gcp’s retrofit team were pleased to celebrate our first major Gateway 2 BSR approval for remediation of Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs) earlier this summer, achieving an admirable 18 week determination, and proving that our developed systems and processes are robust, efficient and fit for purpose. One of multiple HRB projects underway in the office, Beaufort House is a £4.5M fire remediation and refurbishment upgrade for a 15-storey 1960s residential tower in Bristol, to full fabric-first PAS2035 retrofit standards, - while the building remains in full occupation.
All those in the sector will know well that it can be a long path to approval and this was no exception, we helped the Contractor and Client body navigate the complex application and approval process over the course of many steps and learning points. Michael Hanson, our Retrofit Lead, was instrumental in achieving this outcome, and comments he'd like to acknowledge that our systems were developed using the input from the HSE & Construction Leadership Council (CLC) taskforce. We believe that the rigour and structure of this guidance suite (first issued late 2025) gives clear benefit to help designers lead applicants through the process and to develop and prepare the necessary accompanying documents.
Notable points within the process were procuring clear justification for the building’s ‘as existing’ fire strategy as base information to support the modification of existing passive fire protection measures (fire doors and permanent vents) with reconfiguration and introduction of automatic opening smoke vents (AOVs) – the Regulator requested detailed assessment on whether an aspect of the proposed reconfiguration (ultimately not pursued) would increase risk of fire spread between floors. As 1960s buildings such as these precede full Building Regulations, they are typically non-compliant with recognised codes of practice, and so will always require assessment by a specialist.
In conjunction with the Contractor, gcp managed procurement of detailed Fire Consultancy advice and support to meet these queries. Overall, what this HRB application once again highlighted was a key need for Client bodies to always ‘know’ their building in full. We would always advise that for existing buildings the biggest initial obstacle is the preapplication information that needs to be in place before moving forward and commencing the Gateway process, as this ‘missing information’ can not be procured in the short timescale of Requests for Information raised by the Regulator during application determination.
So after what have been significant initial delays, the residents in the 87 dwellings of Beaufort can now look forward to the progression of works and ultimately, the rewrap of the building facades in a new mineral wool external wall insulation system which with the replacement of all windows and doors, is intended to provide high energy efficiency and improved comfort levels.
gcp have substantial expertise in navigating clients through obtaining and preparing the extensive preapplication information that we have found necessary to substantiate any refurbishment proposals; contact us if you would like to discuss how we can help support you.