The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) introduced a transformative framework for ensuring safety in higher-risk buildings (HRBs) across the UK, with significant implications for construction in London, a city known for its high-rise residential and mixed-use developments. HRBs are defined as buildings at least 18 meters tall or with seven or more storeys, containing at least two residential units, such as apartments, student accommodations, care homes, or hospitals. The Act, spurred by the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy in West London, where 72 lives were lost, establishes three critical “gateways” to enforce safety at key stages: planning, construction, and occupation. These gateways aim to prioritize occupant safety, but their implementation has sparked both praise and concern in London’s construction sector.

Gateway 1, effective since August 2021, focuses on the planning stage. In London, where developments often reshape the skyline—like the Shard or new residential towers in Canary Wharf—developers must submit a fire statement alongside their planning application. This document outlines fire safety considerations, such as site layout, escape routes, and firefighter access. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR), part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), acts as a statutory consultee, working with local planning authorities like those in Camden or Westminster. If the BSR finds issues—like inadequate smoke vents or restricted fire appliance access, which it flagged in over 50% of proposals by 2022—planning permission can be denied, forcing redesigns. This early intervention ensures safety is embedded from the start, but critics argue it risks delays in a city already grappling with a housing crisis.

Gateway 2, implemented in October 2023, is a pre-construction checkpoint. Before any building work begins on an HRB in London, developers must secure building control approval from the BSR. This “hard stop” requires detailed plans showing compliance with building regulations, a competence declaration for dutyholders (like principal designers and contractors), and a construction control plan. The BSR has 12 weeks to review applications, though as of February 2025, delays have stretched this to 22 weeks due to backlogs and an outsourced delivery model lacking in-house technical staff. For London developers, where time is money—especially in high-cost areas like the City or Kensington—these delays add significant finance costs and disrupt project timelines. The process also demands a “golden thread” of digital information, ensuring all safety data is recorded and accessible throughout the building’s lifecycle, a step praised for enhancing accountability but criticized for its complexity.

Gateway 3, also effective since October 2023, occurs at the completion stage, before occupation. In London, where new HRBs often house hundreds of residents, this gateway ensures the building matches approved plans and meets safety standards. Developers must submit as-built drawings, justify any changes, and provide evidence of compliance. The BSR issues a completion certificate within 8 weeks, after which the building’s Principal Accountable Person registers it with the BSR. Occupation without registration is an offence, a rule that underscores the Act’s teeth but has raised concerns about further delays, especially for phased developments common in London, like those in Stratford or Nine Elms. If changes occur during construction—say, altering a façade’s fire-stopping materials—the BSR must approve them, with major changes taking up to 6 weeks, adding more time pressure.

The gateways have reshaped London’s construction landscape. They enforce rigorous safety standards, addressing past failures like Grenfell, but they’ve also extended project timelines and costs, with Gateway 2 delays being a particular bottleneck. Developers must now front-load design work, reducing flexibility, while the BSR’s capacity struggles highlight systemic challenges. In a city racing to build 66,000 new homes annually to meet demand, as noted in recent posts by the Mayor of London on X, the tension between safety and speed is palpable. The gateways are a necessary evolution, but their rollout in London reveals the delicate balance between protecting lives and sustaining growth.