Gary Sweet has revealed that Luton are ‘very, very close to being able to start seriously planning’ around Power Court and Newlands Park, while a redesign phase is also underway.
The plans, which include a new 17,500-seat stadium, were given outline approval earlier this year and 2020 Developments – the property arm of the football club – have been working with the council on the section 106 legal agreement, which confirms planning obligations.
Once signed, there will be a six-week period in which any objector can seek a judicial review, or else more detailed works can begin on both sites.
Appearing on Jim White and Natalie Sawyer’s TalkSport show today, the Hatters’ chief executive, said: “I was in town this morning with lawyers as we’re just at the precipice of completing the section 106, that’s the contract that goes with the planning application that we received in January and February, that effectively sets everything in stone.
“So we’re very, very close at the moment to being able to start seriously planning.”
It is more than three years since the plans were submitted , and Sweet added: “It’s been a long process. These designs, not just for the stadium, but we’ve got two sites, two big applications, it covers retail and offices and apartments and lots of other stuff as well, over two million square foot accommodation, so it’s a huge scheme.
“That’s now four years old, those designs, life has moved on and, particularly, in the area of retail and residential.
“So, we’re going through a redesign phase at the moment, we’ve got some time to reconsider that but we are cracking on.”
