Places for People and Barratt Redrow Form Joint Venture to Deliver 8,500-Home Garden Town in Gilston

Places for People and Barratt Redrow announced a landmark joint venture on April 8, 2026, to develop 8,500 homes across six interconnected villages in Gilston, East Hertfordshire — one of the largest real estate development projects in the United Kingdom in recent decades.

The joint venture combines Places for People's master developer expertise and social enterprise mission with Barratt Redrow's homebuilding scale, with the two firms stating the partnership will unlock delivery at a pace and scope neither could achieve independently.

Project Overview: Six Villages, 660 Hectares of Green Space

The Gilston Park Estate development will comprise six walkable villages on the outskirts of Gilston, set within 660 hectares of public open space that includes restored historic parkland, meadows, and woodland. The recently approved Strategic Landscape Masterplan (SLMP) secures 15 kilometers of heritage trails, more than 410 hectares of integrated green spaces, and orchard and allotment areas — making it a place where people can reconnect with nature in their daily lives.

Of the 8,500 planned homes, at least 1,950 — approximately 23 percent of the total — will be designated affordable, addressing housing pressure on local families, first-time buyers, and key workers in East Hertfordshire. The development also includes 29,000 square meters of commercial space intended to support a circular local economy and create opportunities for start-up businesses.

The project is forecast to generate more than £6 billion in economic impact, creating thousands of local jobs, apprenticeships, and business opportunities across Hertfordshire. A long-term stewardship model is planned to sustain the community beyond initial construction.

Partnership Structure and Strategic Rationale

The joint venture builds on prior collaboration between the two organizations. Places for People brings long-term stewardship capabilities and a social value framework, while Barratt Redrow — formed from the 2024 merger of Barratt Developments and Redrow — contributes volume homebuilding capacity through its three brands: Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, and Redrow.

Greg Reed, CEO of Places for People, said the partnership represents a new model for delivering major communities at scale. "The UK cannot meet its housing targets without partnerships that deliver differently," Reed said. "By combining Places for People's long-term stewardship and social value approach with Barratt Redrow's exceptional capability to deliver homes at scale and like-minded approach to social value, we can accelerate one of the most significant new communities in the UK."

Reed added: "They say the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and with Gilston we did just that. It's taken two decades to get to this point, and now we are ready to roll."

David Thomas, Chief Executive at Barratt Redrow, described the project as a generational opportunity. "This is a once-in-a-generation project where we can create a modern garden town, connecting people to nature, and growing with the community," Thomas said.

Alignment With UK Government Housing Ambitions

The joint venture comes shortly after the UK government launched the National Housing Bank and committed to seven new towns as part of its ambition to build 1.5 million homes by 2029. The Gilston development aligns directly with that policy framework, offering a large-scale, privately led model for delivering new communities with integrated infrastructure, green space, and affordable housing.

The project has been in planning for approximately 20 years, with Places for People having previously secured planning approval for 660 hectares of green space at Gilston. The recently approved SLMP represents a further milestone, locking in the landscape and open space framework ahead of home construction.

Advisors and Next Steps

Places for People and Barratt Redrow were advised by Savills, Dentons, JLL, and Shakespeares Martineau on the joint venture formation. No transaction price or financial terms for the joint venture were disclosed.

The development is designed as an intergenerational community model that balances town and country living, with wellbeing and access to nature central to its planning framework. Commercial space within the development is intended to support start-up businesses and entrepreneurial community concepts alongside residential uses.

Further information on the project is available at the Gilston Park Estate website.