The Building Safety Regulator approved 82% of the higher-risk building applications it determined during the 12 weeks to 1 August 2026, as changes to its assessment process reduced waiting times across new build, remediation, and healthcare projects.
The regulator made 349 building control decisions across all higher-risk building categories, approving 287 cases. The figures concern projects passing through Gateway 2, where relevant building work must secure regulatory approval before construction can begin.
Performance improved most sharply among new higher-risk buildings and conversions. The regulator determined 45 new build applications during the rolling period and approved 91%, covering 7,587 residential units. The median determination time for successful applications stood at 22 weeks.
A year earlier, the approval rate for new build applications was 39%, while the median approval time was 43 weeks. The latest figures indicate that the regulator is clearing a materially larger proportion of cases in roughly half the time, although 22 weeks remains a substantial period for developers carrying land, finance, design, and contractor costs.
London continues to dominate higher-risk residential development. Of the 45 new build decisions made nationally, 27 concerned projects in the capital, and 25 of those were approved. The resulting 93% approval rate represented 3,841 homes.
The capital also accounts for 65% of all new build applications currently in progress and 58% of the units under assessment. Across England, the regulator has 131 live new build and conversion applications representing 30,421 homes.
Existing building remediation has shown a similar improvement. The regulator made 110 remediation decisions during the 12-week period and approved 85% of projects, representing 7,433 residential units. That approval rate is already above its 65% target for the end of 2026, while the London figure reached 92%.
Older remediation applications remain slower because they frequently contain unresolved technical issues or incomplete evidence assembled under earlier processes. The median approval time across the wider remediation caseload was 34 weeks, but applications submitted during 2026 recorded a median determination time of 21 weeks.
The backlog of applications dating from 2024 has fallen from 42 at the start of the year to 13. Even so, the regulator is managing 330 live remediation cases representing 28,778 units, leaving little tolerance for another increase in assessment delays.
Much of the operational change has been led by the Innovation Unit established in August 2025. The unit brings multidisciplinary teams together internally, reducing the time previously required to assemble inspectors and specialists for each application.
It has determined 102 applications during its first year, of which 76 were approved or approved with requirements. Its current approval rate for non-complex applications is 91%, with a median determination time of 22 weeks.
Dedicated account managers, an internal consistency panel, and tools for tracking unresolved issues have been introduced alongside the integrated teams. Particularly intricate applications are classified as complex so that additional technical resources can be assigned without holding up more straightforward cases.
The regulator is now applying parts of that model to remediation work. External remediation performance has improved from an approval rate of 47% and a median decision time of 43 weeks to 85% and 34 weeks respectively.
Healthcare work has also been separated into its own reporting category. The regulator made 19 NHS determinations during the period and approved 16, producing a national approval rate of 84% and a median determination time of 24 weeks.
For NHS applications submitted during 2026, the median has fallen to 13 weeks. Some recent cases have reached a decision within the statutory eight-week period, following closer technical engagement between specialist assessment teams and NHS applicants.
Charlie Pugsley, acting chief executive officer of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “We are seeing positive momentum in building control approvals across all categories, including critical work to upgrade NHS hospitals and facilities.”
The improvement has required a substantial expansion in regulatory capacity. The regulator now has 176 internal staff and access to 506 external specialists, including 221 registered building inspectors, 111 fire service professionals, and 135 structural engineers.
Sixty-four external specialists have been integrated directly into the Innovation Unit and external remediation team. They include 36 registered building inspectors, eight fire service professionals, and 20 structural engineers.
The next operational test will come at Gateway 3, which governs completion and occupation. The regulator has received 319 Gateway 3 applications, most involving internal refurbishment projects, and determined 29 during the latest rolling period. The approval rate was 72%, with a median decision time of 16 weeks.
No new build project that has passed through Gateway 2 has yet reached Gateway 3. Current improvements have therefore been demonstrated mainly at the design and pre-construction stage rather than across the complete journey from application to occupation.
The regulator is also processing 181 live major change requests as designs evolve during construction. The median closure time for changes involving new build projects is seven weeks, one week beyond the statutory target.
Faster decisions do not remove the technical burden on applicants. Designs must still provide coherent structural, fire, and building services evidence, while incomplete submissions continue to create additional exchanges and longer assessments.
The regulator’s workload now includes more than 1,400 live new build, remediation, and internal work applications. Its figures show a system moving more consistently, but the first substantial wave of new buildings reaching Gateway 3 will provide a harder measure of whether that improvement extends across the full regulatory process.
