Latest building control approval application data

Building control approval rates rise as gateway 3 applications arrive

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) made 368 decisions on applications for building control approval in the 12 weeks to 28 June 2026, new data has shown⁽¹⁾.

This was up from the 358 decisions recorded in the previous 12-week reporting period, which ended on 30 May 2026.

As of 28 June, there were 1,505 live building control applications in the BSR’s system.

These figures relate to gateway 2 applications, the mandatory stop/go point that higher-risk building (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⁾.

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: ‘The latest data from the BSR suggest that both the efficiency of application processing and the quality of submissions continue to improve. The regulator is clearly making a concerted effort to streamline its system and ensure that safety requirements do not unnecessarily hold back development, through published guidance, recruitment and closer collaboration with applicants to secure approvals rather than rejections.

‘Of course, no system is perfect, and we know gateway delays remain a challenge for parts of the industry. It is crucial that this progress is furthered to ensure the regulatory process does not continue to act as a barrier to development activity.’

Approval rates across all application categories improved over the latest reporting period, increasing from 75% to 77%.

Projects in London continued to account for the largest share of gateway 2 activity. Of all decisions made in the 12 weeks to 28 June, 57% related to London-based projects.

The BSR also confirmed that it had received 277 gateway 3 applications as of 28 June 2026. Gateway 3 is the final mandatory stage of the building control process, requiring applicants to demonstrate, once construction is complete, that the work complies with the Building Regulations and that the building is safe to occupy.

According to the regulator’s latest bulletin, none of the 277 gateway 3 applications related to new build projects. The majority (221) were for Category A or Category B refurbishments, with most of the remainder comprising transitional cases.

Of the refurbishment applications, 124 have been determined, with 86% receiving approval. The fastest determination was completed in eight weeks.

Gateway 2 data by application type

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

In the 12 weeks to 28 June, the BSR made 37 decisions on applications for new HRBs and conversions. Of these, 33 were approved and four were rejected. Approved applications took a median of 22 weeks to determine, while rejected applications were determined in a median of six weeks.

During the same period, the regulator made 85 decisions on external remediation applications. Approved applications in this category took a median of 35 weeks to determine.

HRB internal works applications had a shorter median approval time of 28 weeks. This category also received the highest number of new applications during the 12-week period, with 517 submitted and 237 decisions made.

Unlike the other two application categories, the number of live HRB internal works applications has risen steadily in recent weeks. As of 28 June, 952 applications remained in progress.

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^{(1) GOV.UK – Building control approval application data – here}

^{(2) GOV.UK – Building control approval for higher-risk buildings – here}