Homes for Scotland Housebuilder of the Year, Barratt Developments Scotland, is set for further growth following the recent acquisition of ten new sites for development, providing space for 1,400 new homes.
Since April 1 to September 30, 2017 Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has acquired sites as far North as Inverness down to the Central Belt, focusing on acquisition in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Looking ahead to the remainder of the year, Barratt is planning to acquire another eleven sites in Scotland, with capacity for a further 1830 new homes.
Barratt’s commitment to continued investment in Scotland is also reflected in its recruitment activity. Since the summer, the housebuilder has recruited more than 20 graduates and apprentices and 45 additional tradesmen. Indirectly, Barratt’s homebuilding activity has also supported an increase of subcontractor workforces on new sites.
The news comes on the back of Barratt Scotland celebrating another record year of output, having completed 1700 homes across the country over the last financial year. Home completions were up around 9% on the previous year.
The Scottish Government has estimated that 465,000 new homes are needed by 2035 to cope with expected housing demand.
Douglas McLeod, regional managing director for Scotland said: “We are proud of our footprint and heritage here in Scotland which is why we continue to invest, acquiring new sites and building homes in popular places where people want to live. Demand for new homes is still strong among all types of buyers, from first time buyers through to downsizers, and we’re receiving a consistently high level of enquiries and reservations across our divisions. That demand is unlikely to let up, given Scotland’s requirement for new homes to meet population growth. This is good news for both Scotland’s housebuilding industry and its employment market. Over the course of the coming months, we will be looking to increase our proportion of directly employed tradesmen while widening our pool of trusted sub-contractors.”