Latest building control approval application data

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) made 378 decisions on all applications concerning higher-risk buildings (HRBs) for building control approval in the 12 weeks to 5 October 2026, according to new data⁽¹⁾.

This was up from the 340 decisions recorded in the previous 12-week reporting period, which ended on 31 August 2026.

As of 5 October, there were 1,706 live building control applications in process. The BSR reported a notable increase in HRB applications in September ahead of the Building Safety Levy's implementation on 1 October.

These figures relate to gateway 2 applications, the mandatory stop/go point that HRB projects must pass before construction can begin. At this stage, the BSR assesses compliance with the Building Regulations, the adequacy of project management arrangements and the competence of project teams⁽²⁾.

Approval rates across all gateway 2 application categories improved over the latest reporting period, rising from 84% to 87% with 330 applications approved. Projects in London continued to dominate gateway 2 activity, accounting for 60% of all in-progress new build applications.

The BSR has also started to process gateway 3 applications. This is the final mandatory stage of the building control process, requiring applicants to demonstrate that completed work complies with the Building Regulations and that the building is safe to occupy before it can be brought into use.

In the latest reporting period, the BSR determined nine gateway 3 applications. These were completed in a median time of 20 weeks, the quickest in 16 weeks, with an overall approval rate of 100%.

The regulator's latest bulletin shows there are no active gateway 3 applications for new build projects that have passed through gateway 2. Of the 361 gateway 3 applications received to date, 274 relate to internal refurbishments. Most of the remainder comprise transitional cases (42) and NHS internal refurbishments (27).

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: 'The continued improvement in decision-making timeframes and approval rates at the BSR is encouraging. However, perhaps the most important takeaway is the sustained surge in applications ahead of the Building Safety Levy's introduction.

'With the levy now in effect, it will be interesting to see how application volumes respond. The levy applies to eligible, new residential developments of ten or more units, and there have been significant concerns about its potential to further squeeze development viability at an already challenging time for housebuilders.

'While a reduction in applications could help the BSR clear its backlog and improve processing times, it could also signal a scaling back of project starts and development activity.

'Application volumes will therefore be an important indicator to monitor in the coming months, particularly as the government sets out its Budget and further details of how it intends to support housebuilding.'

Gateway 2 data by application type

The latest BSR bulletin groups gateway 2 applications into three categories: new higher-risk buildings (HRBs) and conversions, external remediation, and HRB internal works and NHS applications.

In the 12 weeks to 5 October, the BSR made 57 decisions on applications for new HRBs and conversions. Of these, 55 were approved and two were rejected. Approved new build applications took a median of 23 weeks to determine, while rejected applications were determined in a median of 16 weeks.

The regulator also made 110 decisions on external remediation applications during the period, taking a median time of 32 weeks for approvals.

In the same time frame, 466 new applications for HRB internal works and 31 NHS applications were received by the BSR. Approval rates for processed applications in these categories stand at 85% and 81% respectively.

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