The BSR (Building Safety Regulator) has set out a formal plan to cut the time it takes to approve cladding remediation (the removal and replacement of dangerous external wall materials) on higher-risk buildings in England. The plan, published in April 2026, follows sustained criticism over a backlog that has left hundreds of buildings - and the people living in them - in limbo.
The Backlog in Numbers
The scale of the problem is significant. According to the BSR's own data, the median approval time for remediation applications stood at 36 weeks as of March 2026 - more than four times the statutory target of 8 weeks set under the Building Safety Act 2022. At that point, 299 live cases were still awaiting a decision (BSR, March 2026).
The BSR acknowledged that while late 2025 and early 2026 applications are moving faster, a concentration of older, complex external remediation cases is pulling the average up. In practice, that means buildings caught in the legacy queue are waiting longest.
What the Plan Actually Does
The BSR's remediation improvement plan has three main components.
First, it targets a reduction in individual regulatory lead caseloads - from an average of 25 cases per person down to around 10. A recruitment drive is underway to make this possible. Second, the BSR will establish a dedicated multi-disciplinary team (MDT) focused specifically on external remediation cases, modelled on an innovation unit it created for new-build applications in August 2025. Third, it will make greater use of "approval with requirements" - a mechanism that lets projects start on site while outstanding technical points are resolved separately, rather than holding up the entire application.
The BSR has also committed to publishing a prioritisation structure so applicants can see where their case sits in the queue, and to replacing some written communications with direct engagement, including initial meetings for more complex projects.
The headline targets: caseload reduced to a steady 80-100 cases by 30 September 2026, and average decision times below 12 weeks by December 2026 (BSR, April 2026).
What It Means for Landlords and Tenants
For landlords holding flats in affected buildings in England, the delays have a direct financial consequence. Properties that lack a BSR remediation approval are harder to sell and can be difficult to remortgage - lenders have historically required evidence that remediation costs are covered, often via a Leaseholder Deed of Certificate under the Building Safety Act 2022, before proceeding.
Your tenants are not insulated from this. Residents in buildings stuck in the approvals queue often know little about the status of works on their home. That uncertainty affects how comfortable they feel renewing a tenancy, which in turn creates void risk for landlords.
The campaign group End Our Cladding Scandal offered a cautious response to the plan. Its spokesperson said: "The remediation improvement plan is a start but, on its own, it is nowhere near enough to give leaseholders and residents the certainty they so desperately need" (Mortgage Solutions, April 2026). The group also raised concern that the government's focus on new housebuilding has reduced attention on the existing cladding crisis.
The BSR plan applies to higher-risk buildings in England only. It does not cover Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, which operate under separate building safety frameworks.
