In addition to its home building programme, Barratt will also continue to increase its investment in land, as it looks to acquire and develop up to 18 new sites over the next twelve months.

Barratt said its 2019 plans underline the group’s confidence in the fundamentals of investing and building in Scotland, including continued demand for new homes, changing demographics and a strong economic outlook. Estimates from Homes for Scotland have suggested that 465,000 new homes will be required by 2035 in order to meet housing need.

The new sites will underpin over 6,200 existing jobs and support around 150 new jobs in Scotland. Barratt, which includes both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, predominately employs local sub-contractors and tradesmen – so local businesses and people will benefit directly from the jobs.

New developments to be launched in early 2019 include Yew Gardens in Ormiston, East Lothian and Huntingtower in Perth.

Douglas McLeod, regional managing director for Barratt Developments in Scotland, said: “We’re looking forward to another busy year of building homes to meet demand in communities across Scotland. Although there are clearly some consumer concerns around the potential impact of Brexit, we’re confident that the economic fundamentals remain favourable towards house building.

“More homes naturally mean more jobs and, ultimately, homeowners supporting the growth of local economies by spending on local services and goods. We’re committed to not just building new homes, but also to supporting the communities around which those homes are built. That’s why we will shortly be announcing plans to create a fund for local charities to help them improve the quality of life in and around our developments.”

During the course of 2018, the housebuilder opened 16 new sites across Scotland. New sites launched last year includes Countesswells in Aberdeen, Riverside at Cathcart in Glasgow, Harwood Park in West Lothian, Culloden West, Inverness.

Barratt also sold out on a number of successful developments including Kingseat in Aberdeenshire, Craig Brae in Motherwell, The Woodlands in Dalkeith, Midlothian.