BSR sets 12 and 18-week targets for remediation and Gateway 2 decisions

For Gateway 3, when a building is complete, the BSR said: “We are clear that we do not want safe buildings to be empty because of administrative delays we cause.”

To tackle an expected increase in these cases, the BSR is looking to make a number of improvements, including ensuring that it has the experts to review completed buildings.

It will also provide updates to help building owners plan and keep future residents informed, and publish comprehensive guidance on making an application. Refused applications will come with clear information, so that the necessary modifications can be completed in a timely manner.

The BSR is considering additional ways to reduce the burden on industry, such as automation, new software, better use and sharing of data, and new self-certification.

It will also look into areas where the requirements of the law are not proportionate and should therefore be reviewed.

In her forward to the plan, Samantha Dixon, minister for building safety, fire and democracy, said: “This strategic plan sets out the ambition for the year ahead.

“It demonstrates how continued progress in building safety will go hand in hand with growth, while delivering meaningful improvements to the experience of residents in their homes.

“The achievements of BSR are underpinned by the dedication and expertise of its staff. Their work has delivered a step change in building safety, strengthening the design, construction and management of high-rise residential buildings, raising professional standards, holding duty holders to account, and addressing risks in existing buildings.

“They have also strengthened BSR’s relationship with the construction industry by maintaining open and constructive dialogue and investing in sustained engagement efforts.

“This has included working proactively with industry partners to set clearer expectations and address challenges, helping to build trust and promote a more consistent approach to building safety across the sector, while ensuring accountabilities remain clear.”

The BSR wants to improve professional standards by reviewing the conditions of authorisation for competent-person schemes to improve performance, and find ways to reduce bureaucracy and fragmentation in the current system.

It will also publish a framework that shows how cultural change can be driven within organisations. It will engage with those who procure on behalf of the public sector, to raise standards to encourage those who design, build and operate buildings to comply with, or go above and beyond, the law.

This strategic plan is published alongside the latest building control approval application data for January to March 2026. For this period, the BSR’s Innovation Unit determined 31 new build applications, with 72 new applications received. The overall all-time number of approvals has reached 24, up from 11 at the end of February.

Of the 31 decisions made, 19 were approvals and 12 were rejections. This means that the 12-week rolling approval rate now stands at 61%, with a median approval time of 22 weeks.

Legacy cases have declined to two. Thirteen long-term cases with significant technical challenges are being managed in the complex-cases category (down from 18). However, 18 live new build cases are deemed complex.

On Gateway 2 remediation, the 12-week approval rate has risen to 61%, with the median approval time increasing from 31 to 36 weeks.

New applications representing 12,975 residential units were received in this period. The BSR said this had been outstripped by decisions, with applications representing 16,721 units being determined, of which 10,165 (61%) were approvals. There are currently 28,761 units in live cases.