Law firm at the double for Barratt land deals
11th June, 2013
LAW firm Ward Hadaway has advised on two land deals for housebuilding giant Barratt.
Property experts at the UK Top 100 firm advised Barratt Yorkshire West – based in Leeds – on the acquisition of a site off Dewsbury Road in Wakefield.
The firm also advised Barratt Yorkshire East – based in York – on the acquisition of a site at Cayton near Scarborough.
The Wakefield site will see a total of 280 homes developed on the land, including a number of affordable housing units, while the Cayton site will be home to over 160 houses.
Experts in the sector see the deals as further evidence of the start of a revival in the housebuilding industry.
Andrew Pliener (pictured), Partner in the Property team at Ward Hadaway’s Leeds office, advised Barratt Yorkshire West and Barratt Yorkshire East on both acquisitions.
Andrew said: “We are delighted to have assisted two Barratt divisions to make these significant land acquisitions.
“I think these purchases are an indication of a growing confidence in the housing market as developers look to increase the pace of home-building.
“Whilst we are not back to the boom times there is definitely a sense of momentum in the sector with the likes of Barratt helping to lead the way.
“Government schemes like the Help to Buy initiative do seem to be making a difference because not only are developers buying land in increasing numbers, they are also selling more housing plots on their land, which was not happening much in the last year or so.”
Dave Hudson, Technical Director for Barratt Yorkshire West said: “Buyer confidence is steadily improving and we’re seeing encouraging demand for our homes.
“The fact that we are starting new sites is also good news for local sub-contractors and the supply chain.
“We continue to value the strong relationships we have with our partners in the build process and it was reassuring to have Ward Hadaway’s experience, commercial expertise and know-how to hand when concluding the transaction.”
The recent acquisitions are the latest in a series of land deals on which Ward Hadaway has advised Barratt.
At the start of the year, the firm advised David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East (part of the Barratt Group) on the acquisition of land at Finningley, near Doncaster.
The company want to develop a wide range of properties on their part of the 14-acre site from two to four-bedroomed units with a mix of 166 detached, semi-detached and terraced homes planned over the next five years.
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