Building Safety Act & Gateway 2 Support
Since the Building Safety Act 2022, work on higher-risk buildings (HRBs) in England cannot start until the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) approves a Gateway 2 building control application. Incomplete or poorly coordinated submissions are a major cause of delay. We help clients, contractors and design teams prepare submissions that are complete, coordinated and ready for the regulator.
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What is Gateway 2?
Gateway 2 is the building control approval stage for higher-risk buildings: those at least 18 metres or seven storeys high containing at least two residential units, as well as certain hospitals and care homes. The BSR must approve the application, with full design information showing compliance with the Building Regulations, before construction starts. This applies to new HRBs and to many building work projects in existing HRBs, including refurbishments.
How we help
- Gap analysis: reviewing existing drawings, specifications and reports against what the BSR needs.
- Design coordination: aligning architecture, fire strategy, structure and services information.
- Documentation: competence declarations, the construction control plan, change control and mandatory occurrence reporting procedures, and golden thread information.
- Submission administration and BSR liaison: assembling and uploading the application and managing the regulator’s queries.
- Competence reviews: checking that duty-holders have the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours the Act requires.
Our experience
Lucia has worked on residential high-rise buildings, including a mixed-use residential scheme of up to 14 storeys in Hove and the refurbishment of a luxury apartment in a high-rise building in Mayfair, London. Her background as a Design Manager for a main contractor gives a practical understanding of how design information has to flow into construction, which is the core of the new regime.
Related services
Principal Designer services · What is a Principal Designer? · Design and build vs traditional procurement
Why are Gateway 2 applications delayed, and how to avoid it
Industry reports throughout 2025 and 2026 have highlighted long Gateway 2 waiting times. In our experience the most common causes are within the applicant’s control:
- Incomplete design information: designs submitted before they are fully developed and coordinated.
- Weak competence evidence for the Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and other dutyholders.
- Fire strategy not aligned with the architectural, structural and services information.
- Unclear change control: no robust process for managing design changes after approval.
Treating Gateway 2 as a delivery milestone, not an administrative form, is the most effective way to protect your programme and finance costs.
Gateway 2 checklist
- Confirm whether the building, or the work, falls within the higher-risk regime.
- Appoint competent dutyholders in writing, including the Building Regulations Principal Designer.
- Coordinate architecture, fire, structure and services information before submission.
- Prepare the construction control plan, change control and mandatory occurrence reporting procedures.
- Set up the golden thread of building information from day one.
Further reading by Lucia Piccinini
- The Game Has Changed: What Every High-Rise Developer Needs to Know Before Breaking Ground (Property Investor News, June 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What happens after Gateway 2 approval?
Construction can start, but any major changes must go through change control with the Building Safety Regulator. At completion, Gateway 3 confirms the building complies before it can be occupied.
What is a higher-risk building?
In England, a building at least 18 metres or seven storeys high with at least two residential units, plus certain hospitals and care homes during design and construction.
How long does Gateway 2 take?
The statutory target is 12 weeks for new higher-risk buildings and 8 weeks for work to existing ones. In practice, incomplete applications take longer, so preparation is critical.
Does Gateway 2 apply to refurbishments?
Yes. Many building works in existing higher-risk buildings need BSR building control approval, including some refurbishments of flats.
Can you act as Principal Designer on a higher-risk building?
We provide Gateway 2 coordination and submission support on higher-risk buildings. The Principal Designer appointment on an HRB depends on the project's competence requirements, and we discuss this openly at the start.
Talk to a RIBA Chartered architect. Book a free 30-minute consultation and we will tell you honestly what is achievable, what approvals you need and what it is likely to cost.
Book a free 30-minute consultation · +44 (0)7760 639 338 · hello@luciapiccinini.com
Lucia Piccinini is the founder of LP ARKinnovation, a RIBA Chartered Practice working across London and beyond, including Chiswick, Hammersmith, Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Westminster, Tower Hill, Islington, Brentford, Hounslow, Richmond, Windsor and Maidenhead. ARB registered architect (085370D), RIBA Chartered Member and registered with the Ordine degli Architetti in Italy, with more than 15 years of practice across London, Florence and Milan. She writes a monthly column for Property Investor News, contributes to Fairness Magazine and speaks at property industry events. Press, articles and podcasts.
