Bellway buys land to build 163 homes on edge of Houghton Regis

Bellway has purchased the 4.53-acre site, which already has outline planning permission for residential development, from Lands Improvement.

A planning application for the land off Woodside Link Road is to be submitted to Central Bedfordshire Council later this month.

The housebuilder is looking to build a mix of two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses – with 139 properties for private sale and 24 affordable homes for low-cost rent or shared ownership.

The development, known as Linmere Mews, will take the total number of houses built by Bellway in Linmere to 470.

The wider project is planned to eventually have 5,150 homes and new schools, shops, community facilities, employment land and more than 90 acres of public outdoor space.

Neil Grainger, land director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “This latest acquisition represents our third phase of development at Linmere and underlines our continued commitment to the wider scheme where we first began building back in 2020.

“This latest collection of apartments and houses will provide additional choice for housebuyers in the area, following the success of our previous two phases at Linmere, which have both proved to be incredibly popular.

“We have developed a close working relationship with Lands Improvements and would like to thank its team for their professionalism in completing the land deal for this important site. Subject to planning approval, we hope to be in a position to start construction work on this new phase by the end of this year.”

He added: “Bellway is proud to be playing a major role in the ambitious Linmere Urban Extension which is creating a vibrant and attractive new neighbourhood on the edge of Houghton Regis. New facilities and infrastructure are being delivered alongside the new homes and this is helping to build a strong sense of community.”

James Stone, managing director at Lands Improvement said: “This marks our third sale to Bellway who continue to prove themselves as a valued and reliable delivery partner at Linmere. This transaction marks another important step forward in the creation of a fantastic new community, creating a place for residents to make Linmere their home.”