Buying a new home is one of the biggest and most exciting moments in life, but it’s also a decision where safety and trust matter more than anything else. In recent years, the UK has seen major changes in how new residential buildings are designed, built and managed. These reforms are all part of a national effort to ensure that every new home meets the highest standards of safety and quality.
One of the biggest and most positive changes has been the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator, or BSR. It might not sound like the most exciting topic, but it’s one of the most important developments for anyone buying a new-build flat today.
The BSR was created as part of the Building Safety Act 2022, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It now sits within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and oversees how new high rise residential buildings are designed, constructed and managed once complete. Its purpose is simple: to make sure every new home is safe, and that developers are accountable for achieving that.
For taller residential buildings, over 18 metres or with more than seven storeys, the Regulator has introduced a new “gateway” process to ensure nothing is missed. Before any construction begins, developers must demonstrate how their design meets strict fire and structural safety requirements. These plans are reviewed in detail by the Regulator before approval is granted. Then, once the building is finished, it undergoes a final inspection before anyone moves in. Only after this sign-off can a development welcome its first residents.
This might sound like a lot of red tape, but for buyers it’s great news. It means that every new home goes through independent, government-backed checks and not just internal reviews. It ensures your home is designed and built to the highest standards, using materials and systems that meet today’s most rigorous safety expectations. And it means the people responsible for building it remain accountable, even long after completion.
At Tremula Property, we fully support the BSR’s approach and have already begun navigating these new approval stages on our own projects. Both our East Ferry Road development in the Isle of Dogs and Moxon House in Barnet are currently in the Gateway 2 process, the stage where the Building Safety Regulator reviews the full technical design before construction can start. This milestone demonstrates our ongoing commitment to meeting the highest safety and quality standards in every development we deliver.
Even if you’re not buying in a high-rise building, these reforms still work in your favour. The principles behind the Regulator: stronger oversight, greater transparency, and better accountability, are raising standards across the entire housing industry. Many developers, including Tremula Property, are now applying the same rigorous checks to mid-rise and smaller schemes too, so that every buyer benefits from safer, more thoughtfully built homes.