The Construction Leadership Council (CLC), in collaboration with the Building Safety Regulator and industry experts, has published a guidance suite to support Gateway 2 Building Control approval applications for new Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs).

Building Control approval is a statutory requirement for building work on HRBs i.e. buildings with at least seven storeys or 18m in height and containing at least two residential units, or hospitals and care homes. 

Under the new Building Safety Regime for a new HRB, an applicant must pass through three critical gateways: Planning (Gateway 1), Building Control approval (Gateway 2) and Building Control completion (Gateway 3). 

The new CLC Guidance Suite aims to provides practical, structured support to those submitting and assessing applications for Gateway 2 and focuses on seven key areas:

• Guidance note 1 - Navigating the new regime: a roadmap of the building safety regime process setting out the key steps and decision points in the gateway process, helping you understand where you are and what’s next.
• Guidance note 2 -  Getting the design right, early: this note dives into the “Sufficient Level of Design” required at Gateway 2. Applicants must show detailed, coordinated design work that proves the building will meet all relevant regulations.
• Guidance note 3 - Conditional approvals: Sometimes, not everything can be finalised at once - this note explains how to use “Approval with Requirements” appropriately. 
• Guidance note 4: What to submit: This note outlines the baseline design information that must accompany your application, complete with an example schedule to help you get it right the first time.
• Guidance note 5: Telling the story in the Application Project Brief: This note explains how to craft a compelling, clear brief that outlines your project’s scope, goals, and key risks, plus an example brief to guide you.
• Guidance note 6: Mastering the submission: With digital submission via the BSR portal, the guidance outlines best practices for structuring and naming files. An example folder structure is provided to streamline this process.
• Guidance note 7: Application strategy: For complex or phased developments, this guidance helps applicants plan and communicate their staged approach effectively. It includes an example strategy to guide submissions across multiple buildings or phases.

The CLC’s Gateway 2 guidance suite is essential reading for stakeholders embarking on the application process. By setting out clear expectations for design development, documentation, and submission protocols, the guidance provides a structured and helpful framework for achieving regulatory compliance.