Luton Town Relocation Plans

[Aberstone]

I love the idea of Power Court, I just don't see how it's possible. Whilst I'm sure the site itself is big enough, its central location will gridlock the town center every other Saturday.
I'd be massively disappointed if it was 10A. It's so far out of town and no way of getting there other than by car which isn't ideal. Sadly it's probably the most likely venue.
I think the best option is the Brache/Venue 360. Ample space, just on the outshirts of town, off of the motorway, walking distance from Parkway.

Interesting to see how it unfolds.

The same problems that apply to Power Court (cheers once again LBC for pedestrianising Guildford Street) will also hold true for a ground on the Brache. Currently there's only the one entrance and exit point through Gipsy Lane, so unless the club have plans to liaise with the council and fund another entrance point then congestion will be incredibly bad around there on matchdays, especially when considering the retail park that is opposite too.

It's a shame that the old Vauxhall site has already had planning permission approved for residential development. That site would have been perfect location wise for a new stadium, with ample parking to boot (intentional pun).

 

[Kenneth E End]

Of the two best options, congestion was always going to be the biggest issue, which is why I'm slightly worried about going through the elongated planning process with that massive issue hanging over the project. Luton is without doubt, traffic city, which will only get worse going into the next generation as the town grows beyond its current borders.

Something that came out of previous statements was that the club want to encourage public transport travel to matches. Like stadiums, airports try and encourage people to use public transport much as possible, but in reality what is the most common mode of travel to both of these facilities? Surface access/roads. Unless you financially disincentivise and penalise people for using these modes, its not going to change. From a personal point of view, I'm not going to use a bus to go to games because of cost, time and inconvenience.

Parking is also an issue - Saturday afternoons around the town centre is already very limited in parking space. The station car park is expensive and will not cater for c18,000 people in cars.

I trust 2020 to get this right however and think it will happen.

 

[BelizeHatter]

I'd only been "fishing" for a minute and there was this BIG bite...... got one.

Amazing. How quickly they forget. Perhaps you never lived here and just like the name as otherwise even to joke about it............

 

[Judge Dredd]

Power Court - would it actually cause that much traffic congestion? People will park in the same places as now, surely. The idea would be to encourage everyone to get the train in (which probably 75% of people do now anyway). Anyone who drives in will be the people who drive in to the Kenny now anyway. Where do they park? The Con Club? Unlikely that the 500 people parking there will make a difference...

 

[Kenneth E End]

(which probably 75% of people do now anyway)

Really? I think the number for home fans is closer to 10%.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Most people I know who drive in park around Ashburnham Road and those streets there. There is actually plenty of parking there and not far to walk at all, but it's not somewhere you'd park to get to Power Court I wouldn't have thought.

I get the train in so woud be perfect for me but I highly doubt that those using that are anywhere near as high as 75% of fans from what I see on a matchday.

 

[Aberstone]

Power Court - would it actually cause that much traffic congestion? People will park in the same places as now, surely. The idea would be to encourage everyone to get the train in (which probably 75% of people do now anyway). Anyone who drives in will be the people who drive in to the Kenny now anyway. Where do they park? The Con Club? Unlikely that the 500 people parking there will make a difference...

The Lansdowne car park is always full on matchdays as well, that wouldn't change with a move to Power Court.

Power Court is big enough for a 15,000 seater stadium and a fair amount of parking I'd have thought?

 

[Kenneth E End]

Most people I know who drive in park around Ashburnham Road and those streets there. There is actually plenty of parking there and not far to walk at all, but it's not somewhere you'd park to get to Power Court I wouldn't have thought.

The council should be promoting public transport, not making it more difficult! Or try and justify a costly scheme that no one wants to use - a la the busway or the stupid bus scheme the previous owners wanted to use for J12.

I park around Ballantyne's Gym - either in the multi storey or under the flyover. On a Tuesday night I used to park in the town centre car parks free of charge, but they now close at 10pm. So from next season I'm going to park where the old bus station used to be.

 

[Aberstone]

The council should be promoting public transport, not making it more difficult! Or try and justify a costly scheme that no one wants to use - a la the busway or the stupid bus scheme the previous owners wanted to use for J12.

I park around Ballantyne's Gym - either in the multi storey or under the flyover. On a Tuesday night I used to park in the town centre car parks free of charge, but they now close at 10pm. So from next season I'm going to park where the old bus station used to be.

Good luck parking in Bute Street Car Park, that place is full from 10am onwards.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Good luck parking in Bute Street Car Park, that place is full from 10am onwards.

Only on Tuesday nights - its empty in the evenings and free.

 

[genesimmons]

Surely most folk go to kenilworth road on public transport or by foot anywhere. I used to walk it when i went there. So moveing to somewhere with small parking will be same transport situation as is now. Has dunstable ever beet muted? I hope it all gets sorted as a geordie ive always had a soft spot for luton

 

[Kenneth E End]

Another major annoucement in today's match day programme regarding this project. The investors have now bought land so I assume we'll know a location.

 

[Judge Dredd]

The land could be for the enabling development rather than the actual ground. I feel like it would be getting hyped up more if it was going to be something as big as the new ground location.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Was literally about to post exactly the same thing JD. Feels a bit understated, if it were the land for the ground I think they would be building it up a bit more.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Was literally about to post exactly the same thing JD. Feels a bit understated, if it were the land for the ground I think they would be building it up a bit more.

The enabling development plans are my inkling too, but they obviously want to encourage people to turn up to hear the news. Each step is an important milestone; we know too well that something can come along and the whole project goes off course. This is a very long term project that will require a lot of patience.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Luton Town are in the process of buying a 40-acre plot near the new M1 J10A site, to the South West of the town, for £10,000,000. It is still unknown as to whether this will be the site of the enabling development or the stadium home (the site is the preferred location of Luton Borough Council). Gary Sweet, Luton's CEO, was coy in mentioning that this could assist us "elsewhere or nearby".

 

[Judge Dredd]

£10m seems a lot if it were just for the enabling development, but it was seemingly deliberately worded to leave ambiguity. Am I right in thinking that J10a was the land that the Watson-Challis's owned?

 

[Kenneth E End]

£10m seems a lot if it were just for the enabling development, but it was seemingly deliberately worded to leave ambiguity. Am I right in thinking that J10a was the land that the Watson-Challis's owned?

Could be, but there's a lot of land around there. I feel uncomfortable doing business with Sheila Watson-Challis, considering the position they put us in.

Land in Luton is at a premium so any site would cost a shed load of money from the outset.

The NIMBYs from Slip End and Caddington will be out in force no doubt.

 

[genesimmons]

Seems a bit off the beaten track for non car owners to get to. Considering price of land would it not be cheaper luton buying housed around existing ground to knock down and expand kenilworth road

 

[Judge Dredd]

Seems a bit off the beaten track for non car owners to get to. Considering price of land would it not be cheaper luton buying housed around existing ground to knock down and expand kenilworth road

We don't own any of the land around the ground (including the ground itself). So we'd have to buy that land (and the ground) anyway, in addition to probably hundreds of terraced houses. It would cost an absolute fortune, and anyway the Kenny is way past the point of an expansion/redevelopment now so you'd still have to knock it down and start from scratch (along with a huge number of housing... can't see the council being too pleased with that somehow).

Even if we could somehow pull all that off, we'd still be stuck in an area with shit match-day facilities, awful traffic congestion issues, and a local community who mostly view the club with anything between antipathy and outright hostility. Redeveloping the current ground/site has never been a feasible option for the club to progress.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Seems a bit off the beaten track for non car owners to get to. Considering price of land would it not be cheaper luton buying housed around existing ground to knock down and expand kenilworth road

Supposedly that land is earmarked only for the enabling development - could be housing, leisure development etc.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I think initially 16,000 would suffice, with ability to expand to 24,000 and beyond if needed. Modern technology should allow for flexibility.

 

[HertsWolf]

Luton Town relocating?

Pete Winkelman's got an idea....

 

[oakroader]

a new stadium for the mighty hatters?
here's a few things that really matters.
enough room to sit without getting cramp,
with a roof that protects from wind and damp.
no irritating pylons obscuring the view,
and a decent toilet facility incase of no.2!!
organised parking within a short walk,
somewhere to go at halftime for a pint and a talk.
plenty of cabins selling hot and cold food,
with staff and stewards who are polite and not rude.
this all still seems to be but a distant pipedream
but I live in hope I will be around to see this for my team.

 

[Kenneth E End]

More information regarding the 'enabling development' has been revealed this week. Gary Sweet on behalf of Luton Town and Luton Borough Council are representing the club and the town itself in developing a mixed use business/leisure park with 500,000 square feet of office space, bars, restaurants etc. Its a great location for that - 2 million within 30 minutes and 200,000 cars going past every day.

http://2020developments.co.uk/

I know its only an initial plan and they're looking for some investment; but it doesn't look the best presentation I've ever seen. I know easyJet have outgrown their current office space and looking for other premises so they could be goers.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Been announced officially by the club that the preferred location is Power Court and the stadium will have initial capacity of 17,500 with designs drawn up to go up to 22500.

Also apparently a deal in principal with the current land owner has been agreed which seems pretty positive.

Planning application will apparently be submitted by the start of next season.

 

[Hatter86]

Genuinely fantastic news. Deal in place to buy the land, council seemingly onside, moneyfor the build being generated by the commercial developments off of 10a. As you say, incredibly positive.

I'll be sad leave Kenilworth Road, but its crucial to the club and the towns development that we do.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Like the sound of this. One thing you can guarantee at Luton is a hostile home crowd. Not sure how hostile you can be with 9/10,000 empty seats. Luton is one place we always seem to fucking lose at.

 

[Hatter86]

The club seem to be pitching it at a level where 9000 empty seats wont be a problem. In fact they've said as much.

LTFC2020's mission statement has always been that we will be in a new Stadium and playing in the Championship by 2020. Presumably they feel that second tier football, a shiny new stadium and larger away support will push the attendances towards the 15,000 mark. This does all very much hinge on moving up the leagues mind...

 

[Kenneth E End]

I don't think we'd have any problem at all selling 15,000 tickets in the Championship - we could've sold close to that for the Portsmouth game last season. 15% of that is 2,250 seats for away fans anyway, but I can't see us not giving them more should the demand require.