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Building Safety Regulator clears Ebury Bridge phase two for construction

Building Safety Regulator clears Ebury Bridge phase two for construction

Built World

Gateway 2 approval unlocks 334 homes, 228 at social-rent levels, in Knightsbridge and Belgravia

October 12th, 2026: BSR approves all four Gateway 2 applications

Overview

Updated Oct 30

Westminster City Council has cleared the last regulatory hurdle for the second phase of its Ebury Bridge Estate rebuild. On October 12 the Building Safety Regulator approved the four safety applications covering the scheme's five buildings, so McLaren Construction can start on 334 homes, 228 of them for social rent.

Delivery is shifting to Westminster Housing Development Limited. Council officers approved moving McLaren's contract and the consultant team across on September 28, then signed the development agreement and lease on October 1. GRID Architects, which drew up the technical design, said approval took nine months.

Why it matters

The approval shows the post-Grenfell safety regime can clear a major housing project, unlocking 228 social-rent homes in central London.

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Key Indicators

£229m
Phase 2 construction contract value
Contract with McLaren Construction, signed January 2026.
334
Homes in Phase 2
228 social rent, 10 intermediate sale, 96 market sale across five buildings.
228
Social-rent homes in Phase 2
Part of the biggest delivery of new council homes for social rent in Westminster in over 60 years.
97%
BSR new-build approval rate
Regulator's approval rate for new-build higher-risk building applications, July-September 2026.
23 weeks
Median BSR approval time
Median time for new-build higher-risk building applications, July-September 2026.

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People Involved

PW
Paul Woodhams
Managing director for regeneration, McLaren Construction
Leading delivery of Ebury Bridge phase two
 David Harvey
David Harvey
Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Westminster City Council
Welcomed the Gateway 2 approval for phase two

Organizations Involved

Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Local government authority
Client and funder of the Ebury Bridge regeneration

The local authority for the City of Westminster, one of London's 32 boroughs.
McLaren Construction
McLaren Construction
Construction contractor
Main contractor for Ebury Bridge phase two

Construction firm delivering the £229m second phase of the Ebury Bridge regeneration.
BS
Building Safety Regulator
Regulatory body
Building control authority for higher-risk buildings in England

The regulator that approves higher-risk building projects in England before construction starts.
AR
GRID Architects
Architecture practice
Produced the technical design for Ebury Bridge phase two

Architecture practice that developed the technical design for the five phase two buildings at Ebury Bridge.

Timeline

1930s October 2026

10 events Latest: October 12th, 2026 · 1 month ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. BSR approves all four Gateway 2 applications

    Latest Regulatory approval

    Building Safety Regulator clears all five phase two buildings for main construction, covering 334 homes.

  2. Building Safety Levy takes effect

    Regulation

    New charge on residential development building control applications begins. Ebury Bridge applications were validated before this date.

  3. Development agreement and lease signed for phase two

    Decision

    Officers approved the development agreement, agreement for lease and build lease with Westminster Housing Development Limited, which will hold the lease until the last private home is sold.

  4. McLaren contract novated to housing delivery company

    Decision

    A Westminster officer approved transferring McLaren's main works contract, its parent company guarantee and four consultant appointments to Westminster Housing Development Limited, which is taking on delivery of phase two.

  5. Enabling works begin

    Construction

    McLaren starts site preparation ahead of main construction.

  6. £229m phase two contract signed

    Contract

    McLaren Construction signs the contract for the second phase of the regeneration.

  7. Cabinet approves McLaren as phase two contractor

    Decision

    Westminster cabinet approves the full business case and appoints McLaren Construction.

  8. Fire safety design amendment submitted

    Planning

    Non-material amendment filed to reflect updates to fire safety standard BS 9991:2024.

  9. Phase one completes with 226 homes

    Milestone

    First phase delivers 226 homes, 100 of them for social rent.

  10. Original Ebury Bridge Estate built

    Construction

    The 1930s estate in Knightsbridge and Belgravia becomes the subject of a multi-phase regeneration.

Scenarios

1

Phase 2 completes on schedule in 2029

Likely Resolves by Q3 2029

Discussed by: Westminster City Council, McLaren Construction

Main construction proceeds through 2027 and 2028, with the 334 homes delivered by mid-2029 as scheduled. The council and McLaren announce practical completion, and the new residents move in.

2

Construction delays push phase two past 2029

Possible Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Construction industry analysts

Site conditions, supply chain issues, or cost pressures delay the project. Completion slips into 2030 or later, potentially raising the £229m budget.

3

Phase three gets the green light

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Westminster City Council

The final phase of the regeneration proceeds through planning and Gateway 2 approval, completing the full redevelopment of the estate. The council moves forward with the remaining homes.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2017

Grenfell Tower fire (2017)

A fire in a 24-storey London tower block killed 72 people. The building's aluminium composite cladding was found to be highly flammable, and the fire exposed systemic failures in how building safety was regulated across the construction industry.

Then

The government launched the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which documented failures across construction firms and regulatory bodies.

Now

The inquiry's findings led to the Building Safety Act 2022, which created the Building Safety Regulator and the Gateway approval process.

Why this matters now

The Gateway 2 approval for Ebury Bridge is among the first major tests of the regime Grenfell created.

April 2022

Building Safety Act 2022

Parliament passed the Building Safety Act, creating a new regulatory regime for higher-risk buildings. The Building Safety Regulator became the building control authority for these buildings on October 1, 2023.

Then

Developers must now get Gateway approvals before starting construction on higher-risk buildings.

Now

The regime has approved 97% of new-build applications, with a median decision time of 23 weeks.

Why this matters now

Ebury Bridge phase two is among the first major regeneration projects to clear the full Gateway 2 process under the new regime.

Sources

(17)
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World Construction Network Housebuilding Today Construction Management Realty Today The Westminster Post Westminster City Council Westminster City Council Construction News CoStar Building Construction Enquirer Real Asset Insight LinkedIn Westminster City Council Westminster City Council Westminster City Council Westminster City Council