What Gateway 2 is
Gateway 2 is the second of three regulatory checkpoints for Higher-Risk Buildings introduced by the Building Safety Act 2022. It sits at RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design) and must be cleared before construction commences. No work may start on site without formal Building Safety Regulator approval of the submission.
The three-Gateway approval process — Higher-Risk Buildings
No approval, no start on site. Starting construction on a Higher-Risk Building without Gateway 2 approval is a criminal offence. The Building Safety Regulator has enforcement powers including stop notices and prosecution.
The statutory assessment period
The Building Safety Regulator has a statutory 8-week period to assess a Gateway 2 application from the date it is received, extendable to 12 weeks for complex cases. The clock stops if the Regulator requests further information and restarts when that information is provided. Incomplete or inadequately evidenced applications will be returned — resetting the clock entirely.
What the submission must contain
1. Full plans application
Technical drawings at RIBA Stage 4 detail — floor plans, sections, elevations, and relevant details demonstrating how the design meets each applicable requirement. Stage 3 drawings submitted as Stage 4 is among the most common causes of rejection.
2. Building Regulations compliance statement
A formal, evidenced statement from the BRPD linking specific design decisions to specific Approved Document requirements. Vague statements of intent are not accepted by the Building Safety Regulator.
3. Compliance drawing set
The most practically demanding element. The compliance drawing set places the relevant floor plan on a sheet with the applicable regulation extracts and dimensional requirements adjacent to it. This allows the Regulator to see both the design and the standard it is assessed against on a single document. Producing this manually is highly labour-intensive. It is the primary function of Jordi Professional’s Module 3.
4. Fire and Emergency File
The fire safety information for the building — fire strategy, means of escape, firefighting provisions, compartmentation strategy. Must be updated during construction and handed over at Gateway 3.
5. BRPD declaration
A signed declaration from the named BRPD confirming duties have been fulfilled and information provided is accurate. This declaration carries personal liability.
6. Change control log (if applicable)
If the design has changed since Gateway 1, a log documenting each change, its categorisation, and how it was managed.
Common causes of rejection or query
- Compliance drawings that do not clearly evidence dimensional requirements — travel distances, door widths, turning circles.
- Compliance statements making general assertions rather than linking design to specific Approved Document clauses.
- Designs at insufficient technical resolution (Stage 3 drawings submitted as Stage 4).
- Missing or incomplete Fire and Emergency File.
- Inconsistencies between the compliance statement and the drawings.
- BRPD declaration missing or unsigned.
How to prepare — the right approach
The most common strategic error is treating Gateway 2 as a submission-stage task. The documentation required can only be produced efficiently if compliance checking has been continuous throughout design from Stage 2 onwards. A practice that begins at Stage 4 faces weeks of retrospective work. A practice that has checked and documented at each Work Stage faces an assembly task — not a creation task.
Gateway 2 preparation checklist
- Compliance checking documented at Stage 2, Stage 3, and Stage 4 — not retrospectively assembled.
- All applicable Parts identified and checked against project parameters.
- Full plans available at RIBA Stage 4 technical detail.
- Compliance drawing set prepared — plan with regulation extract adjacent for each check.
- Compliance statement drafted, evidenced, and reviewed by BRPD.
- Fire and Emergency File prepared and reviewed.
- Change control log complete if any changes made since Gateway 1.
- BRPD declaration prepared and ready for signature.
- Application form completed and verified.
Jordi Professional produces your Gateway 2 documentation automatically
Module 3 assembles the compliance drawing set as a natural by-product of the compliance checking process. No manual formatting. No retrospective assembly.