‘We are praying for success,’ says vicar in praise of Luton’s new stadium plans

The vicar of Luton’s oldest Church has said St Mary’s is “praying for success” for Luton Town Football Club’s Power Court stadium plans. 

The 900-year-old building will be a neighbour to the Hatters’ new home, and a detailed application was submitted to Luton Council on Friday with plans to build a 25,000-capacity ground with an attached hotel and music venue.

The club is aiming for the project – which was first unveiled in 2016 as a smaller 17,500-seat stadium, but has now grown – to be complete by 2027.

First, council planners will now be working through the submission and the full details are expected to be made public online within a fortnight.

That will begin a planning consultation and St Mary’s Church, which is a key stakeholder, will be able to submit their response to the application, which Reverend Mike Jones has said will be “strongly supportive” while also noting concerns.

However the church leader has praised work of the Hatters and their development company, 2020 Developments, for their “commitment to being good neighbours” and St Mary’s have released a previously unseen new image depicting how the proposed new stadium will look alongside the church.

Rev Jones said: “The club are looking to build a great stadium. But they are also investing substantially into the regeneration of this area of our town. As the plans go forward we are praying for success for Luton Town in all their endeavours!”

And in a statement, the church added: “St Mary’s Church, standing right alongside the proposed new stadium for Luton Town FC on Power Court, warmly welcome the new plans that have been submitted to the council.

“Rev Mike Jones, vicar of Luton’s town centre grade 1 listed church, sometimes described as Luton’s Medieval jewel, is enthusiastic about what he recognises will be a very big and sometimes noisy presence alongside the church – which has stood on the site for the past 900 years!

“The Hatters approached us just a year or so after my arrival as vicar with their then tentative and sometimes controversial plans for a town centre stadium. They met with our parish church council at Kenilworth Road to talk about their hopes and dreams several months before their very first public consultation in 2016. 

“From the first, their commitment to being good neighbours was clear. The values that have marked their progress up (and temporarily, we pray, down!) the leagues were clear to us even then, and with those at the core we feel sure the journey with them as neighbours will be sometimes challenging to our own busy schedule but definitely worth while – for the good of the town, the club and, we believe, the church.

“St Mary’s submission to the planners will be strongly supportive, though as always we will be noting our concerns, including those of Historic England which acts as guardian of our heritage, and they have been the basis of the design we have now. We are confident it will be the same now and in the future.”