Wilson Bowden has acquired Roland Bardsley Homes, the housebuilder with nine sites near Manchester, for £25m. Roland Bardsley will continue trading under its own name. Wilson Bowden is also taking on debts of £24m at Bardsley, which sold 104 homes at an average price of £211,078 in 2005 and has land for another 600 units at 18 sites, all with detailed planning permission. Wilson Bowden chief executive Ian Robertson said: "This acquisition forms part of our planned 2006 land expenditure." Bardsley, which demerged from its contracting arm in 2003, employs more than 230 people.