Next phase of the master plan

Progress Update

The public consultation took place in July 2022 and we have reflected on both residents’ and the local communities comments and will be considering them as we continue to develop the site.

Works are rapidly progressing on site, with construction of AMP1 now well underway with two housebuilders delivering homes with new residents having already moved in. The extension of Thornhill Primary School opened in Autumn 2022, and the detail design of the Local Centre is being prepared, with delivery in early 2023.

Both AMP2 and AMP3 have now been granted full planning approval, and construction of the roads and open spaces is ongoing, with the first housebuilders to be operative on site by the end of the year.

The Farmstead is now open, with its hall already hosting community activities and events open to new and existing residents of Linmere. The cafe and adventure playground have become a new destination for residents in the a local area. A new dog grooming business has opened with new occupiers for the remaining retail units close to being finalised.

Area Masterplan 4 (AMP4) is located west of AMP1 and north of Tithe Farm neighbourhood. It will be accessed directly from the spine street through AMP1 which will link to Bedford Road once completed.

AMP4 will connect directly to Houghton Regis through Tithe Farm Recreation Ground, where existing and proposed routes will allow people to easily walk and cycle between the new and the existing neighbourhoods.

A generous network of green spaces will cross the development linking Houghton Regis to the countryside north of the A5-M1 Link, and the rest of Linmere which will also include Bidwell Park, a new major area of open space which will be part of future development.

AMP4 will provide new residential areas for approximately 1,100 new homes with access to the Local Centre and Primary School within AMP1, and to another Local Centre and Primary School that will be delivered to the west in the future.

Creating a beautiful and active landscape will be the main inspiration for the new neighbourhood, following the principles of activation and inclusivity established for Linmere Park in AMP1.

The existing hedgerows that currently cross the site provide opportunities to create a series of green corridors through the new neighbourhood and link Houghton Regis to the south and the Ouzel Brook to the north.

The existing undulating topography of the site will be remodelled to create the Beech Hanger, a linear park built on a winding slope at the western edge of AMP4, which is inspired by the landscape of the Chiltern Hills.

Formal and informal open spaces will be inclusive and accessible to everyone and encourage play, physical activity, gathering and social interaction; contributing to the health and wellbeing of new and existing residents of Linmere.

BE ACTIVE About ten hectares of new linear parks and open spaces will be created to offer the opportunity for a variety of physical activities in an informal, playful way.

PLAY Equipped play areas will be distributed across the site within short walking distance from every home, and will be designed to interact with the landscape to add character to the new development.

FOR EVERYONE Not just for kids, the design of open spaces will make provision for every age group and cater for all abilities, to create an environment that is truly diverse and open.

HEALTHY LIVING With attractive connections to Linmere Park, Tithe Farm Recreation Ground and in the future Bidwell Park, the proposed network of routes will give everyone access to open space and opportunities to exercise, interact and socialise.

The network of informal open spaces and corridors will create environments for a broad range of wildlife, increasing the biodiversity of the site.

A network of sustainable drainage features will be integrated within the open space network, providing surface water attenuation and creating the opportunity to establish wetland habitats.

A green grid of linear parks and accessible green spaces have been designed to include bio-diverse native habitats inspired by the local landscape.

The habitats and open spaces created will offer opportunities for stewardship and education, which are key components of the Building with Nature guidelines which is guiding development at Linmere..

NEW HABITATS New habitats will include improved grassland and wildflower meadows, which will increase the population of insects and other small animals across the development.

WATER AND FLOOD RESILIENCE Sustainable drainage features (SuDS) will be designed to be naturalistic in their appearance and include opportunities for water to be permanently retained as features to enable the creation of wetland habitats and informal play.

A DIVERSE LANDSCAPE A variety of landscapes will be created, which will include a woodland-type environment along the Beech Hanger. This landscape feature is inspired by the landscape to be found in the Chiltern Hills.

BUILDING WITH NATURE Nature being an integral part of the design, will be accessible to everyone and offer opportunities for exploration, discovery and learning

AMP4 will further reinforce Linmere’s aspiration to enable active travel (walking, cycling and public transport) as the easy choice for moving around the site.

The spine road which has been built as part of AMP1 will be extended through AMP4 to provide a bus route to connect the future Local Centre and Primary School west of AMP4, and will eventually be extended to Bedford Road to the west.

A permeable network of local streets will offer choice and flexibility for residents to access individual dwellings while allowing for vehicular connections in a managed and controlled way.

Several walking and cycle access points will allow people to reach the new neighbourhood from both AMP1 and Houghton Regis, giving access to the open space network and to the future development to the west.

WALKING AND CYCLING New walking and cycle routes will cross the neighbourhood making the modes of choice for people to access local facilities and amenities along side providing connections between Linmere and the wider countryside.

STREETS AS PLACES Streets will be designed to be low traffic. Trees and other planting will be included to provide shade, informal gathering and potential for play which will promote them as places to socialise and not just for cars.

A PERMEABLE NETWORK The layout of streets and blocks will create a permeable network that encourages walking and cycling. The Masterplan will include several pocket parks and incidental open spaces distributed across the neighbourhood.

ACCESS TO NATURE Proposed and improved existing routes through the neighbourhood will give to everyone increased access to nature, with links to the Ouzel Brook and the countryside north of the A5-M1 Link.

How will we achieve this?

To ensure that the design concepts and principles that inspire the Masterplan are brought forward through construction into implementation, and that an overall high quality for AMP4 is achieved, an Area Design Code (ADC4) will be developed and be approved by Central Bedfordshire Council as part of the submission. This approved document will be a tool to inform and control future detailed planning submissions prepared by subsequent housebuilders.

Similar to the design codes prepared for previous areas, ADC4 establish design criteria for the themes established at the Outline Planning Permission stage, which include: