Gateway 2 timescales in 2026: the latest numbers
In the 12 weeks to 1 August 2026, the Building Safety Regulator made 349 Gateway 2 decisions across all higher-risk building categories, approving 82%. New higher-risk buildings and conversions achieved a 91% approval rate and a 22-week median, down from 43 weeks in August 2025.
349
decisions in the 12 weeks to 1 August 2026
82%
approval rate
22w
new-build median
91%
new-build approval rate
Weeks to a decision. Dashed bars are statutory or BSR targets; solid blue bars are reported actuals.
Number of Gateway 2 determinations. Batching drove the late-2025 jump.
Data verified 2026-08-12. Source: BSR building control approval application data to 1 August 2026.
What are the latest Gateway 2 decision times?
The latest official dataset shows a substantial improvement from 2025, but not a return to the bare statutory period. In the 12 weeks to 1 August 2026, BSR made 349 Gateway 2 decisions across all higher-risk building categories and approved 287, an overall approval rate of 82%.
For new HRBs and conversions, the approval rate was 91% and the median approval time was 22 weeks. In the comparable August 2025 period, new-build approval was 39% and the median was 43 weeks.
According to BSR data to 1 August 2026, new HRBs and conversions achieved a 91% approval rate and a 22-week median approval time. The regulator approved projects representing 7,587 residential units in the latest 12-week window.
Source: Building Safety Regulator. Verified 12 August 2026.
How do the latest categories compare?
| Gateway 2 category | Decisions in latest 12 weeks | Approval rate | Median approval time |
|---|---|---|---|
| New HRBs and conversions | 45 | 91% | 22 weeks |
| External remediation | 110 | 85% | 34 weeks |
| NHS applications | 19 | 84% | 24 weeks |
| Internal refurbishment | 166 | 77% | 32 weeks |
| All HRB categories | 349 | 82% | Category-dependent |
The table should not be read as a league table. Each category has a different case mix and technical burden. BSR also reports that applications submitted during 2026 are moving faster than older cases: a 21-week remediation median for 2026 submissions, 13 weeks for NHS applications and 16 weeks for internal refurbishment.
How much work remains in the system?
The new-build queue is smaller but still material. BSR was managing 131 live new-build and conversion applications representing 30,421 residential units. London accounted for 65% of those live applications and 58% of the units under assessment.
External remediation had 330 live cases representing 28,778 units, while internal works had 981 active cases. The current workload therefore extends far beyond the new towers that dominate trade reporting.
What is happening at Gateway 3?
Gateway 3 is now visible in the official data. BSR had received 319 applications by 1 August 2026, including 235 internal refurbishments, 47 transitional cases and 23 NHS internal refurbishments. No new-build project that had passed through Gateway 2 had yet reached Gateway 3.
During the latest 12-week period, BSR made 29 Gateway 3 decisions with a 72% approval rate and a 16-week median. The fastest determination was 8 weeks. That early case mix means these figures should not be used as a direct forecast for the coming new-build completion wave.
What should go into a programme now?
Use the statutory period as the legal benchmark, not the sole planning allowance. The latest new-build median is 22 weeks. Complex cases, information requests and resubmissions can move beyond it, while some well-prepared applications move faster.
The same discipline applies after approval. BSR reported 181 live major change requests and 112 closed, with a 7-week median closure time for new-build projects. The programme needs explicit time for controlled changes and a separate Gateway 3 period before lawful occupation.
Methodology and freshness
This page uses BSR's rolling 12-week data to 1 August 2026. Approval rates exclude invalidations and withdrawals where the regulator says so. Rolling windows overlap and must not be added together as independent quarters. Category medians are not directly comparable without considering case mix.
The live monitor at the top of every page checks the official BSR source daily. A daily check does not mean the regulator publishes new statistics every day; it means the site records whether the source has changed and displays the official data date.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does Gateway 2 approval take in 2026?
- The statutory determination period is 12 weeks for new-build applications and 8 weeks for work to existing HRBs. BSR's latest new-build and conversion data reported a 22-week median approval time in the 12 weeks to 1 August 2026.
- What is the latest Gateway 2 approval rate?
- Across all higher-risk building categories, BSR reported an 82% approval rate for 349 decisions in the 12 weeks to 1 August 2026. New HRBs and conversions achieved 91%; external remediation achieved 85%.
- Why is the new-build median still above 12 weeks?
- The BSR data includes cases with different levels of complexity and elapsed time. The regulator reports stronger performance for newer applications but the latest 22-week new-build median remains above the statutory determination period.
- How long are major change requests taking?
- BSR reported a 7-week median closure time for new-build major change requests at 1 August 2026, one week above the six-week statutory period, with 181 live requests and 112 closed.
Related
This page is information, not legal advice. It is written and maintained by a practitioner, verified against primary sources on the date shown above, and corrected fast when the regime moves. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.