Barratt is now the country’s leading private sector provider of social housing, according to its recently announced interim results, which show that the firm built 1,760 homes for social housing to the year ending June 30. Chief executive David Pretty said: “We have again completed more new homes in total, and more on regenerated brownfield sites, than any other housebuilder. We are also leaders in the provision of social housing. “We are seeing encouraging demand on our sites right across the country. Today’s market is steady following the August rate cut, which brought back some measure of confidence, and the early signs are that new inquiries are continuing to rise since the summer holiday period.”