Luton town centre: 'Slum housing' affecting planned revamp

Luton is planning a revamp of its town centre

The issue of a "massive increase in slum accommodation" could have an impact on a major revamp of Luton town centre, councillors warned.

Luton Borough Council's town centre master plan includes investment in the railway station and residential and retail development.

It was presented to the overview and scrutiny board ahead of being considered by full council.

The authority said it wanted the town "looking clean, nice and tidy".

Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Chapman told the meeting: "If you create a demographic of people who live in the town centre, they're poor and underprivileged, with no money to spend.

"It affects the whole ambience of the area. In Luton, it's particularly severe."

He said John Street was an example of where everything had gone wrong, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Chapman, who represents Wigmore ward said: "The two major issues in the town centre causing the problem are the decrease in any quality retail offering and the massive increase in slum accommodation, such as converted office blocks."

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He added he hoped Luton Town's plan to build new 23,000-seat stadium on the site of a former power station in the centre of Luton "comes off because it could bring thousands into the town centre on a regular basis".

Planning permission for the development at Power Court was granted by Luton Borough Council in 2019.

A fresh application is to be submitted more than doubling the number of homes, which was recommended by planners due to Covid.

The council has applied for part of the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak

The Labour-controlled council's corporate director, Nicola Monk, said the priorities for the plan were "economic diversity, and that the town centre is affordable and inviting, authentic and characterful, sustainable and accessible, and green and healthy".

She said: "It picks up the debate around something looking clean, nice, tidy which is what we want for the area."

Ms Monk added the town had put in bid to the government's Levelling Up Fund to help with development which would include residential, commercial and some community arts space.

"It's so we have a reimagined town centre which isn't just dominated by retail, but is mixed use with leisure, a good residential offer, as well as other opportunities and some shops," she said.

The board agreed to recommend to the executive and full council to formally adopt the town centre master plan.