Stray cat cosies up in home built by award-winning construction company

A stray cat seen wandering the Hitchin streets is now living it up in a bijou property designed and built by an award-winning construction company.

The open-plan home, built over one level, has access to all local amenities with regular food deliveries and a constant supply of fresh water.

Nick Claessen, Senior Operations Manager, of Willmott Dixon, enlisted the help of his wife and children to create the Grand Design for Wilbury, named after the name of the street where the home is located.

He said: “Wilbury turned up around our office a couple of years ago. We assumed he was a stray as he was always hanging around.

“This year, the winter seems to have been particularly cold, and we started to feel sorry for Wilbury that he didn’t have somewhere warm to hunker down and be protected from the elements.”

Nick picked up discarded materials from site, had it cut to size and took it home where he worked with his family to build and paint the home from home.

“A number of our people took on responsibility for feeding him and worming him and he obviously decided he liked it round here. His little house has become quite a talking point for everyone.”

Willmott Dixon, which won a King’s Award for Enterprise last year, puts social value at the heart of its business.

“Community is so important to us, and I think we have shown that it’s not just the humans that matter. It may seem a small thing, but it shows the kind of company we have.”

And as a pawnote, the Willmott Dixon team has confirmed that Wilbury has now found an even cosier foster home and is looking forward to a purrfect happy ending. For more information on Willmott Dixon, click here.