Higher-Risk Buildings and the Building Safety Regulator
For HRBs, (those over 18 metres or seven storeys, with two or more residential units) the BSR now acts as the default Building Control Authority, meaning greater scrutiny and consistency in regulatory oversight. This has elevated expectations around the quality, coordination and completeness of design information submitted for approval.
In order to submit a Gateway 2 application, you need to have a full set of coordinated Stage 4 level drawings.
As a result of the BSR, early engagement and collaboration is critical. Design must be fully developed, coordinated, and agreed early to succeed.
With the introduction of the BSR, standards have raised, and with this so have the number of challenges organisations face. The Gateway approval process has introduced additional stages that can extend project timelines and projects now demand far more comprehensive, coordinated, evidence-based information. Guidance and information on the BSA is ever-evolving meaning some uncertainty remains across the industry, however, the role of the BSR is becoming better understood. Organisations that invest in early planning, robust information management and collaborative working practices are increasingly well-positioned to navigate the system effectively.
The role of the BSR is to oversee higher-risk buildings, enforce a much more robust regulatory regime across all design and construction, and to use the enforcement powers they have at their disposal."
Driving better outcomes through increased scrutiny and consistency
Improving safety, but adding significant time to projects
Raising standards and improving consistency across projects
Too early to tell - long term effects are not yet clear
The success of Gateway 2 applications really comes down to full collaboration and coordination across the design team.
