How 800 new Bexhill homes are set to be powered by low-carbon heat
A quiet industrial unit in Bexhill-on-Sea doesn't look like the future of home heating. But inside Vistry's Community Heat Hub at The Gateway development, a system of heat pumps and heat networks is already supplying warmth and hot water to hundreds of new homes.
When the 1,001-home development is complete, 800 of those homes will be connected to this low-carbon heat network - cutting carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one and meeting the Future Homes Standard.
The system combines heat pumps with a shared heat network to create what developer Vistry describes as a ‘future-proofed, net zero solution’.
The heat hub has been operational since February 2025 and is supplying heat to the majority of the 504 homes that have been delivered at The Gateway to date.
Brendan Evans, Managing Director at Vistry Kent, said: "The Community Hub at our Gateway development is a fantastic example of low-carbon energy provision being delivered at scale and today was a great opportunity to showcase to local council representatives how this will benefit local residents. We are very pleased with the progress of our mixed-tenure community in Bexhill, providing high-quality homes and net zero solutions for the creation of a thriving and sustainable neighbourhood."
Representatives from East Sussex and Rother District Councils visited The Gateway last week, and for local councillors, the visit was a tangible demonstration of what climate action looks like on the ground.
Cllr Polly Gray from Rother District Council said: "Visiting the Community Heat Hub at the Gateway development has been a powerful reminder of how innovation and local partnership can drive meaningful progress towards a low‑carbon future. Seeing first-hand how this heat network will deliver reliable, low‑carbon energy to hundreds of new homes demonstrates exactly the kind of forward‑thinking infrastructure we need to support - while cutting emissions."
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