Luton Town Football Club has hinted that fighting Capital & Regional through the High Court over their Newlands Park regeneration scheme will mean there is no money is available to sign new players in the January transfer window.
It was today confirmed that the retail group – which owns The Mall shopping centre and has been the only major objector to the mixed-use development by junction 10 of the M1 – has applied for a judicial review of the planning decision.
Luton Council released a statement earlier today outlining how they will fight the legal action, though it would cost taxpayers for them to do so, with Hatters supporters’ groups calculating that the legal defence could cost ordinary Lutonians between £500,000 and £1million.
In his match-day programme notes on Saturday, Luton chief executive Gary Sweet, writing about C&R’s claims that the planning decision was ‘unlawful’, called them ‘weak and toothless’.
Now the football club and its property arm, 2020 Developments, has released a statement outlining what such a defence will mean for the football club. It says Capital & Regional’s claim will see the Hatters ‘incur significant costs to our own business affecting our operational expenditure’.
They also highlighted how the claim will delay the major regeneration plans for the town centre, which includes the club’s new 17,500-seat stadium at Power Court, which Newlands Park will help to fund.
But it will be the prospect of the Hatters not being able to strengthen their squad in the transfer window which will cause added concern for supporters of the club, which is currently struggling at the foot of the Championship.
In a statement, the football club said: ‘Luton Town Football Club and 2020 Developments express extreme disappointment at discovering that there has been a claim to the High Court for a Judicial Review upon Luton Council’s decision to grant planning permission for Newlands Park.
‘The claim by Capital & Regional does not come as a surprise given their track record of opposing our plans and, we believe, their claims have no merit whatsoever. Indeed, it has always been our view that Capital & Regional have opposed and continue to oppose our plans on commercial factors rather than factors of public interest.
‘Naturally, their decision to make such a claim will lead to delays to the regeneration of Luton and will not only incur significant costs to our own business affecting our operational expenditure but also to Luton Council, which will be funded by the local taxpayer.
‘This action also goes against the interests of the community, of which over 10,000 supported our applications in writing at the committee meeting earlier this year after which the approval was supported by the Secretary of State.
‘It will now be the community who will see further delays to the significant private investment brought about by the delivery of Newlands Park, which will lead to the substantial positive economic impact on the area being frustrated.
‘2020 Developments will now support the Council in their vigorous defence of the challenge with an objective to putting forward robust evidence to show the High Court judge that Capital & Regional’s claims have no legal substance.’
We should boycott the mail shopping centre and support the football club stick up for the town.
Although I’m a football fan this goes much farther .as soon as we get out of kenilworth road the council will be able to build social housing on that land for the people who need it. Also the council will fight c&r in a judicial appeal which could cost the council tax payers of Luton between £500,000 to a 1,000,000. This money needs to be for the elderly and the young for social care but C@R don’t give a dame about the people of luton.people on here day boycott the mall and others say it will cost jobs for the people who work there.sorry if it costs a few job but we need this to go through as it will create a few thousand jobs . I don’t know how to fight C@R but hopefully we can. On a personal note, I’m a citizen of 71 years of Luton.
I’m so disgusted I am struggling for words, we have both a terribly outdated football stadium that is one of only three under 20,000 in the Championship holding only 10,000 fans, which currently is sold out every game, if Luton were at Power Court this season the 17,500 would also be sold out and then there is that shopping centre in the town centre that is a sorry state, the only thing that can revive pride and attractiveness to central Luton is the Power Court development, whilst Newlands Park will attract the more middle class Lutonians that currently shun the Arndale for London, MK, Watford and anywhere else that isn’t this pound shop emporium that passes as a shopping centre in Luton a town with a population around the same as Milton Keynes up the road. There are almost 300,000 people in Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis we deserve facilities fit for a large town in the 21st century, Newlands Park and Power Court are so badly needed. I pray the JR is unsuccessful and Lutonians get the stadium and new facilities we are crying out for.
why do we have to be dragged down by the capital the so called mall. they just dont want to improve a run down town center.