Vistry chief executive Greg Fitzgerald has pledged to retain the Countryside brand if the £1.2bn merger between the two housebuilders, announced on Monday, is approved by shareholders.

Fitzgerald said the purchase of Countryside will transform Vistry into a business 50-50 split between traditional private housebuilding - through the Bovis, Linden and now Countryside brands - and partnerships housebuilding through Countryside and Vistry’s extensive partnerships operations.

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