Vistry Group

Bovis Homes completed a deal to acquire Galliford Try's housing arm in January 2020, renaming the combined business Vistry.

[5] On 9 January 2017, Bovis announced that its chief executive David Ritchie, who had been at the company for 18 years, had stepped down with immediate effect; he was quoted to have said that it was time for someone new to lead the group.

[30] During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Vistry initially furloughed the majority of its employees and suspended construction activities, before recommencing work on most of its sites in late April and early May.

[36] The deal, backed by both boards and by five major shareholders at Countryside holding 39% of the company, would create one of the UK's biggest home builders with revenue of over £3bn.

[43] Fitzgerald subsequently abolished the role of chief operating officer; Earl Sibley left the business in November 2024.

The CMA said it had evidence that firms shared commercially sensitive information with competitors, influencing the build-out of sites and the prices of new homes.

[50] An additional £50m profit warning was issued on 8 November 2024 after further under-estimated build costs were identified in the same division, taking the total of affected sites to 18.

[52] The third profit warning was described by investment broker Investec as "an unexpected nasty surprise" capping "a very poor end to 2024 for the Group".

[54] Prior to the Galliford Try deal which established Vistry, Bovis Homes operated seven regional businesses and built properties ranging from one-bedroom apartments to six-bedroom executive houses.

It had offices in Kings Hill, Basingstoke, Reading, Exeter, Bishop's Cleeve, Stafford, Coleshill and Milton Keynes.

[66] The Times reported that the company set aside more than £10 million to deal with the complaints, but customers said service standards remained appalling.

A whistleblower who worked as a customer service manager said he feared that construction problems were so common that the company might need to spend significantly more.

[66] On 10 May 2018, The Independent reported fresh allegations of home buyers being offered incentives including shopping vouchers for the positive feedback.

[67] Bovis Homes claims to have been focused on turning the business around and repairing its reputation for build quality and customer service.

In March 2019 Bovis Homes were awarded four-star housebuilder status by the HBF following its annual customer satisfaction survey.

A Bovis Homes development near Southampton
A Linden Homes development in Bishop's Cleeve , Gloucestershire