Navigating Gateway Three

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published an update on Gateway Three, based on its experience of the first applications to go through the process. Described by the BSR as the ‘moment of truth’, Gateway Three is the final checkpoint of the building safety regime for Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs) where it must be demonstrated that a building complies with Building Regulations and is safe for residents to occupy, in order for it to obtain a Completion Certificate.

With nine Gateway Three applications for new build HRBs approved to date, the BSR has provided feedback on the reasons why applications are being delayed. These include gaps in fire and structural safety documentation, weak change control records, discrepancies between as built drawings and the systems or materials installed, and safety system integration issues. The BSR has also set out practical steps which should be followed during the construction phase to make the Gateway Three process easier, including maintaining an up‐to‐date Golden Thread, engaging consistently with Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), managing an effective Change Control Log, and carrying out internal verification checks to ensure documentation, calculations and test certificates align.

Build UK’s guide to Gateway Three, which is available to FIS members, sets out the information and documents that must be included within an application for a Completion Certificate for an HRB. The Building Safety Guide has also been updated to reflect the latest guidance and information that has been published, including the Building Safety Levy which will be operational from 1 October 2026, and the new Voluntary Occurrence Reporting system to be provided by CROSS‐UK until at least 2028.