The Building Safety Regulator reported 330 approvals from 378 Gateway 2 decisions (87%) in its rolling 12-week update to 5 October 2026, covering 20,471 residential units. The accompanying July–September transparency tables record 1,706 live Gateway 2 applications, including transitional cases. This page covers the regulator’s work in England, with dates and application categories stated throughout.
The figures come from BSR’s transparency tables and accompanying update, its strategic plan and official building-assessment guidance. Approval rates count decisions, excluding invalidations and withdrawals where specified; live cases count work still in progress. These are different measures. Fire incidents and cladding-remediation progress are covered separately in our high-rise fire statistics.
Key facts and figures
- 87% — 330 approvals from 378 Gateway 2 decisions in the rolling 12-week update to 5 October 2026.
- 1,706 live Gateway 2 cases in the July–September 2026 transparency tables, including 66 transitional cases.
- 40,644 residential units in 186 live new-HRB and conversion cases; this is not an all-category unit total.
- 23 weeks — median approval time for new HRBs and conversions; 55 of 57 decisions were approvals (96%).
- 32 weeks — median approval time for external remediation; 96 of 110 decisions were approvals (87%).
- 13,000+ higher-risk buildings registered by July 2025, according to MHCLG evidence to Parliament; a dated snapshot.
- ~2,000 buildings directed to apply for assessment certificates by BSR’s July 2026 update.
- 18 / 12 weeks — March 2027 strategic-plan response aims for non-complex new-building / remediation applications.
Checked on 15 October 2026. Gateway figures use the July–September transparency release and its rolling update to 5 October. Registration and assessment-certificate figures have separate dates. The detailed new-build decision counts support 96% (55/57); a 97% figure in the summary table is inconsistent with those counts.
What is the Building Safety Regulator?
The Building Safety Regulator oversees higher-risk building safety and building control in England. It became a standalone non-departmental public body sponsored by MHCLG on 27 January 2026, having previously been part of HSE. Its functions are established through the Building Safety Act 2022 and associated legislation.
For the occupied-building regime, a higher-risk building generally has at least two residential units and is at least 18 metres high or has at least seven storeys, subject to statutory exclusions. The design-and-construction definition also includes qualifying hospitals and care homes. Gateway 2 concerns building-control approval before relevant work starts; it is separate from registration and building assessment certificates.
What is the Gateway 2 approval rate in 2026?
BSR’s update to 5 October 2026 reported 330 approvals out of 378 Gateway 2 decisions, or 87%. This rolling 12-week rate concerns decisions made in the period, not all applications submitted during it.
The detailed tables report 55 approvals from 57 decisions for new HRBs and conversions (96%), 96 from 110 for external remediation (87%), 158 from 185 for internal works (85%), and 21 from 26 NHS decisions (81%). Invalidated and withdrawn applications are recorded separately.
An approval rate can change because of the mix and age of cases decided. It is not a building-safety score or the probability that an application submitted today will be approved. Use the detailed category, decision counts and reporting window when comparing releases.
How long does a Gateway 2 application take to be decided?
The latest detailed release gives median approval times of 23 weeks for new HRBs and conversions, 32 weeks for external remediation, 31 weeks for internal works and 20 weeks for NHS applications. These are times for approved cases in the reporting window, not a promised turnaround for every application.
Older or complex cases can affect the median. The release tracks complex new-build cases separately and reports a 34-week median for that group. Comparisons with statutory periods or strategic-plan aims must account for the application type, agreed extensions and the definition of the reported time.
| Measure | Latest figure | Data period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway 2 approval rate, all four reported decision categories | 87% (330/378) | 12-week update to 5 October 2026 | Decision-based rate |
| Gateway 2 decisions made | 378 | 12-week update to 5 October 2026 | Excludes invalidations and withdrawals |
| New HRBs and conversions approval rate | 96% (55/57) | July–September 2026 release | Median approval time 23 weeks |
| External remediation approval rate | 87% (96/110) | July–September 2026 release | Median approval time 32 weeks |
| Internal works median approval time | 31 weeks | July–September 2026 release | 185 decisions; 85% approvals |
| Live Gateway 2 cases, including transitional cases | 1,706 | July–September 2026 release | Includes 66 transitional cases |
| Units in live new-HRB and conversion cases | 40,644 | July–September 2026 release | 186 applications; not all categories |
| Residential units covered by approvals | 20,471 | 12-week update to 5 October 2026 | 11,822 new-build/conversion + 8,649 remediation |
The table keeps the dates and scope with each measure. Do not describe a new-build median as the processing time for every Gateway 2 application, or the live caseload as a count of overdue applications.
How big is the Gateway 2 backlog?
The transparency release records 1,706 live Gateway 2 applications: 186 new HRB/conversion, 313 external-remediation, 1,109 internal-work, 32 NHS and 66 transitional cases. These are applications in progress, not necessarily overdue cases.
The new-HRB and conversion applications covered 40,644 residential units, while external-remediation applications covered 26,259 units. These category-specific figures should not be described as a single count of new homes awaiting permission; remediation concerns existing homes.
The reporting period’s approvals covered 20,471 residential units. This is approval throughput, not completed construction or occupied homes. A live caseload can grow even as approvals rise if incoming applications increase.
What is the Building Safety Regulator’s target for deciding Gateway 2 applications?
The BSR strategic plan aims, by the end of March 2027, to respond to non-complex new-building applications in 18 weeks or less and non-complex remediation applications in 12 weeks or less, alongside an expected 65% approval rate. These are strategic-plan aims, not a replacement for statutory requirements or guaranteed service times.
Latest category medians remain above those time aims, while decision approval rates exceed 65%. The measures are not identical: the plan refers to non-complex cases, whereas reported approval medians reflect the cases completed in a particular window.
How many higher-risk buildings are registered with the BSR?
MHCLG’s written evidence to Parliament reports more than 13,000 higher-risk buildings registered by July 2025. This dated count should not be presented as the current October 2026 register total or as a census of every tall building.
Registration and assessment are separate. BSR directs the principal accountable person to apply for a building assessment certificate; applicants cannot self-nominate. Registration itself does not certify safety, and the ongoing legal duties to manage fire-spread and structural-failure risks apply regardless of the assessment timetable.
What is happening with Building Assessment Certificates?
In its 9 July 2026 update, BSR said it had directed applications for nearly 2,000 buildings since April 2024 and that 66% of applications had been refused so far that year. This is a dated statement about applications assessed under a risk-prioritised programme, not the percentage of all higher-risk buildings that are unsafe.
BSR announced a more targeted approach, prioritising existing assessments and calling in new applications when necessary while processes were improved. A certificate reflects whether the relevant legal duties were met when assessed; it is not a permanent safety guarantee. Refusal requires attention to the stated shortcomings and must not be dismissed as merely a paperwork issue.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gateway 2 approval rate in 2026?
BSR reported 330 approvals from 378 decisions, or 87%, in its rolling 12-week update to 5 October 2026. The detailed new-HRB/conversion rate was 55/57, or 96%, and external remediation was 96/110, or 87%.
How long does a Gateway 2 application take to be decided?
The July–September 2026 release reports median approval times of 23 weeks for new HRBs/conversions and 32 weeks for external remediation. Internal works averaged a median 31 weeks and NHS applications 20 weeks. These are historical category medians, not guarantees.
How many higher-risk buildings are registered with the Building Safety Regulator?
MHCLG reported more than 13,000 registered by July 2025 in evidence to Parliament. That is a dated registration snapshot, not a current total or a count of certificates issued.
What is the Building Safety Regulator’s target for deciding Gateway 2 applications?
By March 2027, BSR’s strategic plan aims to respond within 18 weeks for non-complex new buildings and 12 weeks for non-complex remediation, with an expected 65% approval rate. These are strategic aims.
What is a Building Assessment Certificate?
BSR issues it following assessment of whether relevant building-safety duties were met. It reflects the position at assessment and does not remove ongoing duties. The principal accountable person applies when directed by BSR.
Where do Building Safety Regulator statistics come from?
Gateway figures come from BSR transparency tables and accompanying updates. The strategic plan provides performance aims; official guidance and dated government evidence provide registration and assessment context.
If you help manage a higher-risk or any multi-occupied building, the regulator’s scrutiny is only as effective as the competent people on the ground carrying out the day-to-day fire safety arrangements. Our Fire Warden Training course covers evacuation procedure, sweeps, assembly-point management and PEEPs — £18 per learner, RoSPA approved and CPD accredited, 60 to 90 minutes online with an instant certificate on passing, and bulk discounts from 10 delegates upwards.
Related guides
- High-Rise Fire Statistics UK: Fires in Tall Buildings & Cladding Remediation Data
- Fire and Rescue Service Statistics UK: Response Times, Staffing & Funding
- Fire Evacuation Statistics UK: Rescues, Drills & Evacuation Behaviour Data
- Fire Door Statistics UK: Failure Rates, Inspections & Compliance Data
- Fire marshal responsibilities: the complete UK duties list
Sources & references
- BSR — July–September 2026 building-control transparency tables
- BSR — Rolling 12-week update to 5 October 2026
- BSR — Strategic plan 2026–2027
- GOV.UK — BSR became a standalone body on 27 January 2026
- MHCLG — Parliamentary evidence, registration snapshot July 2025
- BSR — Building-assessment programme update, 9 July 2026
- BSR — Building assessment certificate guidance
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, fire safety and accredited online training for Fire Warden Training, part of Online CPD Academy.