Luton Town’s Newlands Park plans approved despite Tory councillor’s ‘sick of it’ row

Luton Town’s revised Newlands Park plans have tonight been granted outline planning permission by Councillors, despite fiery criticism from Conservative Gilbert Campbell, the only member of the Development Management Committee to vote against both applications.

It’s another major hurdle towards the Hatters aims of building a new football stadium at the heart of the town, in Power Court, with detailed applications still to be considered by the committee later this year.

The Newlands Park applications, which are intrinsically linked, had already been deferred three weeks ago in farcical scenes over a withdrawn objection but, tonight, amid councillors raising confused points about Power Court, Cllr Campbell (Bramingham ward) criticised the difference in the revised junction 10 proposals.

Plans had originally been presented in 2016, but now feature less space for leisure and retail, as a result of the impacts of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. The lack of a park and ride facility at Newlands Park was a particular point of contention, even though a legal agreement will safeguard that, while the forthcoming detailed application for Power Court will set out a traffic management plan.

Cllr Campbell, who abstained from a similar vote on Power Court i 2019, said: “I’ve got a lot of concerns about the whole overall (plan), from when it first came to us and we had a big meeting about a football stadium, Power Court, the development at junction 10. All this fantastic thing, House of Fraser, blah, blah, blah, and that’s all fallen apart. 

“So, now we’re coming and having chunks of this, chunks of that, chunk of that. They (Luton Town) can’t tell us when the football stadium is going to be built. And then we’re being promised that this park and ride might materialise at some stage later on. 

“One of the problems I see, where is the bus going to go? Have we got bus lanes? No, we haven’t. So, they’re going to join the traffic. 

“Luton is very congested with traffic and we’re going to be bringing more traffic in, so if you don’t have some sort of park and ride, it’s going to be a nightmare. 

“Are we going to end up with offices that are empty, shopping places that are empty? Because the whole structure of working had changed completely. Shopping has changed completely. So we could end up with loads of buildings, if they are  built, that are just sitting there empty. 

“To be honest with you, the great thing that we were going to have, originally, all seems to be coming down to little bits here, little bits there. Where is the big idea? It’s gone. I’m sorry, I am very disappointed with all of it.”

Chair Cllr David Taylor, responded saying: “OK, you’ve expressed your opinion. I don’t necessarily agree with most of it.”

But Cllr Campbell then interrupted, saying: “Woah, woah woah, Stop. Please, that is my opinion. If you don’t agree with it, you put your opinion across. Don’t tell me you don’t agree with my opinion.”

The Bramingham representative added, while waving his finger: “You do it all the time, chair. You keep having a go at me for my opinion. That is my opinion. Leave my opinion alone.”

Cllr Taylor said: “I gave you the chance to speak, didn’t I?”

Cllr Campbell responded, saying: “No! You do it all the time and I’m sick of it. It’s all being videoed. I’m sick of you doing…. I’m sorry.”

Issues with parking continued however, with Cllr Abbas Hussain saying: “Luton Town Football Club don’t give a damn about any residents’ parking on those football days, I can’t tell you this now.” The Dallow Ward member then voted in favour of the application. 

Both applications were voted through separately by seven votes to Cllr Campbell’s one.

The outline planning permission is another major milestone in developing the Newlands Park land at junction 10 of the M1 motorway, which the football club’s property arm, 2020 Developments, last year sold in a deal that chief executive Gary Sweet said will move the Hatters “closer to realising our dream’ of a new stadium at Power Court.