The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has set out its plans to reduce external remediation delays and improve its management of application caseloads

In an announcement made on 8 April 2026, the regulator stated that the comprehensive external remediation improvement plan aims to increase the pace of essential high-rise building safety works across England.

A “targeted package of measures” is being introduced as part of the plan, such as a dedicated taskforce in the form of a new external remediation multidisciplinary team (MDT); reduced caseloads resulting from a recruitment drive; flexible approvals for applications where appropriate; and new guidance and resources on external remediation to be issued in the coming months.

The new external remediation MDT will mirror the success of BSR’s existing Innovation Unit by streamlining communication and processing through dedicated managers. This, alongside the regulator’s planned recruitment drive, will enable a reduction in the volume of individual caseloads from an average of 25 down to a “more manageable level of circa 10 to the benefit of both applicants and BSR processes”.

BSR stated that approximately 40% of ongoing external remediation applications rely on government funding, and there exists a high volume of complex, older external remediation cases that require more specialised consideration.

“Internal resource constraints and a high volume of older, non-compliant industry submissions are causing BSR’s current caseload,” the regulator stated.

The new external remediation MDT will be supported by external remediation account managers, with the BSR also looking to pilot the use of building control professionals from different classes to support case officers and regulatory leads.

“This will help manage and significantly reduce workloads by allowing regulatory leads to focus on work that can only legally be carried out by them as direct employees of BSR.”

The regulator adds that projects will be allowed to start safety work sooner through its “approval with requirements” designation, avoiding any delays caused by “distinct technical issues” that require resolution. This streamlining of the external remediation building control process will also see BSR move away from its current reliance on written-only communications with applicants. Initial meetings will be set up between MDTs and applicants on more complex projects, and the regulator will also be developing a “clear external remediation prioritisation structure” to help address “frustration among applicants unsure of where they sit in the assessment process”.

BSR reiterated that a significant portion of delays was caused by incomplete applications, which often lack basic technical information or the documentation required by law. This included:

  • insufficient evidence of fire-resistant properties for replacement cladding and related materials, for example, membranes, including assurance that products are available on the market that fulfil the required design or performance specifications
  • lack of structural loading calculations, which includes wind loading, load transfer methods, and confirmation that the building can support the new cladding design
  • insufficient explanation or evidence for cavity ventilation provision in external walls to prevent moisture build-up that could damage building fabric
  • incomplete demonstration of thermal performance (U-values) of the new cladding system.

Further guidance on application requirements will be published over the coming months, with the regulator adding that it intends to reduce the average time taken to decide on remediation applications to less than 12 weeks and achieve an approval rate of over 65%.

“This is still above the statutory milestone of 8 weeks but will be a major improvement on turnaround times for remediation applications,” it said.

BSR Board Chair, Lord Andrew Roe, said that the regulator had recognised that current determination times for remediation cases were “falling short of statutory targets” and that the new plan represented a “targeted and achievable package of measures to reset the system and clear older legacy remediation cases”.

“By doing so and then focusing on more recent applications, we can ensure high-rise residents see essential safety improvements they deserve without unnecessary or further delays,” he said.

Acting CEO of BSR, Charlie Pugsley, added that the launch of a dedicated MDT and the introduction of account managers would “dramatically increase” the regulator’s capacity to make faster decisions.

“But speed cannot come at the cost of safety," he said. "We will also publish further specific guidance and support to help industry submit higher-quality applications, ensuring thousands of residents can feel safe, and are safe in their high-rise homes."

Government guidance on the building control approval process for existing higher-risk buildings can be found here.