• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Friday February 18 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Barratt and David Wilson Homes South West contributes £275 million to economy – report

Barratt and David Wilson Homes South West, which have sites across the region including Wiltshire, contributed more than £275 million to the UK’s economic output in the last financial year, according to a report from the group.

The South West division of the FTSE 100 Company built more than 1770 properties in the last financial year – of which 456 were affordable.

Other highlights from the company’s economic footprint report include:

• The creation of 18.9ha of green space – equivalent to 27 football pitches
• Donating £44,800 to charitable donations and pledging 115 hours of employee volunteering
• Reducing CO2 emissions and construction waste against targets – diverting 92 per cent of construction waste from landfill
• Hiring 51 graduates, apprentices and trainees on various employment programmes
• Investing £66m on physical works to benefit local communities such as highway and environmental improvements
• Supporting 1592 sub-contractor or supplier companies to create local employment opportunities and resulting in a total spend of £244.7 million

Louise Ware, sales director for David Wilson Homes South West, said: “In 2013 Barratt produced the first economic footprint report by a housebuilder.

“Eight years on and we remain committed to continuing to make major contributions to society, the UK economy and the local communities in which we build.”

Andrea Pilgrim, sales director for Barratt Homes Bristol, added: “Transparency around our social and economic impact is very important to us.

“We have always regarded ourselves as more than just a housebuilder and hopefully these statistics bear this out.”

The report on Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ socio-economic footprint in 2021 was carried out by planning consultant Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP).

Barratt and David Wilson Homes South West are currently building a range of properties throughout the region including Birds Marsh View in Chippenham, Hunters Wood in Melksham and Orchards Rise at Wichelstowe in Swindon.

Meanwhile, the first foundations have been laid at the next phase of the Wichelstowe development with record numbers of people registering their interest in buying one of the new homes.

Work is now underway on the 182 new Barratt homes at Wichel Fields, with show homes expected to open in the autumn.

They will range from one and two-bedroom apartments to two, three and four-bedroom homes. Prices will start from £279,995 for a two-bedroom home, £369,995 for a three-bedroom home and £384,995 for a four-bedroom home.

Wichel Fields is a key part of the second phase of the Wichelstowe development being delivered in partnership with the local authority and set to deliver 3,000 much-needed new homes in total over the next 20 years.

In addition to 208 new homes already delivered, the 250-acre site also includes schools, a supermarket, a pub restaurant and community facilities. Once complete, there will be 200 acres of open space, 12km of new footways and cycleways, 1.5 acres of allotments and 20 acres of play areas and sports pitches.

New ecological measures for the development will include hundreds of new trees, new ponds, wildflower grassland to attract a range of pollinators along with broader wildlife habitat creation and protection, such as the creation of sheltered areas for hibernating animals.