Barratt plans for 200-plus homes on former factory site in Dundee to go before council

An application by Barratt to build a family development offering more than 200 homes close to Dundee city centre is set to go before council planners next week.

The housebuilder’s proposal to build 223 homes on an area of brownfield land, which was once the site of a marmalade factory, has been recommended for conditional approval.

Should plans be approved, construction at the 15.7-acre development is set to support up to 345 direct jobs and 690 indirect jobs through Barratt Homes, its sub-contractors and suppliers, including the creation of a number of full-time apprenticeships.

If the green light is given, the firm intends to purchase the site and commence development in early spring.

A CGI of the Mains Loan development planned by Barratt for a 15.7-acre site in Dundee.

David Palmer, managing director for Barratt North Scotland, said: “We are pleased that our application for new family homes in Mains Loan is scheduled to go up to committee for recommended approval.

“This is a large, prominent site of disused land which has lain derelict for many years. Our vision to transform it into high-quality family housing will help to meet the demand for new homes in the area, and the construction process will create a number of local job opportunities should plans be approved.”

The news came as Barratt Developments said it is set to build 250 more homes this year than previously predicted, signalling continued resilience in the UK housing market.

The housebuilding giant told shareholders that it expects to complete more than 18,000 homes across the UK during the current financial year, which would surpass pre-pandemic levels.

The firm said it built 8,067 properties over the six months to December - the first half of its financial year - but said this represented an 11 per cent year-on-year decline compared with an early boom in demand during the pandemic.

Chief executive David Thomas described it as an “excellent first half” and hailed the “strong rebound” in the firm’s construction activity.

Meanwhile, the group reported a 0.6 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to £432.6 million for the half-year, compared with the same period a year earlier.

It has seen “strong forward sales”, reporting agreements on 15,736 homes as of January 31.

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