Luton Town Relocation Plans

[Kenneth E End]

This is so exciting. I think its an almost perfect location, the only downer in the council planning committee's eyes could be traffic flow on matchdays. But 2020 are involved and they will have thought of everything. I think this has the ability to really allow the club to fulfil its potential. It would be sad to leave The Kenny, however its all in the name of progress; and we can't progress on that site.

A couple of my colleagues are already firmly against however, as the site is close to their homes - quote: "I don't want scum near my house".

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Would be an incredibly good spot for a new build stadium, as much as I enjoy a trip to Kenilworth Road (honest) if you've got to build a new stadium then putting in a spot like that makes up for the inevitable blandness of the design.

 

[Richard Cranium]

What is the location like?

 

[Kenneth E End]

inevitable blandness of the design.

I admit the couple of pictures of the potential stadium don't look the greatest, but very rarely in these big announcements and projects does the first artist's impression become a reality. Look at the Olympic Stadium for instance.

Remember, we're not made of money either. The club have done this in the right way however - they haven't loaded the club with debt; instead any debts will be against a new holding company called "2020 Developments". We have no assets, so I'm guessing the directors have guaranteed it against something not FC related. The enabling development will as such pay for a least a portion of the stadium.

That enabling development has to go down as one of the coups of the century. The land bought for £10m, probably at 25% of the market price; especially in Luton where land is extremely scarce.

A bit of patience would be a virtue too - this isn't likely to come into fruition until probably 2019 at the earliest.

 

[Kenneth E End]

What is the location like?

Next door to the train station, opposite the town centre. Perfect location.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Next door to the train station, opposite the town centre. Perfect location.

Great stuff. Just hope you're still shit enough to be gracing L2 with your presence by the time it's complete!

 

[Kenneth E End]

I wonder if the stadium is slightly underground, or the pedestrian areas higher than usual, so therefore it wouldn't dwarf the surrounding area.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yeah doubt the early pictures will look anything like the finished product. Im not expecting some architectural wonder but do hope that there is something unique about the place at least. Id hate to go from such a unique ground like the Kenny to soulless breezeblock place, that wouldnt feel like progress to me.

The issue there is going to be is the traffic on matchdays as its bad enough there on a normal Saturday afternoon i must say, especially with stupid traffic lights they have put all over the roundabout there. 2020 are already trying to play up the local transport links message in the early press releases so hopefully thats headed off early on but its definitely the thing that the Nimbys are going to try and beat it to death with.

 

[Kenneth E End]

There is definitely the need for more parking spaces in the town centre anyway. The Library Car Park was never replaced and its difficult, especially at this time of year, to get parked around the town centre on a Saturday afternoon as it is. Perhaps where the old bus station used to be, could be a site of a relatively large multi storey car park, but I think a big emphasis would be a park and ride.

I like what they have at Crawley however - they have an integrated bus link outside the ground which takes you virtually anywhere in town.

 

[Hatter86]

I can see some sort of incentive to use public transport built in to season ticket sales. God knows they need someone to use the misguided busway. Along with both Parkway and the town center station, it could be realy well serviced by public transport.

Traffic will be an issue. The snarl around the roundabout at the bottom of Crawley Green road will need sorting, and you'd think something will have to be done to Hitchin Road. However equally you'd think that 2020 has thought of this and there's something in place to alleviate it.

I too like the way it's being down. Money being generated by the enabling commercial development shouldn't land us with a heap of debt. All looks very positive

 

[Aberstone]

I can see some sort of incentive to use public transport built in to season ticket sales. God knows they need someone to use the misguided busway. Along with both Parkway and the town center station, it could be realy well serviced by public transport.

Traffic will be an issue. The snarl around the roundabout at the bottom of Crawley Green road will need sorting, and you'd think something will have to be done to Hitchin Road. However equally you'd think that 2020 has thought of this and there's something in place to alleviate it.

I too like the way it's being down. Money being generated by the enabling commercial development shouldn't land us with a heap of debt. All looks very positive

I'm not sure what extra can be done to Hitchin Road to increase traffic flow in fairness...

For available sites, Power Court is easily the best option and I'm glad 2020 have seen sense and gone with the site as their preferred option. Sensible capacity stadium, regardless of what division Luton are playing in the FL, were this stadium to be built then the club would suddenly have 2-3,000 supporters out of nowhere.

Edit: NIMBYs can do one.

 

[oakroader]

blah blah fucking blah!!!
if I had a pound.......

 

[genesimmons]

Lived in luton for a couple of years and am so pleased this is looking positive, i know a new ground has been muted for yonks with barmy.schemes along the way in out of way places like off m1. Luton is very congested, glad i never had a car there but its got a good train service and with this ground the guided busway, maybe with a park and ride stop.added along the route will not be so much of a white elephant anymore. Luton aint a bad supported club with even 5000 in confrence, not bad at all and im sure a few more will come with new shiney ground with more pleasant facilities for fans

 

[Kenneth E End]

If there's any doubt about the amount of backing Luton Town have got behind the scenes, this project is going to cost a shit load of cash.

The Power Court site is contaminated, has been abandoned for 10 years, has a river running through it (which the club want to regenerate as part of the plans) and has a power substation in the middle of it.

That, and with their plans for an enabling development (£10m has already been spent on land there); it proves our directors have deep pockets! I don't think you'll get much change for £60m over the 5 year building project.

The investors have already ploughed £12-15m on the team since 2008.

 

[Luton Cobbler]

Having lived in Luton most of my life and just a couple of miles from the site, I think it's a great location for the Hatters to move to. Central to so many amenities that will give the Town Centre a potential boost. Obviously it has the potential to bring with it the problems that football fans bring every so often, but the Council has to see past that.
The infrastructure around the ground will certainly need improving but from the plans there don't appear to be any car parks being built. More a reliance on using the existing Town Centre car parks and public transport. Anyone visiting KR now knows you will struggle to park any where close to the ground.
The project won't be without it's challenges. Ground contamination (ala Sixfields), the river and the few NIMBYs it will affect. The Council are making all of the right noises and it benefits them to get the land back that the existing ground sits on. Sincerely hope that it gets the go ahead

 

[Judge Dredd]

Well... bollocks!

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/bu...atters-plans-to-move-to-power-court-1-7275119

Council not on board at all from the sounds of that, sounds like they want us at J10 or nothing. Gutted (but also entirely predictable considering it is us and a new ground!).

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Very disappointing and disheartening to read. I had thought that the council where on board but seems not.

Even more dispiriting is the line about the National policy of moving clubs to out of town locations. I guess the days of clubs being central parts of the community are long gone.

It is never going to be easy to get this new ground and I'm sure Sweet will carry on working hard for it. I am sure he was expecting many, many issues on the way, this is probably just the first of those. I'm sure it won't be the last.

 

[You Orns]

Do Luton Council genuinely hate you?

Seriously it sounds relatively similar to our attempts to move back in the 80's. The council blocked it as they didn't want a retail park out of town (which got built anyway about 5 years later so it was just an objection for the sake of it)

The difference being that we had the room at the Vic to actually redevelop on site, obviously something not available at the Kennel.

I genuinely do want it to happen because as much as I don't like Luton, there's little point in having a rival that is so significantly worse than you as you don't actually get the chance to establish just how much better you are. I don't see Luton ever getting higher than league 1 again without the ground, so I hope it is sorted eventually.

Saying that it never stops being funny that you seem to face every obstacle that it's possible to face.

 

[BeesKnees]

Sounds like they are giving you the go ahead to build on the edge of town.

 

[Hatter86]

Massive overreaction to this story. Check out Sian Timoney's twitter feed. She's the deputy head of Luton Borough Council and is generally a very reliable source of information. She also interacts with fans on all things LTFC.

She's essentially saying that its poor reporting on the Luton News' part and that as the proposal doesn't meet with town building policy, it can't be supported in its current guise. This doesn't stop Luton Town submitting a proposal and the fact that it isnt in keeping with town building policy doesn't mean that it can't be approved. It does mean that Luton Town and Gary Sweet will need to convince them that it's in the best interests of the town and will be profitable. She's also reiterated that both her and the head of the council want Luton Town to move to Power Court.

I think a few things are in our favour. Firstly the that land has been earmarked for retail units yet there is no demand for them. Noone has approached the council about purchasing the land for that purpose or submitting a proposal.

Secondly Luton Town are planning to build 500,000 square feet of commercial, leisure and retail buildings on the land we have purchased off of 10a and the income generated from this will help fund the new stadium. If we aren't permitted to build on Power Court, then the council aren't going to get their 500,000 square feet of commercial, leisure and retail buildings built by Luton Town. Essentially Luton Town want to be in the town centre and build leisure and retail complex at 10a, the council want the inverse. However Luton Town have no interest in the inverse. With no demand for town center units at the moment, I don't see the council turning down the oppurtunity.

Finally Sian Timoney has said she is meeting Gary Sweet today on an unrelated matter and that LBC will be releasing a statement to clarify their position. I imagine the club will too. I think the Luton News are going to as well. So I might as well release an official statement, everyone else is...

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yes after I posted I stumbled across that Twitter feed, seems the local journalist has seen a big story in big lights and jumped the gun a little. Quite surprised he didn't ask the local councillor in charge for a comment on the record before printing, or indeed the club for that matter.

Having said that, the argument the club are going to have to make to change the Town plan is definitely going to be tricky one, and as stated in the article is contrary to the broader national policy of seeking to move football clubs to out of town developments.

The council have *SEEMED* (you can never tell with the strange breed of person that is the local politician) to be reasonable during this process thus far though so hopefully they are on board.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Where does it say that there is a national policy to re-located football club grounds to out of town developments? That article doesn't say that there is one.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Think this is a bit of a storm in a teacup and there's a long way to go in this process, but its crucial the council backs whatever the club decide to do.

Perhaps this can actually be a positive for Luton Town? It may be a hint that there needs to be changes to the proposal and as such, the planners will tweak their plans somewhat.

This article is based on possible retail developments at the enabling development at J10 of the M1, which I can't help agree with the council on this. Out of town shopping developments tend to kill off town centres and the Council should continue to try and regenerate the town centre. However this development isn't exclusive to retail and there are already several other retail parks in the conurbation (Gypsy Lane about half a mile away, Dunstable to name two); I think the site has been earmarked more for leisure, office space and possibly a few homes. I'd expect as soon as planning permission is announced, easyJet will be one of the anchor tennants of new office space.

The site at Power Court will need to be financed by this enabling development - we've already spent £10m on the land at J10 and close to finishing negotiations with British Land for the Power Court site. Originally the site opposite the Mall was earmarked for retail, however the credit crunch struck and has been empty for 10+ years; a contaminated eyesore.

The reason there's been such an outcry is the inherit mistrust of Luton Borough Council who have a track record of not supporting the club, historically, not that the custodians at the time have had much of a helpful dialogue at times either. Bear in mind that any punishment at the ballot box cannot be dished out until the next local elections in 2019 or 2020, so it probably would be a good time to do something that would be unpopular amongst the electorate.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yep sorry misread that initially whilst I was at work (that'll teach me for skiving!)

The paragraph is misread was this one:
LBC’s full response to the Hatters’ representation reads: “While the club’s proposal for a town centre site certainly has merit it is understood this is dependent on, and tied to, the transfer of large-scale new retail investment from Luton town centre to an out-of-town location.

“This approach involving the retail floorspace is not consistent with either national or local planning policy, nor has it been subject to testing of both its qualitative and quantitative impact.

“In such circumstances it cannot be supported.”

The response adds: “It is noted that a number of other football stadia have been successfully relocated to out-of-town sites.

So its the retail floor space out of the town centre that isnt consistent with national policy, not the stadium.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Official statement from Luton Borough Council:

http://www.luton.gov.uk/news/Pages/Statement-re-Luton-Local-Plan-2011-2031.aspx

 

[Hatter86]

Pretty much puts that to bed. Bit of scary mongering fro the local rag. Also the word is both Gary Sweet and Sian TImoney were at the Diamond Meet the Manager night and they both dismissed it as being in any way an issue.

 

[BelizeHatter]

From TiL twitter feed last night and my memory- Sian Timoney completely dismissed they had blocked anything as nothing has been submitted to block. They're in dialogue and there will be some hurdles to overcome and prob some give and take but in principle the Council are behind the relocation to Power Court

 

[genesimmons]

Hope they get it sorted. Well supported club with potential to grow bigger once in a new ground

 

[Kenneth E End]

Like it or not, kids and families want a shiny new stadium, not Kenilworth Road and the area its located.

Our position will be strengthened by MK Dongs being relegated this season, which is another indictment of football in this country.

 

[genesimmons]

Like it or not, kids and families want a shiny new stadium, not Kenilworth Road and the area its located.

Our position will be strengthened by MK Dongs being relegated this season, which is another indictment of football in this country.

Are some luton fans deflecting to mk dons like? On another note how long can luton stay where they are? Are they going keep on patching ground up or will the football league condem it. Suprised ground weren't condemmed years ago (along with few more) due to bradford fire