Keepmoat chief Ian Hoad named industry co-chair of Future Homes Standard board

Keepmoat chief executive Ian Hoad has been appointed industry co-chair of the Future Homes Standard Implementation Board, the Future Homes Hub announced on 2 November, taking over from McCarthy and Stone chief executive Matthew Pratt.

Hoad will work alongside Kate O'Neill, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) director responsible for the Building Regulations, the Hub said.

The board, set up by the Hub, brings together senior representatives from homebuilding, government departments, the supply chain and infrastructure bodies to identify and tackle the practical problems of putting the Future Homes Standard (FHS) into effect.

Ian Hoad, chief executive of Keepmoat and co-chair of the Future Homes Standard Implementation Board, said: "The Future Homes Standard represents a significant change in the way we design and deliver new homes, and successful implementation will depend on close collaboration between government, homebuilders, the supply chain and the wider industry."

He added that, having worked across technical, operational and leadership roles, he knew how important it was that new requirements could be turned into workable solutions on the ground.

The new co-chair

Hoad became chief executive of Keepmoat in July 2025, according to the Hub. He had earlier held a series of senior posts at the business, including divisional chairman, regional managing director, operations director and technical director.

He succeeds Pratt, formerly chief executive of Redrow PLC, who has served three years as co-chair. Ed Lockhart, chief executive of the Future Homes Hub, thanked Pratt for his leadership of the board since October 2023.

The board's workload

The Hub said the board's remit spans grid infrastructure, heat pumps, heat networks, overheating, fabric performance, solar PV, consumer experience, ventilation and the Home Energy Model.

Since the Standard was published at the end of March, the Hub said it had worked with MHCLG, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and industry to identify and resolve delivery issues. More than 70 implementation issues have been identified so far, with the Hub coordinating work with government on clarifications and resolutions.

Current priorities, according to the Hub, include revising the assumptions used to size grid connections so they better reflect real-world demand, assessing the skills needed for heat pump deployment, and codifying the new PV functional requirement process.

The board is also working on closing the gap between designed and as-built fabric performance, simplifying compliance with Part O on overheating, and improving the design, installation and commissioning of ventilation.

Lockhart said publication of the Standard had been a milestone, but "the real test is making it work successfully in practice across thousands of developments and ultimately delivering better-performing homes for residents."

The regulatory timetable

The appointment comes as the sector moves from preparing for the Standard to implementing it, the Hub said.

MHCLG published Building Circular 01/2026 on 24 March 2026, introducing The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026. The same day, the government added its consultation response on the Future Homes and Buildings Standards to the GOV.UK consultation page, saying the outcomes would be implemented through a statutory instrument and new approved documents.

According to the circular, the regulations come into force on 24 March 2027. The circular also sets out transitional arrangements for building work already under way, with 24 March 2028 given as a date by which work on the relevant building must be commenced.

Alongside the board, the Hub said it was supporting the transition through technical guidance, its FHS Essentials programme, webinars, podcasts, technical conferences and a dedicated process for raising and resolving implementation queries with government.