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Building safety news and updates
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October 2026
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 20,000+ residential units through gateway 2 as overall approvals rise to 87%
Our latest transparency data for the 12-week rolling period to 5 October 2026 shows overall gateway 2 application approvals rising to 87%, up from the previous release (84%), with 20,471 residential units clearing the gateway.
Over the same period, existing building remediation approvals also climbed to 87% nationally (up from 32% 12 months prior) and 96% in London.
For new HRBs and conversions, the approval rate (not including invalidations and withdrawals) has risen to 96% (55 approvals out of 57 decisions) with a median approval time of 23 weeks for 11,822 units.
In London, approvals were 97% with a 22-week median approval time for 6,855 units.
Charlie Pugsley, Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: "Approval rates for safe designs are high, while determination times continue to reduce significantly across both new builds and remediation projects, reflecting the positive impact of our streamlined operational pathways.
"However, we are not complacent and continue to engage with the sector to improve performance and ensure safe outcomes.
"Our core focus as always remains the same. The safety of residents and our communities remains at the very heart of what we do."
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Latest building safety news
BSR has positive effect on national housing supply
During that period, we reported 7,089 total starts in 2025 Q4, 6,276 total starts in 2026 Q1 and 5,758 total starts in 2026 Q2.
Previously to that, the maximum number of starts we had reported in a quarter was 1,206 in 2025 Q3.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, who publish the figures, added that this followed reforms at BSR announced in June 2025 to accelerate housebuilding.
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Information for building control applicants
In some identified cases, applications have been submitted but not all documents which applicants have uploaded are showing in the system.
We may contact applicants after submission to ensure we received all documents.
If you are experiencing problems uploading documents to your building control approval application, please contact us using the link below.
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Building Safety Levy now in place
From 1 October 2026, the Building Safety Levy came into place to fund essential building remediation works, such as cladding.
If an application was submitted before 1 October 2026, is invalidated or rejected, and then resubmitted on or after 1 October 2026, it may be subject to the levy.
We also activated contingency plans to deal with an expected surge of applications in advance of the introduction of the levy.
These contingency plans introduce additional levels of scrutiny prior to rejection, alongside a triage mechanism to ensure applications are progressed appropriately.
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Telecommunications work on higher-risk buildings
In September, new telecoms dispensations came into effect for certain building work associated with mobile masts and fibre optic cabling in higher-risk buildings.
This was done to support improved digital connectivity while maintaining building safety standards.
Under new legal dispensations, qualifying fibre optic cabling installations and certain rooftop mobile communications mast projects can proceed without our prior building control approval.
Fibre optic works meeting specified criteria must be notified to us after completion, while qualifying mast projects require applicants to seek a completion certificate.
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Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser to support building safety reforms
Sergio Cavalaro, Professor of Infrastructure Systems at Loughborough University has been appointed as the new Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser (CCSA).
The role has been created as part of the government's response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and will provide independent advice on building safety, quality, resilience and wider regulatory reform.
For BSR, this appointment is particularly relevant as we will work closely with the CCSA to support safer buildings, more effective regulation and continuous improvement across the built environment.
The role offers an additional source of independent expertise that can help inform our regulatory approach and wider building safety objectives.
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East Village remediation reaches major milestone
One of the UK’s largest residential remediation programmes has reached a significant milestone, bringing around 2,800 households in Stratford’s East Village a step closer to safer homes.
Originally built as the London 2012 Olympic Games Athletes’ Village, the development is undergoing extensive remediation work across multiple occupied residential buildings.
BSR colleagues recently visited the site to see progress following key regulatory approvals that will enable the next phase of work to proceed.
The project demonstrates how our robust regulatory oversight, clear standards and constructive engagement can help support progress while keeping residents at the centre of decision-making.
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Sign up to other BSR bulletins
We have re-launched our regular eBulletin service with a new series of regular updates including this building safety news.
There are also bulletins for high-rise residents and accountable persons of interest to anyone working in the built environment.
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Join the building safety conversation
Our social media channels provide a direct, focused line of communication to everyone interested in building safety, competence and BSR’s work.
Scan the QR code above, or use the link below, to access all our social channels and latest news in one place on our Linktree profile.
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Want to know more?
Our GOV UK page and Making Buildings Safer campaign site have a host of useful guidance, resources and information about building safety matters.
Here are some useful links to bookmark:
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