Barratt Developments has delivered a £298 million boost to the UK economy over the past year, building 1,708 new homes in Scotland and supporting around 5,000 jobs over the period, a new report has revealed.

As part of its housebuilding activity, the housebuilder, which includes both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has made £29.5m in local contributions to help build new local facilities and infrastructure in communities surrounding its new developments, including seven new community facilities and the provision of 140 new school places.

The achievements are highlighted in Barratt Scotland’s latest Social Economic Footprint report which measures the housebuilder’s social and economic contribution to Scotland over the past year. Included within the report are key measures relating to the company’s support for the housebuilding supply chain, local communities, environment, public services and employment.

Other highlights included in the report show that Barratt has:

Douglas McLeod, regional managing director for Scotland, Barratt Developments, said: “Market conditions have remained consistent throughout Scotland and demand for good quality homes remains stronger than ever, something which is yet again reflected in our socio-economic footprint. By building over 1,700 new homes, we have continued to help meet the squeeze on housing, helping more people move onto the property ladder, and helping others move up the ladder.

“Our activity continues to deliver a significant social and economic impact, supporting Scotland’s construction industry and delivering new infrastructure and services to communities across Scotland. I’m also proud of our environmental record, having maintained our commitment of safeguard the environments in which we build through, for example, recycling and reducing waste, tree planting and the creation of green spaces.”

The report on Barratt’s Socio-Economic Footprint in 2017 was carried out by planning consultant, Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP).