Class action sues eight UK housebuilders over price fixing

A major class action lawsuit seeking billions of pounds in compensation has been filed against eight of Britain's largest housebuilding firms. The claim, filed on Tuesday, June 30, alleges that Barratt, Redrow, Bellway, The Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Vistry Group, and its Countryside Partnerships division engaged in anticompetitive conduct that inflated prices for newbuild homes.

The legal action is being spearheaded by Mark McLaren, a former parliamentary and legal affairs manager at the consumer group Which?, on behalf of more than 700,000 people who purchased newbuild properties across Great Britain between October 2015 and June 24, 2026. The claim must now be approved by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, a process that typically takes six to twelve months before it can proceed.

Law firms Geradin Partners and Hausfeld, representing McLaren, estimate the total compensation sought could be between £2.2 billion and £4.5 billion. This would equate to individual payouts ranging from approximately £3,100 to £6,200 for each affected homeowner.

The lawsuit alleges that the housebuilders shared commercially sensitive information, including details on achieved...