CMA invites comment for Unite’s £1.4bn Liberty Living takeover

The Competition and Markets Authority is inviting parties to comment on Unite Group’s £1.4bn student housing deal to acquire Liberty Living. Unite Group’s proposed takeover has been subject to CMA clearance since it was struck earlier this month. The watchdog has not yet set a deadline for its decision but has asked for submissions from parties regarding any potential competition issues. A spokesperson for Unite said: “We said at the time of our original announcement that we would notify the CMA of our proposed acquisition of Liberty Living. “Successful completion of this deal is subject to the CMA’s approval.  Today’s update of the CMA’s website is standard procedure as part of the review process we expected to follow.  We will provide an update as and when appropriate.” The merged entity would comprise around 75,000 bedrooms. To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@egi.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @estatesgazette