The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has launched an inquiry into the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) in response to concerns that the delays at Gateway Two have slowed down the delivery of new homes and buildings. The inquiry will focus on whether the BSR has the skills and resources required to carry out its role.

The Committee has released a call for evidence seeking written responses from industry and other relevant stakeholders by 31 August. It is looking for views on a number of questions related to the BSR’s regulatory framework and processes, including the extent to which they are responsible for the delays in approving Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), whether they are clear and understandable to developers, and their impact on the delivery of the Government’s housing targets. The Committee will also be holding public evidence sessions between June and September with the aim of reporting back to the House of Lords in the autumn.

Up to 27th May 2025, there were 2,049 applications for existing HRBs and 187 applications for new HRBs submitted at Gateway Two. Of the applications for existing HRBs, 19% have been approved (393), 9% have been rejected (191) and 3.71% have not been validated (76).

The BSR has updated its guidance on Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs) which confirms that Class 2 RBIs are now able to carry out permissible work on existing HRBs on behalf of the BSR where it is the Building Control Authority.