Watch: Time-lapse footage reveals how timber-framed Linmere Farmstead community hub is near completion Thursday, 19th August 2021

A key milestone of a new community hub under construction which is set to serve the new 5,000 home Linmere development near Houghton Regis has been marked with a time-lapse video released by Lands Improvement Holdings (LIH).

The footage captures the four-month progress of The Farmstead which will be located in the heart of Linmere, a new collection of neighbourhoods being built over the next 15 years. The site comprises 200 acres of parkland and sport pitches, three new primary schools, a supermarket and 5,000 homes.

The Farmstead will consist of three barn-style buildings incorporating a café, a community hall, a retail area, a modern office and a shared workspace. They will be arranged around a central courtyard and meeting place, and next to a nature-inspired children’s adventure playground.

The project is being developed by a consortium comprising Aviva Investors, LIH and the St Albans Diocese. The main contractor Ashe along with Ingleton Wood, Gardiner + Theobald, and David Morley Architects are all providing expertise with design reviews to ensure the spaces are of high quality and suitable for the needs of the community.

Nigel Reid, Development Director of the Houghton Regis Management Company (HRMC), said: “Whether it’s catching up over a coffee in the commercial café, bringing the family to the adventure playground, renting out a space for a yoga class in the community hall or setting up a new business in the office spaces, The Farmstead is set to be the heart and soul of Linmere: a lively destination where residents, locals and visitors are welcome.  

“We are delighted to have worked so closely with Ingleton Wood who have really helped bring the initial designs alive to create an exciting, safe and welcoming space.”

Peter Webb, Director at our Oxford Office, said: “We have been working hard despite the unique challenges of the Pandemic to ensure The Farmstead is designed to an incredibly high standard while ensuring it is future-proofed, sustainable and provides an amazing space for the new community.

“We will remain agile as we look forward to pressing ahead in close collaboration with the consortium to ensure we deliver this fantastic development for the region.”

Work is set to complete on The Farmstead at the end of this year when it is hoped that the community hub can host a range of seasonal events.

Meanwhile, our Oxford office is recruiting for a school or college leaver to join on an Engineering Industrial Placement. Learn more here.

To view the full timelapse video, visit: https://vimeo.com/563710870

The Farmstead will be the central hub at Linmere with a café, park, community hall and retail units. Linmere will feature a collection of neighbourhoods over the next 15 years comprising a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom houses. Rendered illustration of the scheme. Credit / Copyright: HRMC