Barratt Developments Scotland has acquired ten new sites to allow for the development of 1,400 new homes, with plans in the pipeline to increase capacity by a further 1,830 new homes by the end of the year.

Since April, the housebuilder has been acquiring 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, the Homes for Scotland Housebuilder of the Year, which includes both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, is planning to acquire another eleven sites in Scotland, with capacity for a further 1830 new homes.

Barratt said its 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.

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.”