Crane Chaos: Government Gateway Delays Put 150+ Lifting Jobs on Hold

Crane Chaos: Government Gateway Delays Put 150+ Lifting Jobs on Hold
October 10, 2025 — A significant number of crane lifting jobs across the UK have been stalled as construction projects, particularly high-rise residential schemes, face major delays due to the government’s stringent Gateway Procedure introduced under the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), representing key machinery and equipment providers, has warned that the regulatory bottleneck has left more than 150 tower cranes sitting idle on sites across the country, creating a financial ripple effect throughout the supply chain and directly impacting the employment of specialist lifting teams.

The Regulatory Roadblock: Gateway 2
The core of the issue lies with Gateway 2, a mandatory stage for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs) – defined as residential buildings of 18 meters or seven storeys or more. This gateway requires developers to secure full approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before construction work on site can begin.

While the procedure is a crucial step to enhance fire and structural safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, its implementation has created a severe logjam.

• Significant Delays: The statutory period for the BSR to determine a new-build HRB application is 12 weeks. However, industry reports indicate that average processing times for Gateway 2 approvals have stretched to 22 weeks, with some developers reporting delays of up to 40 weeks.
• Under-resourcing: The BSR, managed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has reportedly struggled to recruit the necessary technical staff to manage the volume and complexity of applications, leading to a persistent backlog.
• Problematic Submissions: Developers have also faced challenges, with a high volume of applications initially deemed “problematic” by the BSR, which fails to meet the stringent submission requirements, further slowing the process.
  The Impact on Crane Lifting Operations
  For the crane and lifting industry, the consequences are immediate and costly:
• Idle Equipment: The survey of CPA members, including the UK’s largest tower crane companies, found over 150 high-rise projects have contracted for major lifting equipment, such as tower cranes, but cannot proceed due to outstanding Gateway 2 approval. These costly assets are sitting unused, creating financial strain on plant-hire firms who have to manage depreciation and lost revenue.
• Job Insecurity and Holds: Each major lifting operation requires a specialist team, including crane operators, riggers, and lift supervisors. With over 150 projects stalled, countless pre-planned, high-value crane lifting jobs are indefinitely on hold. This disrupts work schedules, impacts wages, and threatens the employment of skilled personnel trained under industry schemes like the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS).
• Supply Chain Backlog: The paralysis at Gateway 2 is preventing the start of construction, meaning the entire supply chain—from steel fabricators to concrete suppliers—is left in limbo. This compounds the financial risk and uncertainty for all businesses reliant on high-rise residential construction.
  The CEO of the Construction Plant-hire Association, Steve Mulholland, recently stated that “Gateway 2 has become a regulatory roadblock grinding housebuilding… to a halt. Over 150 tower cranes are sitting idle, creating financial pain across the supply chain.”
  The Way Forward
  Construction bodies are urgently calling on the government to address the operational challenges within the Building Safety Regulator. Suggested solutions include:
• Increased BSR Capacity: Investing in significantly more resources and technical expertise for the BSR to process applications within the statutory timeframes.
• Greater Clarity and Consistency: Providing clear, consistent guidance to developers on Gateway submission requirements to reduce the volume of “problematic” applications.
  While the industry fully supports the imperative for higher safety standards, the current implementation is creating an unacceptable level of uncertainty, delaying the delivery of essential housing, and placing a disproportionate burden on the plant-hire and specialist lifting sectors. Until the Gateway process is streamlined, the sight of idle cranes will continue to serve as a stark reminder of the regulatory gridlock impacting UK construction.