Last month student housing giant Unite broke cover about what is now one of the biggest issues facing developers of high-rise residential buildings in England. In a trading update, the firm revealed that delays caused by the “new approval gateways” policed by the new building safety regulator (BSR) were forcing it to add “around six months” to project timelines.

Unite is by no means alone. David O’Leary, executive director for policy at the Home Builders’ Federation, says some of the industry group’s members have reported waits of a year or more for approval. In the construction industry, of course, time is money, and there is mounting frustration across the sector over an issue that some say is having a profound impact on the development of high-rise resi schemes.

“This is huge,” says O’Leary. “It’s right up there with the biggest issues the industry is facing.”