The Building Safety Regulator has reported a major rise in Gateway 2 approvals, giving the housing sector a clearer sign that high-rise projects are starting to move again.
In the 12 weeks to 30 May 2026, the Building Safety Regulator made 358 Gateway 2 decisions. The approval rate reached 75%, with 9,499 homes approved. For developers, councils, contractors and residents, this matters. Gateway 2 is not just another planning hurdle. It is the point where higher-risk building work must show that design, structure and fire safety have been properly considered before construction can begin.
Why the Building Safety Regulator update matters
For much of the sector, Gateway 2 has been linked with delay, uncertainty and heavy paperwork. That is changing. The latest figures suggest that the Building Safety Regulator is now processing more cases and making decisions at a faster pace.
Across the same period, 14,928 homes were determined. New applications covering 13,964 homes were also submitted. There are still 38,775 homes in live cases, so the pressure has not vanished.
London remains the busiest area, making up 65% of all national Gateway 2 decisions. This is no surprise, given the number of high-rise and complex residential schemes in the capital.
Building Safety Regulator progress on new builds
The Building Safety Regulator has also seen strong results through its Innovation Unit. This team deals with more complex new build applications and works with applicants to resolve technical issues.
In the latest data, 28 out of 31 Innovation Unit decisions were approved. That gives the unit a 90% approval rate. London performed especially well, with 19 out of 19 cases approved.
This is important for fire safety because Gateway 2 is designed to stop weak or unclear building designs from reaching site. Faster decisions are welcome, but only if the standard of review stays strong.
Charlie Pugsley, Acting Chief Executive of the BSR, said approval numbers and decision times are improving. He also warned that faster decisions must never come at the cost of building safety.
Fire safety and remediation cases
Existing building remediation has also improved. Since the external remediation plan was introduced in April, approval rates for these cases have reached 79%. This is above the 2026 year-end minimum target of 65%.
The Building Safety Regulator has also reduced older 2024 legacy applications from 42 to 16. A new batching pilot is helping with this. Similar applications are grouped together and reviewed by specialist engineering suppliers. This has helped reduce median decision times to around 12 to 14 weeks.
For the sector, this is a useful shift. It shows that fire safety, compliance and housing delivery do not have to work against each other.
What this means for building safety careers
The role of the Building Safety Regulator is reshaping the skills needed across housing, repairs, maintenance, compliance and asset management.
As regulation becomes more demanding, employers will need people who understand fire safety, resident safety, building control, remediation and clear record keeping.
For professionals in the sector, this is a good time to build specialist knowledge and look for roles where building safety is central to the job.
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