Record-Setting Gateway 2 Approval
- Emily Russell
- Dec 4, 2025
- 3 min read
Our Most Successful Work Under the Building Safety Regulator
Since the introduction of the Building Safety Act and the creation of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), the delivery of both new and existing Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs) has entered an entirely new era - one defined by rigorous control, transparent information, and uncompromising accountability.
At LRAR, we made an early and deliberate decision to fully embrace this new regime - not as a compliance burden, but as an opportunity to raise the bar for how safe, well-managed, and well-documented buildings should be delivered.
That decision is now delivering tangible results.
Guildford Block D - A Landmark Gateway 2 Result
Guildford Block D stands as one of our most significant BSR achievements to date.
Acting as Architect and Building Regulations Principal Designer, we supported the scheme through a full Gateway 2 submission for a new Higher-Risk Building - coordinating the architectural design, fire strategy, structural input, and regulated building control information under the new control framework.
The outcome:
✅ Gateway 2 approval achieved in just 22 weeks
✅ Fewer than 10 architectural queries issued
✅ No fundamental design rework required
✅ Clear approval pathway granted to proceed with construction
In the current regulatory climate, where Gateway 2 approvals commonly take 9–15 months or longer, this timescale represents what we believe to be a benchmark performance within the industry.
It is a result that reflects:
Early regulator-ready design thinking
Robust fire and life safety coordination
A properly structured Golden Thread
And a proactive approach to BSR engagement from the very start
Why Speed Was Not the Goal — Certainty Was
We are often asked how we achieved this level of performance. The answer is simple: we prioritise certainty over speed.
Rather than treating Gateway 2 as a late-stage approval hurdle, we design every HRB as if it is under regulator review from the outset. This means:
Fire strategy embedded at concept stage
Regulated details developed early
Clear dutyholder coordination
Full audit trail of change control
Golden Thread information structured from Day One
This approach reduces late-stage redesign, eliminates speculative submissions, and allows the BSR to assess schemes efficiently and with confidence.
The time saving is a consequence - not the aim.
Deep Expertise in Existing HRBs
Alongside new-build HRBs, a substantial proportion of our work now sits within the existing occupied HRB sector, where the regulatory risks are often even more complex.
We are currently acting on a growing portfolio of existing Higher-Risk Buildings, supporting:
Safety Case Reports
Building Assessment Certificate applications
FRAEW coordination
Fire door, compartmentation and cladding remediation
Resident-facing change control
Regulator engagement and enforcement response
Major refurbishment Gateway submissions
These live buildings require not only technical excellence, but also careful stakeholder management, resident communication, and operational risk control - all under the scrutiny of the new statutory regime.
We understand the difference between designing a compliant building on paper and making a real occupied building safe in practice.
Fewer Queries Means Better Buildings
One of the most telling indicators of regulatory success is not approval speed - it is query volume and query quality.
A low query count demonstrates:
Clarity of information
Consistency across disciplines
Alignment between drawings, specifications and strategies
Proper management of the regulated design freeze
On Guildford Block D, to receive fewer than 10 architectural queries at Gateway 2 is an exceptional result - and one that reflects the systems, processes and experience that now sit at the core of our HRB delivery model.
A Compliance-First Architecture Practice
We believe the future of high-rise and complex residential development belongs to practices that can operate confidently at the intersection of:
Design excellence
Construction delivery
Life safety engineering
And statutory regulation
Our role as Architect, CDM Principal Designer, and Building Regulations Principal Designer allows us to align these responsibilities into a single, highly coordinated delivery structure.
This is not theoretical compliance. It is real-world, regulator-tested performance.
Looking Ahead
Guildford Block D is only the beginning.
As the volume of HRB buildings entering the BSR system continues to grow, the industry will separate rapidly into those who are learning the regime and those who can navigate it with confidence.
At LRAR, our focus is clear:
Deliver safe buildings
Achieve reliable approvals
Protect clients from regulatory risk
And raise the standard of HRB delivery across the UK
Contact us if you would like to discuss your project:
📍5-7 Tanner Street, London, SE1 3LE
📍 24 Windlesham Road, Brighton, BN1 3AG
☎ 0203 3196614
☎ 01273 446 890
