Barratt Homes deliver leading wildlife conservation and ecology measures at Berry Acres

A brand new housing development in South Devon will include a newly renovated home for owls and bats and follows extensive measures to protect a pair of rare cirl buntings at the site.

Construction has begun at Berry Acres, just outside Paignton, where Barratt Homes is building 187 much needed new homes. Steps taken by the five-star builder to protect local wildlife will result in an overall increase in natural habitat and ecological features on and around the development.

Specific measures include renovating an existing barn where owls and bats are living. The barn will be regularly maintained but closed to the public. Nearby trees will be protected and wildlife protection zones introduced to further safeguard local wildlife. Foraging and feeding areas will be provided for rare greater horseshoe bats, which have roosts on the nearby coast from Berry Head to Sharkham Point. Sensitive planting of trees and hedgerows will help to guide bats through the site.

A two and a half hectare area to the south of Berry Acres will also be carefully managed for ecology and biodiversity and will include an alternative breeding habitat for a pair of cirl buntings, a rare finch-like bird once common in the south of England but now only found in South Devon. Barratt Homes will contribute towards monitoring the land for 25 years, as advised by Natural England. The leading housebuilder has already committed to providing an alternative breeding habitat for four other pairs of cirl buntings.

Berry Acres is a development of 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes to the West of Paignton which have recently launched for sale. The development is less than 3 miles from the town centre, with its local shops and restaurants plus nearby schools and just a few miles from the beach. At less than an hour from Torquay, Plymouth and Exeter it is also ideal for commuters. 

Nicki Reid, sales director at Barratt Homes, Exeter, said:
 "We are really proud to have been able to include so many important measures to protect and enhance the local wildlife and habitat, not least supporting the very rare cirl buntings.

As we launch these new homes for sale we have seen that the recent challenge of lockdown and the Covid pandemic have caused many people to reassess what they're looking for from their home. We've seen a rise in interest across the South West and many more people looking to live closer to nature. So Berry Acres will be an ideal location with its high quality, contemporary homes surrounded by natural and protected green space and within easy reach of Devon's beautiful coastline."

To register your interest, find out more or book a virtual or in person appointment, visit barratthomes.co.uk or call 0333 3558 491.