“It is very hard to change a town’s reputation,” Shuker says, “without fundamentally changing its built environment.” After the new buildings go up, they all hope, eventually so will the esteem of the town. The site itself is a clear sign of the underinvestment in the town: it has been derelict for years, changing hands but never finding an owner with enough money to develop it. But when Luton’s future is decided in the next few months, it will not be on the pitch. I’ve been quoted on this before, if Leicester can do it, there is no reason why Luton cannot.” But Luton have also seen clubs relocate from town centre to out-of-town, which they are extremely reluctant to do. It was an anxious wait to see if Dutch midfielder van der Vaart would join Spurs in 2010 when a paperwork problem, as always seems to crop up, put the move in jeopardy. Petition Closed. An artist’s impression of what Luton Town’s new stadium at Power Court will look like. Our development proposals offer the opportunity to create a game-changing, iconic gateway to Luton, bringing in new business, complementing the town centre and creating thousands of new jobs. No developer is going to have that kind of money to unlock that particular site.’. It is not the smallest ground in League One – Wimbledon play at Kingsmeadow – but it is arguably the worst. After a relegation-threatened first campaign in the Championship for 12 years, Town are preparing to open their new league campaign at Barnsley on Saturday, hoping to steer clear of drop zone struggles and establish themselves in the second tier. Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion. Luton have seen plenty of other clubs from similar-sized towns build new grounds and flourish. Through all of this Luton has seen the reputation of the town itself gradually eroding away. Luton Borough Council have already given permission to the new stadium, which Gary Sweet described as winning the first leg of a two-legged tie. We will have a multi-faith prayer room included within the stadium, which physically we are unable to do within Kenilworth Road.”. “Clearly, the Coronavirus situation has led to a situation where we need to rethink. Brothers play tabla to the BBC theme tune. So, there is a plan in pace now. Nevertheless, delegates from the football club and the practice will fly to the MIPIM property fair today in jubilant mood. Overseeing all of this is Capital and Regional, who own eight shopping centres across Britain, and who acquired The Mall in 2006. So, it’s time to start feeling better about ourselves, because Lutonians make and do great things. We will have a banqueting suite that will hold over 1000 people, which would open up opportunities for us within the Asian community. It was later sanctioned by Premier League officials but only after City had tried to back out of the deal. ‘We knew what the arguments were going to be, and we covered all of that with the retail conditions and all of the additional effort that we put into the design. Sport, music, film, art, entertainment, food, drink, opinion, fiction and humour – that’s what we look forward to when the work is done. Luton Borough Council’s Development Control Committee unanimously passed the contentious Newlands Park proposals, which will provide the funding for the football ground. Last updated on 21 December 201521 December 2015.From the section Football. Sweet, however, has eased fears that tight football finances could strike a blow to the Hatters’ plans to build a new stadium, though there will be changes to the more “desirable aspects”. ‘So, unless there is something else to fund that process, then it will remain derelict forever. ", .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}Luton Town: Newlands Park judicial review bid rejected by High Court, Luton Town: Mall owners challenge new stadium plans, Luton Town fans claim shopping centre owner has 'declared war', Luton Town: Mall owners take legal action over Newlands Park plans, Luton Town: Location of new Power Court stadium 'means everything', Luton Town's M1 Newlands Park project backed by council, Power Court: Luton Town football stadium gains planning permission, Dele Alli, Gino D'Acampo and Lacey Turner: The A-list celebrities who live among us in Hertfordshire, North Herts parks and nature reserves receive Green Flag Awards, Dealer jailed after nun chucks, drugs and almost £7k found at his St Albans home, Tesco reveal how shoppers can donate Clubcard points to help food charities, Two men plead not guilty after alleged murder of 'selfless' 19-year-old, Information about BBC links to other news sites, Biden scrambles to clear up remark on ending oil. Our development proposals will transform an unloved brownfield site into a dynamic and aesthetically appealing environment – delivering new and exciting facilities to enhance the life of the town every day and evening of the year. VideoComposer with dementia meets students he inspired, 'The most wholesome thing on the internet', Drive-in movie bogged down by lockdown loos, Why Nigerian protesters are upset with Beyoncé, .css-orcmk8-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;}Ethiopia River Nile dam: PM condemns 'aggressions' after Trump comment.css-1dedj2h-Rank{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;color:#B80000;margin-left:3.125rem;}1, US election 2020: How Trump has changed the world2, Coronavirus: US cases reach record high amid new wave of infections3, US Election 2020: Biden seeks to clarify remark on ending oil4, Osiris-Rex: Nasa probe risks losing asteroid sample after door jams5, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: 'Execution' video prompts war crime probe6, US man jailed for supplying guns used in San Bernardino shootings7, George Floyd protests: 'Boogaloo' member held in precinct attack8, Virus to stay 'at least until next summer' - France's Macron9, US election 2020 polls: Who is ahead - Trump or Biden?10. Luton is currently top of League One – the third tier of English football – with high hopes of being promoted to the Championship. Burnley, Bournemouth and Huddersfield all play in the Premier League. Industry experts expect the falling values of retail properties to accelerate in 2020 and 2021. The British high street is in crisis, and nowhere sums that up better than The Mall in Luton. “We actually want, first and foremost, to support our town centre, and create more of a vibrant town centre,” Sweet says. “The location of the football club, locating it right in the heart of the town, is vital for us, to live and breathe what we are bringing to it.” Luton Borough Council approved the plan on 16 January. The retail development would include offices, a hotel, shops, leisure facilities and a park-and-ride scheme at junction 10 and fund the stadium, which would also include a live venue, homes and shops - replacing its old ground at Kenilworth Road. Video, Composer with dementia meets students he inspired. “That is when we go back to the drawing board completely and start again.”. “So, without talking about timings, because we’re not quite there with everybody else yet, but we are pushing forward.”. Stadium to Power Court, adjacent to the main train station acts as a catalyst for regeneration of this undeveloped land in the heart of the town, and a significant opportunity to help change perceptions of Luton itself.’ Building retail facilities on the outskirtsand a football stadium in the heart of the town is counter to recent trends, and opposition to Luton’s plans has been fierce. So how much power do the people of Luton have in deciding their own future? The football club said it was "delighted" the Mall's owner, which had also argued .css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:bolder;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}}the decision-making process was "unlawful", had "given up on contesting the decision further". Luton FC must now wait to hear whether the communities secretary will intervene or if there will be any official appeal or review of the decision. Sweet and his team are confident this will not be yet another missed opportunity. Things that will become public in the not too distant future. “The Aldi proposal does not have clear support from residents and councillors as claimed by Hampton Brook. Striking news pictures from around the world, Brothers play tabla to the BBC theme tune. They blamed a “negative sentiment towards retail assets”. Councillors earlier this year granted consent for AndArchitects’ 23,000-seat ground for the Hatters at Power Court near to the Bedfordshire town’s railway station – more than two years after plans were initially submitted. Luton have been playing there for 114 years and trying to leave it for almost 70. Video. The alt-rock duo released their track to much acclaim back in March, but Coronavirus, on Sweet reveals Luton stadium rethink as virus crisis affects Power Court plans, on Middlesbrough 0 Luton 1: Tunnicliffe breaks Town duck to slash the gap in survival fight, on ‘This has become a fight for survival,’ says Hatters chief Sweet over virus crisis as stars stop training together, on International break will be crucial for McManaman, says Luton boss, on ‘We wanted to shoot it back in Luton as it’s where we began’ – JW Paris on new video for single ‘Royalty’, on Return of the biggest, brashest, most untouchable hombres around, as Dois Padres deliver new delinquent ditty, on Exclusive: Rock doc to give government Palpitations over virus PPE legal bid, Luton pulled off a remarkable Great Escape, Carabao Cup curtain-raising victory over Norwich, Luton Town Supporters Trust’s virtual presentation evening, Middlesbrough 0 Luton 1: Tunnicliffe breaks Town duck to slash the gap in survival fight, ‘This has become a fight for survival,’ says Hatters chief Sweet over virus crisis as stars stop training together, International break will be crucial for McManaman, says Luton boss, ‘We wanted to shoot it back in Luton as it’s where we began’ – JW Paris on new video for single ‘Royalty’, Return of the biggest, brashest, most untouchable hombres around, as Dois Padres deliver new delinquent ditty, Exclusive: Rock doc to give government Palpitations over virus PPE legal bid, Sheffield Wednesday build-up: Selection dilemma for Jones after two defeats, Hylton will come good and ‘keyboard warriors can then pipe down,’ says Jones, Hatters couldn’t train amid Covid ‘carnage’ as Collins positive proves ‘disruptive’, Millwall 2 Luton 0: Jones admits Hatters ‘never looked like scoring’ – report, reaction and ratings, Luton striker James Collins tests positive for Coronavirus, Millwall build-up: Squad strength is best at Luton for ‘many a year,’ says Jones, ‘It’s very strange,’ says Jones as priority Collins’ Covid test result delayed, Jones rang Justin to sweet-talk Leicester target, but the Hatters hero already had.