Luton Council has been praised for its trailblazing and ambitious 2040 vision following an assessment by the Local Government Association.
The Corporate Peer Challenge report champions Luton’s 2040 vision which focuses on creating a healthy, fair and sustainable town, where everyone can thrive, and no one has to live in poverty.
It also describes how the council is determined to change its perception and reputation; rewrite the narrative and put the town and surrounding area on a more positive footing.
The peers stated that the strong partnerships between statutory, faith, VCS (voluntary and community sector), education and business sectors has laid the foundation for Luton 2040.
Councillor Hazel Simmons MBE, Leader of Luton Council, said: “We are pleased with the Corporate Peer Challenge report by the Local Government Association, it is a supportive report which recognises the huge determination and progress we are making here in Luton to transform our town to ensure all our residents thrive and there are positive health outcomes for all.
“It also recognises we have major challenges to meet – especially with regards to housing. More affordable housing is urgently needed in Luton; however, we know this has significant limitations due to national policy, space available in Luton and lack of funding in local government.
“We will be writing to the government about this shortly. We are already looking at how other councils are managing their own housing issues and look forward to sharing our robust plan for alleviating the housing pressures in the future.”
“Despite the huge budgetary challenges facing local government, Luton Council has managed to set a balanced budget year on year without the use of reserves which was also praised by the peer team.”
The report notes that at the heart of the council’s strategy is the creation of a thriving town centre as part of the £1.7billion transformation programme detailed in the town centre masterplan.
The peers highlighted the positive outcome of ‘Operation Metal’ which has reduced crime – including knife crime – in the town centre by 15 per cent within the first three months.
However, it also details the views of residents who have shared their concerns about the number of homelessness people or people with addictions in the town centre.
To read the full Corporate Peer Challlenge report please visit the report page.
