Hemspan is advancing sustainable construction using hemp, proposing a large-scale climate-positive community, achieving cost parity with traditional building methods, and developing innovative technologies and products for eco-friendly construction materials.
Seeking sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, Hemspan is dedicated to harnessing the potential of hemp as a viable alternative to traditional construction. By activating the cultivation of hemp at scale, they are paving the way for sustainable materials.
In the 19th edition of The Innovation Platform, we spoke with Founder and CEO Matthew Belcher to discuss the potential for hemp and its applications in construction. Almost a year later, we caught up with Matthew to discuss the key takeaways, results and milestones achieved in advancing climate-positive housing.
A milestone contract
Over the past year, we have made substantial strides through various proof-of-concept projects, showcasing the versatility and effectiveness of hemp in both small and large-scale applications.
Hemspan has secured a direct design and build contract with a prominent client to create a traditional, ultra-high-performance, climate-positive house. The house will have a lifecycle carbon footprint (A1 to C4) of 142 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per square metre and is expected to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of 114%.
Once completed, this project is anticipated to attract significant attention from both industry and landowners. Winning this opportunity was a major milestone, given the client’s reputation and the extensive requirements that needed to be fulfilled, including accreditation and insurance qualifications.
Towards large-scale production
Recently, we submitted a pre-application for the UK’s first large-scale climate-positive community. Our proposal includes building 2,000 homes using the BOPAS-accredited Hemspan BIOHAUS® system, which will feature various types of residential units as well as public buildings, such as community centres and educational facilities.
This proposal is groundbreaking due to its innovative construction methods and the ultra-low lifecycle embodied carbon performance it aims to achieve. Additionally, this development will serve as a catalyst for Hemspan to expand into vertically integrated processing and production of the BIOHAUS® system. We have already secured a location and a landowner partner for a mass production facility, located in Rochford, South Essex.
While we are not the first hemp construction company in the UK, our project in Rochford operates on a completely unprecedented scale and marks a major milestone for both us and the UK’s green building landscape.
Achieving cost parity with traditional construction
Hemspan has developed a comprehensive business plan and design for a vertically integrated mass production facility. Our analysis and careful planning have demonstrated that we can deliver homes with near-zero lifecycle embodied carbon performance, resulting in ultra-low to zero utility bills, all at a cost comparable to conventional house building.
Detailed planning and design have also enabled us to assess the costs of delivering our solution at scale. We are confident that we can achieve cost parity with mainstream construction while offering superior performance.
Industry collaboration
Margent Farm received significant national press coverage for the Flat House, the first house in the UK built entirely from hemp, and its innovative approach inspired Hemspan’s system development and vision.
In partnership with Margent Farm, we have launched a research and development company operating as a subsidiary of Hemspan. This joint venture aims to explore opportunities in bio-composites for construction materials and interior design products. Our goal is to replace plastics and, in many cases, timber with products made from hemp and bio resins.
The project has so far raised £200,000 in seed funding, and the business is already producing biocomposite panels, with a growing list of orders.
©shutterstock/Olga_Ionina
Advancements in hemp technologies
One key product we are developing is a structural board called HEMPOSITE®, which will be both a vital component of our BIOHAUS® system, as well as manufactured and distributed to the broader market.
Additionally, we have successfully secured pre-seed funding for a venture focused on developing innovative processing technologies for industrial hemp. This new process will create construction materials that achieve a 75% reduction in operational energy during manufacturing while also lowering upfront capital costs.
The goal of this venture is to establish a robust, low-energy, and low-capital-expenditure supply chain for Hemspan. This strategy will improve profit margins and help us achieve cost parity with conventional building methods, all while significantly reducing carbon emissions in processing and manufacturing, ultimately enhancing the embodied carbon performance of the homes delivered.
Reimagining Rochford: Policy meets place-based regeneration
Our proposed Rochford Park development in Essex has become a nationally significant pilot for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hemp Carbon Capture and Rural Development. Hemspan is an active member of the APPG and works closely with its secretariat, Tenacious Carbon. Rochford’s local MP, Bayo Alaba, also serves as the group’s Co-Chair.
This cross-party group champions the use of industrial hemp to decarbonise construction, generate high-integrity carbon credits, and support rural jobs. Rochford Park, with its proposal for 2,000 climate-positive homes built using the BIOHAUS® system, modular factory, and 5,000-hectare hemp farming scheme, is a flagship demonstration of these aims in action.
As the newly elected MP for Rochford, Bayo Alaba has become a key political champion of the project, both locally and in Westminster. He sees it as a generational opportunity to attract green investment, create skilled employment, and regenerate his constituency through sustainable industry.
The site itself is steeped in hemp heritage. The landowner behind the scheme operated the UK’s largest hemp farm in the 1990s and 2000s, cultivating over 4,000 acres at its peak. Their alignment with Hemspan reflects a shared vision: to reconnect historical expertise with modern climate innovation, creating a new model of low-carbon, place-based growth.
Additionally, we are collaborating with Adam Architecture on the master planning for Rochford Park. Adam Architecture has successfully completed several prominent schemes, including Poundbury in Dorset and Nansleden in Cornwall.
Our work in Rochford will address many important criteria related to placemaking, elevated living, and sustainable transport. However, what will truly set Rochford Park apart is the construction technology that we plan to implement from our mass production facility. Already, we have received strong interest from several regional house builders who are eager to utilise our technology for this scheme.
Funding
Since the article last year, we’ve closed another funding round, raising £1.5m, which brings our total funding to date to £4m. In mid-2025, we will open a new funding round to raise £5m for an interim firehouse production facility.
At Hemspan, we’re encouraged by the evolving funding landscape for sustainable housing in the UK, which now offers more opportunities for collaboration with both local and national governments. The affordable homes programme has had an additional £500m allocated, raising the annual budget to £3.1bn, the highest in over a decade. The funds are aimed at delivering thousands of new social and affordable homes. The increased governmental support underscores a commitment to sustainable housing. At Hemspan, we’re poised to continue leveraging these opportunities to deliver eco-friendly, affordable homes across the UK. We have an emerging project with a combined district council in East Anglia, which will showcase the ability to address some of the issues that the UK is currently facing.
Encouraging greener building
At Hemspan, we believe facilitating greener building in the UK requires a multifaceted approach. An approach that champions innovation, policy alignment, and industry collaboration.
While progress has been made, building regulations must go further to actively incentivise sustainable methods and materials. Clearer guidance and faster approval processes for low-carbon technologies and biobased materials would significantly reduce barriers to adoption.
There is a pressing need for greater awareness and training within the construction sector. Architects, builders, and planners must be equipped with the knowledge to integrate sustainable design and construction practices from the outset.
© shutterstock/Grand Warszawsk
Many sustainable materials, including bio-based solutions such as hemp, still face logistical and scaling challenges. Strengthening domestic production capabilities and investing in circular economies can help ensure greener materials are both accessible and cost-effective. Our Rochford Park plans will go a long way in supporting this approach.
The focus must shift from operational emissions alone to include embodied carbon. This means assessing materials from cradle to grave, encouraging low-impact construction techniques and materials with regenerative properties.
The future of UK construction must be rooted in regenerative thinking. With the right policies, partnerships, and education in place, the sector can embrace a truly green transformation, and HEMSPAN® is proud to be at the forefront of that movement.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 22nd edition of our quarterly publication.
Learn how Hemspan pioneers sustainable construction with hemp, matching traditional costs for eco-friendly building solutions. Read More
