Mark White, Managing Director of Hampshire-based housebuilder Bargate Homes, has been selected to chair the Future Homes Hub’s SME liaison group.

The Hub was established in October 2021 to facilitate the collaboration needed within the new homes sector to help meet the Government’s legally binding net zero and wider environmental targets. Three years on, a new SME liaison group is being formed to review specific challenges, identify solutions, support Government in understanding SME circumstances, and help communicate out to the SME sector.

Established in 2006, Bargate Homes delivers 300 high EPC-rated homes per year and is a wholly owned subsidiary of VIVID – one of the south east’s largest providers of affordable homes. Mark White was a founding member of the Bargate team and became Managing Director three years ago.

Ed Lockhart, CEO of the Future Homes Hub, said: “While recognising that SMEs are vital to housing delivery and innovation in homebuilding, they often have less capacity and can face unique circumstances in complying with new regulations. Forming this SME liaison group will give us a distinct mechanism to support SME housebuilders on the latest set of challenges around net zero and sustainability.

“As an active Future Homes Hub member, and having sat on the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Housing Market and Housing Delivery, and the APPG for SME housebuilders, we are thrilled that this new group will be ably chaired by Mark White. We are currently assembling group members from across the UK.”

The Future Homes Hub is an independent organisation bringing together the homebuilding sector with the wider circle of supply chain, infrastructure, finance and government organisations that need to collaborate. Over 50 of the largest homebuilders are active members, with many other related organisations committed to working together through the Hub to achieve environmental and sustainability goals.

The work of the Future Homes Hub includes developing technical solutions for regulatory changes, and collaborating sector-wide to overcome barriers to successful implementation, for example on skills and supply chain. The Hub also develops industry led proposals for current and future policy challenges. It has created the basis for measuring sustainability performance, capturing the value of improving performance. The team is in constant communication with all parts of the homebuilding sector and facilitates sharing and learning.

Mark White, Managing Director of Bargate Homes said: “I’m proud that a number of SMEs are already at the forefront of driving change and working with the new government to address the vast challenges and environmental targets faced by the housebuilding industry.

“But while the journey to net zero is so critical, unless residential developments are commercially viable, they wont be delivered. All SMEs want to play a meaningful role in achieving the Labour administration’s manifesto pledge of 1.5 million new homes to be delivered during this parliament. To do this, we need to debate key issues, suggest solutions, and approach continued change with an open mindset.

“As a case in point, Bargate Homes is currently on site at six developments to deliver over 300 open market and affordable family homes during this financial year. We have 500 skilled tradespeople working for us, and with the impact of planning obstacles, labour availability, and new Building Regulations, it costs £20,000 more to build a typical three-bedroom Bargate home than it did only five years ago.

“I am looking forward to chairing the Future Homes Hub’s new SME liaison group and navigating through the shared desire to deliver more beautiful, highly sustainable, energy efficient homes of the future.”

The Hub has a published delivery plan, which is divided into four areas with a goal and roadmap for each area. It also sets out the specification for the non-profit organisation. The four goals are; high-quality homes that are zero carbon ready and sustainable. Places and developments that are consistently low carbon, nature-rich, resilient, healthy, well designed and beautiful by 2025. Production and construction methods that are net zero and sustainable by 2050 with substantial progress by 2025 and 2030. And lastly, recognising and rewarding businesses for net zero and sustainability performance.