84%, but absolute approvals were unchanged across the two latest rolling reporting windows.
New-build performance reached 92% nationally, while London approved more projects and residential units despite its percentage rate reducing to 90%.
Remediation strengthened to 89% nationally and 96% in London, while NHS performance weakened.
Gateway 3 reached an 88% approval rate but only 16 applications were determined and no standard new-build project that passed Gateway 2 has yet reached the final Gateway 3 stage.
The live Gateway 2 caseload has increased to 1,654 applications, and BSR is simultaneously managing 184 major change requests during construction.
For contractors and developers, the operational conclusion remains the same: improving regulator performance reduces one source of uncertainty, but design maturity, application quality, competent dutyholder input, change control and complete Golden Thread evidence remain central to programme certainty.
Why This Index Matters

Gateway 2 approval performance affects more than regulatory administration. It influences development finance, procurement timing, contractor mobilisation, consultant workload, remediation sequencing and the release of construction packages on higher-risk buildings. London is particularly exposed because around 65% of live new-build and conversion applications and 61% of new-build residential units currently under assessment sit in the capital.

The latest figures show that Gateway 2 is becoming more operationally mature, but they also show why a single approval percentage is not enough to judge the system. Live application numbers are rising, category performance differs materially, complex cases take longer and post-approval change requests create a separate construction-stage approval burden. Gateway 3 is also emerging as the next major programme test. The current data is not yet representative of standard new-build completions, so the first wave of Gateway 2-approved residential schemes reaching Gateway 3 will provide an important future benchmark.

Methodology

The Gateway 2 Approval Index uses publicly available Building Safety Regulator building control approval application data, BSR transparency releases, regulator media statements and London Construction Magazine analysis. The latest update uses BSR data published on 4 September 2026 covering the rolling period from June to August 2026, with all data stated by the regulator as being current to 31 August 2026.

The index tracks:
  • Gateway 2 decision volume;
  • overall and category-specific approval rates;
  • residential units approved;
  • live application volumes;
  • London approval performance and case concentration;
  • new-build and HRB conversion performance;
  • Innovation Unit determination times;
  • complex new-build cases;
  • internal refurbishment workload;
  • existing-building remediation progress;
  • legacy remediation movement;
  • NHS application performance;
  • Gateway 3 activity;
  • commenced new-build projects;
  • construction-stage inspection signals;
  • transitional cases;
  • major change requests;
  • BSR staffing and external technical support;
  • Building Safety Levy-related application pressure; and
  • other material operational changes affecting higher-risk building control.

Source consistency note: BSR's September media material and accompanying transparency document use different numerical references when describing its remediation performance target. LCM therefore reports the observed 89% remediation approval rate without relying on a specific target percentage.
The index does not provide legal, design, engineering or regulatory advice. It is an editorial intelligence tracker designed to interpret public approval data and explain operational consequences for the construction sector.

Primary Sources


Related LCM Analysis


Next Update

This index will be updated when the Building Safety Regulator publishes its next Gateway 2 or Gateway 3 dataset, or when material changes affect approval performance, London case concentration, remediation throughput, internal works, NHS applications, commenced projects, major changes, resource capacity or live case pressure.