New Housing Secretary makes first trip to Linmere

New Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, Visits Linmere for his First Public Engagement

The new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, chose Linmere for his first public engagement since taking office. This landmark occasion underscores the government’s focus on sustainable placemaking, strategic infrastructure, and the urgent need to accelerate homebuilding across the nation.

The Linmere development, situated on the edge of Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, represents one of the region’s most ambitious and transformative projects and is designed as more than just a collection of homes, it is envisioned as a blueprint for a vibrant, walkable, and sustainable community where people can flourish, As Linmere rapidly takes shape as a neighbourhood where families, professionals, and older generations can enjoy a great quality of life, it is the ideal place for the Housing Ministers first engagement.

On the day, Secretary of State Steve Reed was welcomed by representatives from the major house builders involved at Linmere – Barratt Redrow, Stonebond and Bellway Homes. The visit began with a tour of The Farmstead, offering the Minister a comprehensive view of the community that have come to live at Linmere and benefits from the facilities.

James Stone, Managing Director of Land Improvement, led in presenting the Linmere masterplan to Minister Reed and highlighting the commitment to progressive, resident-focused planning. The Minister’s engagement with the leadership teams provided an invaluable opportunity to discuss how innovative master planning can not only support but also help deliver on the government’s ambitions to significantly increase the housing supply, while ensuring the highest standards for new communities and the infrastructure that supports them.

Minister Reed enjoys a welcome, from the hosting team, at The Farmstead Linmere.

As part of his tour, Minister Reed was taken to the construction of new homes on Barratt’s parcel within Linmere Phase 3a. This area represents the forefront of Linmere’s ongoing expansion, and the visit offered the Secretary of State a firsthand look at the rapid progress being made.
During the site walkthrough, Minister Reed met with members of Barratt’s construction team, engaging about the challenges and opportunities presented by such large-scale community development. The tour also included a media component, with Minister Reed hosting an interview with Alex Forsyth of BBC News, sharing his insights and ambitions with a wider national audience.

Throughout his visit, Minister Reed expressed enthusiasm when speaking about the importance of projects like Linmere in the national effort to address the housing crisis. He highlighted the urgency of accelerating the construction of high-quality homes across the country and emphasised that the work underway at Linmere is a prime example of what is possible when a master developer, homebuilders, and local government collaborate and commit to a long-term enduring plan.

James Stone, Land Improvement Holdings MD, walks Minister Reed through the Linmere Masterplan.

Minister Reed remarked “I was thrilled to see first-hand the work already under way at Linmere, which is just one example where housebuilders are getting on with the job to build thousands of new homes. I want to see this happening in every town, city, and region across the country. We need to act fast and show quick results which is exactly why I am accelerating our plans to unleash the biggest era for building in our history, working in partnership with housebuilders of all sizes to build 1.5 million homes.”

Minister Reed gets up close on development across Linmere Phase 3a.

James Stone echoed the importance of the occasion, stating, “It’s fantastic to host Minister Reed on his first public engagement in his new role. It’s enabled us to showcase Linmere as an example of progressive master planning, in creating places to live, not just homes to live in. Being his first excursion in the new role, we hope Linmere offers a benchmark for Minister Reed, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as they chart their progress in meeting the government’s manifesto targets for new homes by 2029.”

James’s words encapsulate Linmere’s ambition: to be more than a housing estate, but rather a collection of interwoven neighbourhoods that prioritise green space, community interaction, and lifelong wellbeing.