Probe Continues into Suspected Anti Competitive Conduct by Major Housebuilders

THE INVESTIGATION into suspected anti-competitive conduct by eight major housebuilders in Great Britain is to continue.

The housebuilders are suspected of exchanging competitively sensitive information with each other.

The investigation comes at a time when the government is expecting to drive economic growth by building 1.5 million new homes over the next four years.

Housebuilders’ Anti Competitive Conduct

The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) has set its timetable to continue its probe until May this year.

It will allow time for the organisation to carry out additional evidence gathering, as well as CMA analysis and review under the Competition Act 1998.

On 26 February 2024, the CMA launched an investigation into suspected breaches of competition law by the eight housebuilders. It was prompted by concerns that they may have exchanged competitively sensitive information.

In August 2024, two of the housebuilders that are the focus of the CMA’s investigation, Barratt Developments plc and Redrow plc, merged to form Barratt Redrow plc.

The housebuilders whose activities are now being investigated are:

1. Barratt Redrow plc and its group companies
2. Bellway plc and its group companies
3. The Berkeley Group plc and its group companies
4. Bloor Homes Limited and its group companies
5. Persimmon plc and its group companies
6. Taylor Wimpey plc and its group companies
7. Vistry Group plc and its group companies

The CMA says it has not yet got sufficient evidence of breaches of competition law for it to issue a statement of objections to any of the housebuilders.

A statement of objections is a CMA document which sets out its evidence of companies who are suspected of breaking competition law and the organisation’s provisional findings. It gives companies the opportunity to put any arguments to the CMA before any decision is taken about whether competition law has been broken.

>> Read more about the CMA investigation in the news