The need for collaboration is one of the most well-worn phrases in construction discourse, however for teams to successfully take a Higher Risk Building project through the mandatory Gateway 2 approval process, it’s genuinely essential. Knowledge is invaluable in this emerging area, with the Building Safety Act only having been fully in force since April 2024. Our round table is a vital opportunity to share expertise and experience, delivering that professional collaboration.
With long delays now widely reported at the Building Safety Regulator, anything that design teams can do to streamline the approval process and avoid further bottlenecks is likely to save many costly weeks of problems. In theory, the Gateway 2 approval process takes 12 weeks, in itself an unwelcome pause, but currently approvals are taking between 24 and 40 weeks. This is clearly unsustainable, so exchanging knowledge, including from real world examples, on how to expedite the process without making compromises is key.
Subjects for discussion at the round table include:
- The key pitfalls for design submissions currently; what is holding schemes up?
- Getting design and documentation ‘right first time’ – how do architects, designers, and contractors need to collaborate on detail and compliance to avoid late design changes pre-submission to BSR?
- How much design detail? RIBA Stage 4 (products, test data, structural calcs?) And how should info be presented?
- Where is the overlap between CDM work and Building Safety Act compliance in terms of Gateway 2 submissions?
- Is there an emerging consensus on how much survey data is needed on an existing building?
- Should you engage with the Regulator beforehand and what is experiences of this like? Will they advise on how to comply?
- What compliance info do you need for external Multi Disciplinary Teams undertaking technical assessment? Any official guidance on this (e.g. from the BSR’s ‘advisory service’, CLC)?
- Competencies – How do you identify the Principal Designer and who should take this role?
- Unforeseen risks – what risks tend to emerge in the process and how to resolve them without reworking entire designs?
- Where can and should responsibilities be shared? (Architects, designers, contractors and others).
We will provide specifiers and the supply chain a vital opportunity to gain insights from practice into this key area for future residential construction, in accordance with the Building Safety Act.
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TopicsGateway 2