CMA allows MFG to integrate bulk of MRH sites into its business

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MFG has been given conditional permission to integrate the majority of MRH sites (about 440 out of 490) into its business, while the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) continues to consider the merger of the two companies, and undertakings proposed by MFG.

But the CMA has ruled that 52 MRH “hold separate” sites will still have to operate independently from MFG while its investigation continues.

The CMA has raised concerns about the merger, identifying 29 locations where MFG and MRH are close competitors and warning this could lead to consumers facing higher prices.

However, two weeks ago it revealed that MFG had offered to sell off some sites, and released a statement saying “there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered … or a modified version of them might be accepted by the CMA”.

The CMA would not reveal what these undertaking were, but MFG said it had offered to sell 15 MRH stations from the group of 52, together with 23 MFG stations.

William Bannister, MFG’s chief executive officer said: “Although the CMA has not yet formally cleared the merger, this decision gives us the ‘green light’ to substantially integrate the two businesses.

“Our immediate objectives are to quickly put forward our plans for the business to all staff and to implement, for a number of MRH sites, the ‘Hold Separate’ requirements which will remain in place while we make the divestments necessary to remedy the CMA’s concerns in a number of local areas.

“Fifty two MRH stations will be managed independently from the rest of the business during the ‘hold separate’ process, and 15 of these stations together with 23 MFG stations will be sold in a timely manner to comply with the CMA’s requirements.”

The 52 MRH sites that will be held separate are:

Site Name		Postcode			Address
Beaver		TN23 7RP			18 Beaver Road, Ashford, Kent
Bell Bar		AL9 6DB			Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Blackpole		WR3 8SE			Blackpole Road, Blackpole, Worcestershire
Canvey Island		SS8 9QB			Somnes Avenue, Canvey Island, Essex
Castle		WR1 3AD			Castle Street, Worcester, Worcestershire
Chafford		RM17 5QL			Hogg Lane, Grays, Essex
Chepstow		NP16 5YS			Newport Road, Chepstow, Gwent
Cheshireways		WA16 6LF			Swan Corner Chester Rd, Mere, Cheshire
Civic Centre		M22 5RG			Rowlands Way, Manchester, Lancashire
Cockfosters		EN4 0JY			347 Cockfosters Road, Barnet, Greater London
Collier Row		RM5 2BD			140‐148 Collier Row Road, Romford, Essex
Cornish Gateway		PL26 8UF			A30 Victoria Junction, Roche St Austall, Cornwall
Daneholes		RM16 2XE			Stanford Road, Orsett Grays, Essex
Dunvant		SA2 7QT			Goetre Fawr Road, Dunvant Swansea, West Glamorgan
East Howe		BH10 5HE			271 Kinson Road, Bournemouth, Dorset
East Lane		NG4 3NA			Westdale Lane, Carlton Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Felling			NE8 3HL			Park Road, Felling Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
Gateshead			NE10 0NR			Sunderland Road, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
Glyne Gap			TN40 2JU			Hastings Road, Bexhill On Sea, East Sussex
Hayling Down			CR8 2BA			628‐630 Brighton Road, Purley, Greater London
Hazelgrove Services			BA22 7JE			A303, Sparkford, Yeovil ‐ Somers
Hornsey Rise			N19 3SH			89 Hornsey Rise, Hornsey, London
Hornsey Road			N7 6RA			213‐217 Hornsey Road, Islington, London
Hothfield			TN26 1AP			Maidstone Road A20, Ashford, Kent
Key Hill			B18 5AU			Icknield Street, Birmingham, West Midlands
Kings Norton			B30 3JX			Pershore Road, Birmingham,
Lakedale			SE18 1JH			190‐214 Plumstead High St, London,
Leven			KY8 4AX			Windygates Road, Leven, Fife
Long Road			SS8 0JQ			371 Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex
Longfleet			BH15 2HP			Longfleet Road, Poole, Dorset
Lydford			TA11 7EY			A37, Lydford On Fosse, Somerton ‐ Some
Manor			SS7 4EN			164 Church Road, Benfleet, Essex
Moleside			KT12 4JZ			3‐5 Esher Road, Hersham, Surrey
Newbridge			EH28 8PW			1 Clifton Hall Road, Edinburgh,
Oakdale			BH15 3ED			347 Wimbourne Road, Poole, Dorset
Palace	KT8 9BW			Hampton Court Road, East Molesey, Greater London
Pierrepoint	NG12 2LF			Radcliffe Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Pippin	SN11 8AA			Oxford Road, Calne, Wiltshire
Podimore	BA22 8JG			Podimore Services, Podimore Yeovil, Somerset
Riviera	TQ3 2AG			147 Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon
Runnymede	TW20 9AD			38‐45 The Avenue, Egham, Surrey
Shepperton	TW17 8NE			Walton Bridge, Shepperton, Surrey
Sidley	TN40 2DD			Holliers Hill Sidley, Bexhill‐On‐Sea, East Sussex
Southall	UB1 3DD			Uxbridge Road, Southall, Middlesex
Southgate	N14 5BU			99 Chaseside, Southgate, London
Stamford Hill	N15 6LS			2 High Road, Stamford Hill, London
Studley Grange	W7 3QJ			167 Boston Road, London,
Tabley Hill	WA16 0EP			Tabley Hill Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire
Wallisdown	BH11 8PT			524 Wallisdown Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset
Warwick Road	CV8 1FB			Warwick Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Whetstone	N20 0LH			1182‐1202 High Road, London,
Whitgift	CR2 6EE			87 Brighton Road, South Croydon, Greater London