The heads of two football supporters’ groups have called Capital & Regional a ‘toxic brand’ that is ‘miles adrift’ from the needs of Lutonians after a town centre demonstration against The Mall owners’ bid to scupper the transformation of the town.
Luton Town Supporters’ Trust and Loyal Luton organised the peaceful protest in the shadow of The Mall on Saturday, which saw hundreds of local people attend to show their anger at the delaying tactics of the retail group.
Capital & Regional have applied to the High Court for a judicial review over Luton Council’s decision to grant planning consent for Newlands Park.
The mixed-use scheme at junction 10 of the M1 will help fund another development at Power Court, including a new 17,500-seat stadium for Luton Town Football Club, a music venue similar in size to Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London (1,800-capacity), bars and restaurants.
Together, Newlands Park and Power Court will create 10,000 new jobs and help boost the local economy by £250million a year, but if Capital & Regional are successful in getting the planning consent quashed, it could scupper the entire regeneration project.
The demonstration on Saturday lunchtime in St George’s Square saw Lutonians pose peacefully, with many holding aloft banners and signs against Capital & Regional.
After a UK planning record of 11,000 people wrote to the council in support of the plans back in 2016 the retail group have maintained their position as major objectors to Newlands Park. Their application to the High Court for a judicial review to have Luton Council’s planning consent quashed could now cost Luton taxpayers up to £1million to defend.
Yet Capital & Regional continue to claim that they are working in the interests of the community.
“Capital & Regional can say what they like, because it’s very easy to make statements, but their statements are out of tune with Luton, said Loyal Luton chairman Mark Bradbury immediately after the demonstration on Saturday.”
He added: “It’s about the community telling Capital & Regional that they are miles adrift from what the people of Luton want.
“We’ll try to get the message over and send some of the photos over to their new majority shareholders, Growthpoint, and try to communicate with them.
“We’re not going to influence the judge in the judicial review, we know that. He’s going to look at the evidence and decide whether it goes to a trial or not. We’re hoping that, when he’s rejected it, that Capital & Regional look at what’s happened today and then maybe join with us to develop and regenerate Luton, rather than fight us.”
Luton Town Supporters’ Trust chairman Tony Murray said of the demonstration: “It will also start to show Capital & Regional how toxic their brand is in the town, and how much the people of Luton want them out of the town.
“Capital & Regional will know they’re in a fight and will get the full picture of how unpopular they are.”
Bradbury said: “One thing we want to be absolutely clear of, is that the shops within the Arndale (The Mall), and the people that work in those shops, we’ve got no problems with them whatsoever.
“In fact, the people that work in those shops are our neighbours, our friends, they’re Lutonians, they’re football fans, they’re the people of Luton and part of the community.
“It’s hard enough for those shops to survive anyway because of the lack of investment that C&R have done within this town. So, actually, we’re not going to do anything to damage that.
“What we want is to help them as much as possible. C&R are a toxic brand and very many people want them out of Luton. We’re sick of them now.”
Capital & Regional were last month taken over by South African property group Growthpoint, who are now 52 per cent majority shareholders.
Community campaign group #saveourtown, who also attended Saturday’s protest, have called on the new owners to reassess the actions the retail organisation has taken against Luton.
Andy King, vice chairman of #saveourtown, said: “These new guys (Growthpoint) have taken over. They’ve got an opportunity to put right a serious wrong in this town and we call upon them to do that.
“We call upon their CEO to make his mark, make a difference, make a statement.”
