Member Article

New North Devon community impresses Barratt chairman

The chairman of the UK’s biggest housebuilder, Barratt Homes, visited North Devon following news that the company has brought more than £26m to local communities.

John Allan CBE visited Barratt Homes’ new Riverside Park development in Fremington to find out how work is progressing on the site and how the company is having a positive impact on the local area.

In the last year Barratt Homes has built 505 properties in the region and brought more than £26m to communities where it is building new homes. While the company itself has made more than £17million of contributions to councils and for infrastructure and affordable housing for local people, it also calculates that the local economy has benefited from £7.2million of additional spending in shops and services from the residents of new homes they have built.

During his trip to North Devon John was given a tour of Riverside Park, where Barratt Homes has not only built a new community of two, three and four bedroom homes, but a number of new facilities for the community. The housebuilder is working in conjunction with Torridge District Council to bring a new football pitch and changing and hospitality facilities to the area.

John said: “I’ve been very impressed by the work I’ve seen on the ground here in Fremington. Riverside Park is a fantastic example of how our employees are not only creating new homes, but new facilities that benefit the entire community.

“It is important to us to leave a positive and lasting legacy in the communities in which we build homes, be that through job creation or enhancing and protecting the local environment. I look forward to this work continuing and visiting again soon.”

In the last year Barratt Homes’ Exeter division has:

• Supported 1,400 jobs directly and through its contractors and suppliers
• Directly employed seven new graduates, trainees and apprentices
• 90% of components used in the construction process were manufactured in the UK.
• Planted or retained 7,300 trees or shrubs on its developments

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Wilson Homes .