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London leads surge in high-rise building safety applications ahead of new levy
New Building Safety Regulator figures show a jump in applications for tall residential buildings before the building safety levy began, with London handling most of the caseload.
The Building Safety Regulator has published its building control approval figures for July to September 2026, and London dominates the picture. These approvals, known as gateway 2, are needed before building work starts on higher-risk buildings, meaning those with at least seven storeys or 18 metres in height and two or more homes, or hospitals and care homes.
A rush before the levy
The regulator says new build applications rose sharply ahead of the building safety levy coming into effect on 1 October 2026. It received 64 in September, compared with 34 in August and 17 in July. It has added resources and is using a triage process to limit delays on cases already in progress.
How London compares
Around 60 per cent of new build applications in progress are in London, covering about 55 per cent of the new homes the regulator is handling. Of the 57 new build decisions made in the last 12 weeks, 37 were in London. The London approval rate for new builds was 97 per cent, with a median of 22 weeks for non-complex cases, slightly quicker than the national figure.
London also accounts for most cladding and external remediation cases, with an approval rate of 96 per cent in the period.
Photo: Ben Kirby on Pexels.
Source: GOV.UK (Building Safety Regulator) (2026-10-06). Checked 2026-10-29.
London Builders introduces homeowners to independent builders and does not carry out building work. This article is general information, not advice.