25 February 2026
East Sussex and Rother District Councillors tour Vistry’s Community Heat Hub, on track to provide low-carbon energy to 800 high-quality new homes in Bexhill-on-Sea
On Monday 23rd February, Vistry, one of the UK’s leading providers of affordable and mixed-tenure homes, hosted representatives from East Sussex and Rother District Councils at The Gateway development in Bexhill-on-Sea to showcase the low-carbon heat solution that will provide heat and hot water to 800 new homes at this major residential development.
Guests were taken on a tour of Vistry’s Community Heat Hub at The Gateway to gain insight into how this low-carbon heat network solution, which adheres to the Future Homes Standard (FHS) by reducing carbon emissions from 75-80% from day one, combines heat pumps and heat networks to create a future-proofed, net zero solution for residents.
The heat hub has been operational since February 2025 and is supplying heat to the majority of homes that have been delivered at The Gateway to date. The hub has been designed to provide heat and hot water to 800 of the 1,001 homes being delivered in total at the scheme, evolving in parallel with the delivery of the new homes benefitting from this low-carbon heat provision.
The 1,001 new homes in total being delivered at The Gateway form part of a wider strategic long-term plan to support housing growth across the region and contribute to the creation of a sustainable new community. A mix of housing tenures will be available, designed to meet local needs, and a strong focus has also been placed on green infrastructure and placemaking, with access to existing and new open spaces, walking and cycling routes, and connections to local services. To date, Vistry has completed 504 homes at The Gateway, with 500 homes left to complete.
Brendan Evans, Managing Director at Vistry Kent, commented: “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.”
Ward 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.”
Cllr Kathryn Field, portfolio holder for environment at Rother District Council, added: “This work aligns strongly with the progress we are making across the district on buildings and energy efficiency, and our climate objective that Rother’s built environment will be low-carbon and climate resilient. Rother received national recognition for its climate action, rising from 50th to 9th place in Climate Emergency UK’s district council rankings while also achieving silver status from the Carbon Literacy Project with over 30% of staff now trained.”