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.

Following the publication of Build UK’s latest version of the Common Assessment Standard on 1 July, a number of Build UK members have confirmed that companies in their supply chain must complete the mandatory Building Safety section by 1 October 2025. This applies to all companies carrying out work under the Building Safety Act.

Those members include BAM, Bowmer + Kirkland, Galliford Try, Kier, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Tilbury Douglas, VINCI and Wates, and companies working for any of these organisations should check that they have now completed the Building Safety section. The guide to the Common Assessment Standard question set includes guidance on answering the questions, including the evidence that can be submitted to support a response and where further information can be found.

If you have already the Common Assessment Standard from any one of the Recognised Assessment Bodies you do not need to obtain certification again from any others. Instead, they can agree to share their data at no cost with the other Recognised Assessment Bodies so it is visible to more Contractors and Clients. Don’t duplicate: giving permission to share your data is quick and simple and will help businesses across the supply chain to save time, reduce costs and win work.

The final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry included a recommendation to introduce a licensing scheme for Principal Contractors wishing to work on Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs). Build UK has met with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to present the Common Assessment Standard, which is already used by over 21,000 suppliers to demonstrate their organisational capability. As a next step, we have been asked by MHCLG to host a joint roundtable with members that undertake the role of Principal Contractor on HRBs to discuss the objectives of a licensing scheme and how existing initiatives such as the Common Assessment Standard might be used effectively.

Building on its Gateway Two guidance, Build UK has published an overview of Gateway Three and the information and documents that must be included within an application to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for a Completion Certificate for a Higher-Risk Building (HRB). Gateway Three is a new application process which requires all the information to be submitted, even where it was previously provided as part of the Gateway Two application.

The Build UK guide, which is available to FIS members through our membership of Build UK, is aligned with the BSR application portal and sets out the full list of questions that must be completed, including whether they are multiple choice, free text or a PDF document upload, to make it as easy as possible for members preparing and submitting a Gateway Three application. If a Partial Completion Strategy was agreed at Gateway Two and part of the building is intended to be occupied before work is completed on the rest of the building, then a Partial Completion Certificate must be applied for in relation to the work that has been completed. As is the case at Gateway Two, the BSR will carry out an initial assessment of the Gateway Three application to ensure that all the documents required have been submitted, which is known as the validation stage.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published updated guidance on the Fire Safety (England) Regulations in relation to the fire performance of flat entrance doors in existing blocks of flats. Designed to help Responsible Persons comply with their obligations to check that fire doors are regularly checked and remain suitable in accordance with the fire risk assessment originally undertaken, the update clarifies that the regulations do not require all existing flat entrance doors to be replaced to satisfy current standards for new blocks of flats as required by the Building Regulations.

The BSR and the Leasehold Advisory Service have launched a free online building safety training programme for Resident Management Companies to help them understand the Building Safety Act and their legal obligations for managing safety in High-Rise Residential Buildings.

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, chaired by Baroness Taylor of Bolton, has launched an inquiry into building safety regulation, with a particular focus on the work of the Building Safety Regulator, which was established following the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Committee is seeking evidence from building industry specialists, housing associations, architects, resident groups, safety experts, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders on a number of questions.

FIS has prepared the following response to questions posed by the Committee on behalf of our community of over 600 companies operating as principal contractors, specialist contractors, designers and product suppliers in the fit-out, finishing and refurbishment of buildings of all types.

More on the consultation here

Please send any comments to iainmcilwee@thefis.org by 29/8/2025 for incorporation into the final FIS response on the 31/8/2025.