The class action is against Barratt Redrow, Bellway, The Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Vistry Group and its Countryside Partnerships division13:51, 30 Jun 2026UK housebuilders are facing legal action that could result in £4.5billion in compensation for thousands of new-build owners.‌The class action is against Barratt Redrow, Bellway, The Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Vistry Group and its Countryside Partnerships division.‌It centres over claims that the firms shared sensitive information, such as prices, buyer incentives and sales activity, which the lawsuit alleges led to consumers paying more for new-build properties.‌The lawsuit is being led by Mark McLaren, a former legal affairs manager at the consumer group Which?, on behalf of more than 700,000 consumers who bought a new-build between October 2015 and June 24 this year.Mr McLaren, who is being represented by competition law firms Geradin Partners and Hausfeld as co-counsel, believes each affected homeowner could be due compensation of between £3,100 and £6,200 each.‌His claim is now going to the Competition Appeal Tribunal to get the go ahead to proceed.It follows an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into whether the housebuilders had engaged in anti-competitive behaviour.This was dropped after the companies agreed to pay £100million into affordable housing programmes and made binding commitments not to share information.‌The watchdog there were signs they had exchanged details about sales including pricing, number of property viewings and incentives offered to buyers such as upgraded kitchens or stamp duty contributions.But the agreement secured with the builders meant the regulator did not need to rule on whether the companies broke competition law.Mr McLaren said: “Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most of us will make.‌“If, as seems to be the case, housebuilders shared sensitive pricing and sales information with one another instead of competing properly, homeowners across Great Britain may well have been left out of pocket as a result.“This claim is about standing up for those buyers and ensuring that compensation is delivered to those who deserve it.”Scott Campbell, a partner at Hausfeld, said: “For most homeowners, bringing an individual claim simply isn’t realistic, as the cost and complexity put it out of reach.Article continues below“That’s why this collective action is so important. It provides a practical route for hundreds of thousands of consumers to seek compensation where they may otherwise have had no way of doing so.”The housebuilders have been contacted for comment. A spokesperson from Berkeley Group said: “Berkeley is aware of the claim being pursued by Geradin Partners and Hausfeld. Given the nature of the proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage.”