Tweaks to Luton stadium plans still show music venue

December 7, 2020 Sportsdesk Culture, Luton Town news, Music 26
An artist's impression of Luton's Power Court stadium
An artist's impression of Luton's Power Court stadium

A music venue and supermarket still appear to be part of the Luton Town Football Club’s Power Court stadium plans after amendments to their outline planning permission appeared on Luton Council’s website.

A food store, which was part of the Power Court plans given permission back in January 2019, had appeared to be under threat after the council approved a new ALDI supermarket less than a mile away, next to Venue360. 

And with music venues having taken a huge hit all over the UK, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the 1,800-capacity space originally planned adjacent to the 17,500-seat new football stadium could have fallen victim to change in demand. 

However, new amendments to the plans, published on the Council’s website ask for a change in the height of two buildings on the site. And a map, outlining the plans for uncovering the culverted River Lea, show the music venue and food store aspects of the major regeneration project have survived a rethink talked about by Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet in his match programme notes ahead of last week’s 3-1 Championship win over Norwich. 

Layout designs showing a music venue to the left of the football stadium and a supermarket to the right.
Designs showing the plans for the River Lea also show a music venue to the left of the football stadium and a supermarket to the right.

He wrote: ‘I can confirm that we are way down the line on a planning pre-application for both Power Court and Newlands Park.

‘No panic needed! Our revised plans won’t take another four years from here to gain consent.

“In the next couple of weeks or so we will submit major modification applications for both sites which will see them decided upon by Spring 2021; just a few short months away.

“Nobody needs to be told or reminded that Covid-19 and the government’s questionable response to it, has totally rocked our world and, specifically, has enforced a rethink in terms of how we respond to a new economic environment and a permanent transformation in lifestyle people have as we emerge.

Luton Town chief executive Gary Sweet
Luton Town chief executive Gary Sweet in Luton Council’s chamber during the planning permission hearing for Power Court.

‘Upon the sudden realisation of the magnitude of this unwanted disruption in March, we knew we needed to react immediately and definitively to maintain any kind of reality to our schemes; and this is what we have done.

With retail, commercial and other relevant markers being permanently damaged, along with a supermarket effectively being taken away from us in planning terms, we have had to make some minor compromises that may initially appear to be a dilution from our original aspirational objectives.

‘However, we will remain loyal to the development of a proud gateway at Junction 10 of the M1; we’ll still enhance our town centre with the stadium development which will see an increase in dwellings, an increase in affordable dwellings, the River Lea having its lid taken off and even the halo remaining as our spiritual ‘hat’.

‘Most importantly, our primary attention in redrafting with our consultants has been to ensure that all independent components are viable, feasible and very deliverable in the immediate future.’

According to the application, the ‘minor amendment’ refers to Blocks E and F of the development which are proposed to move east in order to be located closer to the stadium.

The application covering letter, from principal planner, Emily Taylor of consultants WSP, says: ‘This will tie in more closely with the latest thinking on the stadium’s design.’

The change proposes the height of the buildings change from four meters to five metre which, ‘does not materially alter the townscape impact’. 

The letter adds: ‘In summary, the scope of the changes are so minor that the effects of the application as assessed in the outline permission are not altered. In short, it is non-material.’

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