according to official data<\/a>.<\/p>\nNow, new Freedom of Information (FOI) data exclusively obtained by the AJ shows there are 72 Gateway 2 applications \u2013 covering a combined 18,436 homes \u2013 still waiting to be approved more than 12 weeks after being submitted (see full list below).<\/p>\n
It is further understood that around 30,000 homes are at some point on their journey through the BSR process.<\/p>\n
Cartwright Pickard is the practice linked to the largest number of outstanding Gateway 2 applications. The BSR has yet to rule on six applications for blocks at Aire Park in Leeds, a 9.7ha mixed-use regeneration it has designed for the former Tetley brewery site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The applications on behalf of developer Vastint cover a total of 401 homes, although the principal designer that submitted the Gateway 2 applications is consultant Safer Sphere, rather than Cartwright Pickard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Architects with multiple schemes held up <\/p>\n
Cartwright Pickard
\n6<\/p>\n
Wilmore Iles Architects
\n4<\/p>\n
Berkeley Homes
\n3<\/p>\n
dMFK
\n3<\/p>\n
EPR Architects
\n3<\/p>\n
Child Graddon Lewis
\n2<\/p>\n
CODA Architecture
\n2<\/p>\n
Corstophine & Wright
\n2<\/p>\n
Fraser Brown Mackenna
\n2<\/p>\n
Patel Taylor
\n2<\/p>\n
Pollard Thomas Edwards
\n2<\/p>\n
PRP
\n2<\/p>\n
Sheppard Robson
\n2<\/p>\n
Weedon Architects
\n2<\/p>\n
White Ink Architects
\n2<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Wilmore Iles Architects is the architect and principal designer behind four under-consideration Gateway 2 applications covering 144 homes. Each application relates to blocks at West Park, a student housing scheme for the University of Exeter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
dMFK is linked to three outstanding Gateway 2 applications \u2013 part of Barratt London\u2019s Bell Green Homes scheme in Lewisham \u2013 while EPR is linked to three separate high-risk schemes awaiting sign-off \u2013 in Blackfriars, Fulham and the Isle of Dogs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leeds City Council is the local authority with the most delayed applications. It has eight schemes held up at Gateway 2 \u2013 twice the number of any other council. Four councils, including three in London, are waiting for four applications to be signed off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of the 72 applications, 37 are for sites in London. More than half (18) of London\u2019s boroughs have a site with a delayed Gateway 2 application, while outside the capital, the areas with the most applications are Leeds, Exeter, Manchester, Reading and Bristol.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Local authorities with outstanding Gateway 2 applications <\/p>\n
Non-London
\nLondon<\/p>\n
Local Authority
\nNo. schemes
\nLocal authority
\nNo. Scheme<\/p>\n
Leeds City Council
\n8
\nBrent
\n4<\/p>\n
Exeter City Council
\n4
\nEaling
\n4<\/p>\n
Manchester City Council
\n3
\nSouthwark
\n4<\/p>\n
Reading Borough Council
\n3
\nBarnett
\n3<\/p>\n
Bristol City Council
\n3
\nLewisham
\n3<\/p>\n
Newcastle City Council
\n2
\nGreenwich
\n3<\/p>\n
Birmingham City Council
\n2
\nHaringey
\n2<\/p>\n
Luton Borough Council
\n2
\nNewham
\n2<\/p>\n
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
\n1
\nTower Hamlets
\n2<\/p>\n
Elmbridge Borough Council
\n1
\nSutton
\n2<\/p>\n
Liverpool City Council
\n1
\nCamden
\n1<\/p>\n
Salford City Council
\n1
\nCroydon
\n1<\/p>\n
Sheffield City Council
\n1
\nEnfield
\n1<\/p>\n
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
\n1
\nHammersmith & Fulham
\n1<\/p>\n
Worthing Borough Council
\n1
\nWaltham Forest
\n1<\/p>\n
Charnwood Borough Council
\n1
\nWandsworth
\n1<\/p>\n
Chelsea and Kensington
\n1<\/p>\n
Lambeth
\n1<\/p>\n
Total
\n35
\nTotal
\n37<\/p>\n
At the end of June, the government acknowledged that the BSR was holding up housebuilding and unveiled \u2018a new package of reforms\u2019 to the regulator \u2018to unblock delays and boost sector confidence\u2019. An additional \u00a32.1 million has been promised to improve the regulator\u2019s services.<\/p>\n
The government said the BSR would no longer be overseen by the Health and Safety Executive, new investment would support the recruitment of 100 new staff ,and a \u2018new fast track process\u2019 would \u2018enhance the view of new build applications\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In its FOI response, the BSR accepted that the enforcement of building control standards had delayed some higher-risk building approvals.<\/p>\n
But it said that \u2018not enforcing the law risks the safety of residents in high-rise buildings\u2019 and that the purpose of the Building Safety Act 2022 was \u2018to prevent the failures that led to the Grenfell tragedy ever happening again\u2019.<\/p>\n
The regulator added that a \u2018backlog of complex in-flight higher risk projects\u2019 had come to the BSR after the collapse of a private registered building control approver, AIS Surveyors. This, it said, had initially driven up processing times.<\/p>\n
The BSR claimed there had also been a \u2018handful of very complex cases that have taken 11 months\u2019, but that 90 per cent of these had now been cleared. It said a significant factor in the hold-ups had been the quality of information supplied, prompting repeated information requests.<\/p>\n
The regulator said that the biggest cause of delays remained the quality of the applications made by developers.<\/p>\n
It claimed that around 70 per cent of applications failed to comply with building regulations and \u2018are therefore rejected\u2019.<\/p>\n
It said a new internal innovation unit would focus on fast-tracking new-build applications through the system. This would \u2018streamline and speed up\u2019 the process for new homes in high-rise buildings by introducing a new operating model with in-house multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs).<\/p>\n
A new Remediation Enforcement Unit (REU) is being established by the end of 2025 with the specific purpose of quickly assessing cladding risks for registered higher-risk buildings.<\/p>\n
Architect\u2019s view: Q&A with SimpsonHaugh\u00a0<\/p>\n
Have Gateway 2 delays impacted project delivery timelines?<\/p>\n
Yes, we have found that clients want to first wait for clarity on the process and try to avoid any initial potential hiccups before submitting the application.<\/p>\n
We submitted [for Heron\u2019s Yard in Newcastle] after the BSR Gateway 2 scheme had been running for over six months. Initially, we had no correspondence, but after around 25 weeks post submission, in the last couple of weeks, we have had correspondence from the BSR case officer seeking clarifications and asking questions. This is a positive sign. We don\u2019t have any idea how much longer the process will require before a determination will be made.<\/p>\n
Do the BSR Gateway 2 delays make managing peaks and troughs of workloads more difficult?<\/p>\n
Significantly. Projects have been delayed more than once as clients seek to navigate a route forward. Changes to guidance documents have also impacted the programmes. Different projects are affected in different ways. A residential scheme may be delayed by six months, which is frustrating. However, a student accommodation project delayed by six months means, in reality, it\u2019s likely to be pushed back 12 months to tie in with the academic year.<\/p>\n
Is there anything you can do to speed the process up, or are you just in the hands of the BSR or the principal designer?<\/p>\n
Collectively, we have tried to be as proactive as possible in the way the information is presented and communicated. The BSR principal designer [Project Four Safety Solutions] has tried to chase and push the regulator to communicate and act. We can see nothing that we could do to speed the process up.<\/p>\n
Are you in limbo, or do you have a timeline for when the applications might be processed?<\/p>\n
There is no real understanding of how long applications will take. If we submitted a scheme tomorrow, I don\u2019t think we could, with any confidence, tell a client when it might be determined. Also, one of the biggest concerns is lack of consistency. We are seeing different responses to the same design proposals on different applications. On large and complex projects, there are always different ways to achieve a safe and effective design. We need engagement to help this process, and it does feel like this is now beginning to happen.<\/p>\n
Local authority view: statement from Ealing Council<\/p>\n
Ealing Council is aware of delays in the Building Safety Regulator\u2019s Gateway 2 approvals and shares concerns about the impact this is having on housing delivery<\/p>\n
While we support the principles of the Building Safety Act and the need for strong oversight, the current pace of approvals is slowing down development, including affordable housing, at a time when delivery is urgently needed.<\/p>\n
We will continue to support applicants where we can, and are working with partners to minimise disruption to local development programmes.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, we welcome the government\u2019s recent announcement of additional funding for the Building Safety Regulator to help increase capacity and speed up approvals. Ealing Council has been lobbying for this support, and we are pleased to see progress being made.<\/p>\n
Full list of Gateway 2 applications not approved more than 12 weeks after submission <\/p>\n
Name\/location of development
\nLocal authority
\nNumber of residential units
\nOriginal\/concept architect*
\nPrincipal Designer<\/p>\n
Members Hill Development\u00a0 Phase 1 Weybridge Surrey
\nElmbridge Borough Council
\n107
\nMSMR Architects
\nMSMR Architects<\/p>\n
Pollard Street, Manchester
\nManchester City Council
\n62
\nJennings Design Association
\nJennings Design Association<\/p>\n
Brindley Drive
\nBirmingham City Council
\n581
\nWeedon Architects
\nWeedon Architects<\/p>\n
The Stage, Luton \u2013 Block A&B
\nLuton Borough Council
\n208
\nChild Graddon Lewis
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
86 Kirkstall Road, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n205
\nCunniff Design
\nTorsion Construction<\/p>\n
Unite Freestone Island, Bristol
\nBristol City Council
\n73
\nAlec French Architects
\nHadfield Cawkwell Davidson<\/p>\n
Fusion Student accommodation Lordship Lane London
\nLondon Borough of Haringey
\n521
\nCorstophine & Wright
\nCorstophine & Wright<\/p>\n
Vastern Road, Reading \u2013 Block D
\nReading Borough Council
\n55
\nBerkeley Homes
\nOrsa Projects<\/p>\n
Vastern Road, Reading \u2013 Block B
\nReading Borough Council
\n83
\nBerkeley Homes
\nOrsa Projects<\/p>\n
Vastern Road, Reading \u2013 Block E
\nReading Borough Council
\n27
\nBerkeley Homes
\nOrsa Projects<\/p>\n
Apartment Scheme Stockport
\nStockport Metropolitan Borough Council
\n148
\nPaddock Johnson
\nPaddock Johnson<\/p>\n
FHN451 Chobham Farm
\nLondon Borough of Newham
\n73<\/p>\n
Boon Brown<\/p>\n
Lombard Road, Battersea
\nLondon Borough of Wandsworth
\n294
\nHawkins\\Brown
\nHawkins\\Brown<\/p>\n
Unite Meridian Square
\nLondon Borough of Newham
\n165
\nBDP
\nHadfield Cawkwell Davidson<\/p>\n
The Biscuit Factory \u2013 Block W
\nLondon Borough of Southwark
\n69
\nAFK
\n5PA Architects<\/p>\n
Building 3, Claremont Road, Cricklewood
\nLondon Borough of Barnet
\n158
\nChase New Homes
\nChase New Homes<\/p>\n
The Biscuit Factory \u2013 Blocks OPQ
\nLondon Borough of Southwark
\n187<\/p>\n
5PA Architects<\/p>\n
30 Marsh Wall, London, EI4 9TP
\nLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets
\n1068
\nEPR
\nTide Construction<\/p>\n
The Hale
\nLondon Borough of Haringey
\n249
\nTate Hindle
\nRG Group<\/p>\n
Sawyers Close, Windsor
\nRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
\n65
\nPRP
\nHill Partnerships<\/p>\n
Nursery Street Apartments
\nSheffield City Council
\n267
\nCODA Architecture
\nHadfield Cawkwell Davidson<\/p>\n
Ravensbourne Wharf
\nRoyal Borough of Greenwich
\n414
\nPRP Architects
\nACA Studios<\/p>\n
Bollo Lane, Acton, Block A Gateway 2
\nLondon Borough of Ealing
\n195
\nAllies & Morrison
\nHunter & Partners<\/p>\n
2 Moorfield Road EN3 5TU
\nLondon Borough of Enfield
\n100
\nHTA Design
\nOrsa Projects<\/p>\n
40 \u2013 46 Albert Road
\nBristol City Council
\n454
\nAHMM
\nAHMM<\/p>\n
Boord Street
\nRoyal Borough of Greenwich
\n352
\nFrank Reynolds Architects
\nFrank Reynolds Architects<\/p>\n
YourTribe Wembley North
\nLondon Borough of Brent
\n200
\nWhite Ink Architects
\nWhite Ink Architects<\/p>\n
YourTribe Wembley South
\nLondon Borough of Brent
\n399
\nWhite Ink Architects
\nWhite Ink Architects<\/p>\n
100 Chalk Farm Road
\nLondon Borough of Camden
\n294
\nRyder Architecture
\nRyder Architecture<\/p>\n
FG Parkside Residential Development
\nSalford City Council
\n518
\nDenton Corker Marshall
\nProject Four Safety Solutions<\/p>\n
Loughborough Student Accommodation
\nCharnwood Borough Council
\n541
\nCorstophine & Wright
\nCorstophine and Wright<\/p>\n
Wyvil Road
\nLondon Borough of Lambeth
\n347
\nStephen Davy Smith Architects
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
R2a Aire Park, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n63
\nCartwright Pickard
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
R2b Aire Park, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n69
\nCartwright Pickard
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
R2c Aire Park, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n44
\nCartwright Pickard
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
Smithfield \u2013 Plot One
\nBirmingham City Council
\n307
\nBell Phillips and Intervention
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
Embassy Garden A01
\nRoyal Borough Chelsea and Kensington
\n247
\nWeedon Architects
\nWeedon Architects<\/p>\n
Millwright Street, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n308
\nCODA Architecture
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
Herons Yard
\nNewcastle City Council
\n409
\nSimpsonHaugh
\nProject Four Safety Solutions<\/p>\n
220 Blackfriars, Almshouse
\nLondon Borough of Southwark
\n65
\nEPR Architects
\nEPR Architects<\/p>\n
Coronation Square Phase 2
\nLondon Borough of Waltham Forest
\n367
\nPollard Thomas Edwards
\nData not provided<\/p>\n
The Stage \u2013 Block C
\nLuton Borough Council
\n84
\nChild Graddon Lewis
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
Bell Green Works Application 1 of 3 Block ABC
\nLondon Borough of Lewisham
\n114
\ndMFK
\nATP Architects + Surveyors<\/p>\n
Bell Green Works Application 2 of 3 Block D
\nLondon Borough of Lewisham
\n60
\ndMFK
\nATP Architects + Surveyors<\/p>\n
Bell Green Works Application 3 of 3 Block EF
\nLondon Borough of Lewisham
\n88
\ndMFK
\nBDW Trading<\/p>\n
Castle Leazes Student Accommodation Phase 1
\nNewcastle City Council
\n792
\nNORR
\nNORR<\/p>\n
Haymarket, Bristol
\nBristol City Council
\n574
\nHodder + Partners
\nRG Group<\/p>\n
J222 WEA 2025
\nLondon Borough of Ealing
\n412
\nJTP
\nTide Construction<\/p>\n
High Road Wembley Building One
\nLondon Borough of Brent
\n361
\nFraser Brown Mackenna
\nFraser Brown Mackenna<\/p>\n
High Road Wembley \u2013 Building 2
\nLondon Borough of Brent
\n639
\nFraser Brown Mackenna
\nFraser Brown Mackenna<\/p>\n
R3a Aire Park, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n88
\nCartwright Pickard
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
R3d Aire Park, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n58
\nCartwright Pickard
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
Brent Cross Town Plot 15
\nLondon Borough of Barnet
\n276
\ndRMM
\nMidgard Group<\/p>\n
The Biscuit Factory \u2013 Block V
\nLondon Borough of Southwark
\n82<\/p>\n
5PA Architects<\/p>\n
The Langley, Sutton \u2013 Building F
\nLondon Borough of Sutton
\n159
\nPatel Taylor
\nSt George West London<\/p>\n
The Langley, Sutton \u2013 Building G+H- Stage 1
\nLondon Borough of Sutton
\n137
\nPatel Taylor
\nSt George West London<\/p>\n
R3c \u2013 Aire Park, Leeds
\nLeeds City Council
\n79
\nCartwright Pickard
\nSafer Sphere<\/p>\n
1 KINGS DOCK STREET
\nLiverpool City Council
\n297
\nL7 Architects
\nL7 Architects<\/p>\n
Worthing Gasworks
\nWorthing Borough Council
\n44
\nGrid Architects
\nGrid Architects<\/p>\n
56-58 Marsh Wall
\nLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets
\n805
\nRio Architects
\nRGCM<\/p>\n
Upper Brook Street PBSA
\nManchester City Council
\n737
\nSheppard Robson
\nProject Four Safety Solutions<\/p>\n
13 \u2013 19 The Green Southall
\nLondon Borough of Ealing
\n424
\nFormation Architects
\nTide Construction<\/p>\n
Watford Way \u2013 New Build Student Accommodation
\nLondon Borough of Barnet
\n180
\nInnes Associates
\nHG Construction<\/p>\n
Sherwood Close Phase 3 W13 9YJ
\nLondon Borough of Ealing
\n188
\nSheppard Robson
\nBM3 Architecture<\/p>\n
Woolwich Phase 3 Block D
\nRoyal Borough of Greenwich
\n122
\nFormation Architects
\nProject Four Safety Solutions<\/p>\n
West Park Block A-D (1 of 4 no. HRB\u2019s)
\nExeter City Council
\n40
\nWilmore Iles Architects
\nWilmore Iles Architects<\/p>\n
West Park Block E-F (No. 2 of 4 new HRB\u2019s)
\nExeter City Council
\n24
\nWilmore Iles Architects
\nWilmore Iles Architects<\/p>\n
West Park Block J-K (No. 3 of 4 new HRB\u2019s)
\nExeter City Council
\n33
\nWilmore Iles Architects
\nWilmore Iles Architects<\/p>\n
West Park Block L-P (No. 4 of 4 new HRB\u2019s)
\nExeter City Council
\n47
\nWilmore Iles Architects
\nWilmore Iles Architects<\/p>\n
Keeley Road
\nLondon Borough of Croydon
\n144
\nPollard Thomas Edwards
\nHunters<\/p>\n
Vita Plot 9b
\nManchester City Council
\n861
\nTim Groom Architects
\nProject Four Safety Solutions<\/p>\n
King\u2019s Road Park \u2013 Building H1
\nLondon Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
\n129
\nEPR Architects
\nDesign Delivery Unit<\/p>\n
Total homes held up<\/p>\n
18,436<\/p>\n
*Architect names for this column were assembled by the AJ. The remaining data was provided by the Building Safety Regulator.<\/p>\n
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