Stace reports Gateway 3 approval at Alperton Bus Depot after inspector registration setback

Construction consultancy Stace said on 12 November 2026 that the Alperton Bus Depot redevelopment in Brent, where it acted for Telford Homes, achieved Gateway 3 approval and practical completion in July 2026.

Stace was Independent Certifier, Contract Administrator and Cost Consultant for Telford Homes on the scheme, which it said delivered 461 homes with 40% designated as affordable housing, together with space for local businesses and start-ups known as Alperton Yard.

The firm said the project initially qualified for transitional arrangements under the Building Safety Act, but work was disrupted because the Approved Inspector failed to register with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) by the April 2024 deadline.

To manage the transition, Stace said it co-ordinated regular meetings with all stakeholders to track progress against the requirements for Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 approvals.

The regulatory background

The Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (England) Regulations 2024 contain transitional provisions for approved inspectors who gave an initial notice before 6 April 2024 but did not become a suitably qualified approver.

Under regulation 45, the approved inspector regulations continued to have effect until 1 October 2024 for such inspectors on non-higher-risk work. The regulation states that it does not apply to higher-risk building work.

Government guidance says the BSR oversees the safety and performance of all buildings, with a special focus on high-rise buildings.

Contract compliance

Beyond the building control transition, Stace said another challenge was ensuring all parties met their obligations under the DFA and JCT contracts, which meant monitoring deliverables, duties and obligations across the developer, contractor and funder.

These were tracked through a regularly updated master compliance tracker, which Stace said proved particularly critical during the handover process.

The scheme

Brent Council lists the development as 330 Ealing Road, application 20/3914, the redevelopment of the former Alperton Bus Garage site, with Telford Homes delivering 461 homes. The council's schemes page describes it as 40% affordable across four buildings of up to 28 storeys and said it was due to complete in summer 2026. Stace's account refers to three buildings.

Brent's planning committee granted permission on 28 April 2021, subject to Stage 2 referral to the Mayor of London. The committee record describes 461 residential units in three blocks of up to 28 storeys, with 40.2% affordable housing by habitable room.

On 20 July 2026 the council officially opened Shillibeer House, 155 affordable council homes on the site, which it said were completed in May 2026 after the building reached its highest point in 2024. The council named the delivery partners as Telford Homes, Greenstone and CBRE.

Councillor Matt Kelcher, Brent's Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, said: "Today is a proud moment for Brent and for the families who will soon call Shillibeer House home."

By the opening, 103 households had moved into the affordable homes, 96 of them previously identified as homeless, according to the council. The building is named after George Shillibeer, who the council said pioneered London's first horse-drawn omnibus service.

The council gave the following mix for the 155 homes:

Home type	Number
One-bedroom flats	55
Two-bedroom flats	49
Three-bedroom flats	46
Four-bedroom family homes	5

The consultancy

Stace describes itself as an independent construction and property consultancy with more than 200 professionals and 25 Partners. It traces its origins to 24 July 1959, when Leonard Stace started Leonard E Stace ARICS.

Brent Council said the former bus garage site had been transformed into a mixed-tenure neighbourhood of 461 homes.