A rash of takeovers and company purchases has continued the shake up of the housebuilding industry as medium size firms recognise it is a case of buy or be bought.<p></p><p>In the past few weeks Surrey-based housebuilder Gladedale has bought Dundee-based Bett for a maximum of &amp;£95 million, David Wilson has snapped up Henry Boot Homes while Propan, also based in Surrey, has bought Honeygrove and is changing its name to Honeygrove Group.</p><p> Mike Stansfield, chief executive of David Wilson Homes, said the &amp;£48 million Boot purchase would allow the firm to expand and increase starts by about 400 homes a year: &amp;“It provides a significant land bank of nearly 1,800 plots, many with full planning approval, which will enable us to expand further across the country, but particularly in the north and Midlands. </p><p>&amp;“We see this as a tremendous opportunity for us, complementing our own regional structure and optimising its potential.&amp;”</p><p> Meanwhile Bett, which sold 915 homes last year, succumbed to Gladedale because of the spiralling cost of funding land acquisitions. Gladedale boss Remo Dipre said: &amp;“This continues our plans to expand our operational activities in the UK.&amp;”</p><p>Bett chairman Iain Bett will step down while chief executive Ronnie Hanna will …