Reducing High-Rise Approval Times: New Plan by Building Safety Regulator

Andy Roe, Chair of the Building Safety Regulator, has announced significant progress in reducing Gateway 2 approval times. Previously, approvals in London took up to 48 weeks and 43 weeks outside the capital. Current efforts bring this closer to the target of 12 weeks.

Streamlining Approval Processes

Since taking office last summer, Roe implemented several initiatives, including:

Bundling applications for faster processing.

Assigning Account Managers to major developers.

Overhauling the regulator’s IT system.

These measures have significantly reduced delays, allowing developers to know within a week whether their submissions have been validated, instead of waiting months as before.

Preparing for Gateway 3

With the regulator now independent from the Health and Safety Executive, Roe emphasized that the Gateway 3 stage, where completed projects must be signed off before occupancy, will not face the same challenges as Gateway 2.
He stated: “We have a clear communication plan with developers, with Plan A, B, and C ready to ensure smooth operations.”

Addressing the Remediation Backlog

Roe noted that about 280 projects are still pending remediation cases, which currently take around 34 weeks. A plan will be announced in the coming weeks to reduce this to 8 weeks.

Future Outlook for Architects

For architects, these improvements in regulatory processes represent an opportunity to accelerate high-risk projects while maintaining safety standards. The focus on lower-risk works through new consultations allows designers to concentrate on more innovative designs without prolonged bureaucratic delays.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Building Safety Regulator’s recent reforms exemplify a Contemporary approach to regulatory architecture, where procedural efficiency becomes a design-enabling instrument rather than a bottleneck. By streamlining Gateway 2 approvals, introducing dedicated Account Managers, and upgrading IT infrastructure, the regulator enhances Functional Resilience, allowing high-risk projects to proceed without compromising safety standards. However, while reduced timelines promise greater agility, questions remain about the systemic capacity to manage the remaining remediation backlog and its implications for complex urban developments, raising concerns over Contextual Relevance when scaled across diverse boroughs. Nevertheless, this recalibration positions regulatory processes as integral to the built environment, offering architects new operational certainty and reinforcing the Architectural Ambition of innovation within safe, compliant frameworks.

Reviewer

★ ArchUp Technical Analysis

Technical Note on the Reduction in Regulatory Approval Times for High-Rise Buildings:
This article provides a technical and operational analysis of the new plan announced by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to expedite the approval process for high-risk projects.

The implemented measures have led to a notable improvement in time-based performance indicators. The average approval wait time at Gateway 2 has decreased from 48 weeks (in London) and 43 weeks (outside London) to approximately 12 weeks, the announced strategic target. This improvement relies on a procedural package.

Regarding remediation works, a backlog of about 280 cases still exists, currently taking 34 weeks to process, with a plan, details of which are to be announced soon, to reduce this time to just 8 weeks.

Related Insight: Please review this article for an in-depth exploration of building safety and related systems:
The Future of Building Safety: From Vision to Deep Implementation