Savills acted on behalf of HRMC, the consortium of landowners spearheaded by master-developer Lands Improvement.

Situated next to the existing town of Houghton Regis, Linmere is a vibrant new community which will comprise schools, employment, retail and leisure facilities, as well as up to 5,150 new homes. The scheme is set within a landscape-led development with an emphasis on health and wellbeing.

Phases one to three are already under development with around 800 homes occupied, along with brand-new community facilities, open spaces, retail outlets and a state-of-the-art primary school.

Phase four of Linmere comprises eight land parcels and was brought to the market by Savills in late 2024. With the investment undertaken by LIH in servicing the land, deals were agreed with four developers – Dandara and Tilia Homes, both now having achieved Reserved Matters, along with Persimmon and Bellway Homes – the latter of which completed in February bringing the marketing to a successful conclusion.

All parcels were purchased with the benefit of outline permission and acquired unconditionally.

Dandara acquired parcels 1 and 6, which together comprise 165 homes. Dandara plans to deliver a mixture of open market and Build to Rent housing.

Tilia Homes acquired parcels 4 and 5, which comprise 259 homes. Like Dandara, Tilia Homes plan to deliver a mixture of open market and Build to Rent housing.

Persimmon acquired parcels 7 and 8, comprising 236 units.

Bellway Homes acquired parcels 2 and 3 which together comprise 236 units.

Both Bellway Homes and Dandara have already acquired land within previous phases in Linmere whilst Tilia Homes and Persimmon Homes are new entrants to the location.

These most recent land sales follow Savills involvement at Linmere over a number of years, providing development consultancy and agency services.

Patrick Eve commented: “Phase four is an important next step in the planned delivery of Linmere. The recent land sales within this phase to four different housebuilders reflects sustained appetite from major housebuilders for well‑serviced, well‑located land with strong placemaking credentials. Bellway’s and Dandara’s ongoing involvement with Linmere will support the continued delivery of high‑quality homes within one of Bedfordshire’s fastest‑growing new communities.

“The involvement of Tilia Homes and Persimmon Homes in this phase represents an excellent addition to the carefully selected developer partners, and one which we feel will be to the benefit of the consortium of landowners HRMC, Lands Improvement and to Linmere itself. This acquisition demonstrates the robust nature of the residential development land market and a shared understanding in placemaking demonstrated by both parties”.

James Stone, Managing Director of Lands Improvement said: “These recent land sales represent an important milestone in the continuing delivery of the thriving community at Linmere. With a diverse mix of tenure, further much-needed housing will be delivered with all the necessary ingredients to ensure Linmere remains a vibrant place for generations to come.”