Luton Town: Council earmarks £400k safety budget after Premier League promotion

Works are needed on routes from the station to the Kenilworth Road stadium which is boxed in by housing on three sides

Up to £400,000 will be needed for a council to fulfil its safety requirements ahead of the arrival of Premier League football in Luton.

Luton Borough Council's executive committee has agreed a one-off budget which will need to be approved by a full council meeting.

Works are needed on routes from the station to the Kenilworth Road stadium.

Luton Town Football Club earned promotion to football's top tier after the Championship play-off in May.

A report to the committee said work needed included "all surrounding roads which are either walking routes for spectators to enter or leave the ground", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"An officer group has visited the site to consider which works are essential and those less critical," it said.

"With no approved budget for these unavoidable works, executive and full council backing is required."

The main works involve eight new CCTV cameras at an estimated cost of £120,000 and live CCTV feeds to the council control room and Bedfordshire Police headquarters in Kempston at a potential £25,000 cost.

The report added that the cameras would provide a wider community benefit on non-match days as well and could be moved to other locations if they are no longer required when the new stadium is built.

The Beech Road steps need to be repaired ahead of expected increased use

The steps at the top end of Beech Road, which are in a state of disrepair, need rebuilding and widening at an estimated cost of £70,000.

"With the planned changes to the Bobbers Stand, including new exit routes, it's likely that Beech Road will be used more heavily," the report said.

"There's no Section 106 planning contributions funding associated with these works, so the cost falls to the council as the steps are on highways land."

The Hatters are making their stadium ready for the Premier League

Building control works to oversee the demolition and construction works at Kenilworth Road are also factored in.

It said that council officers were discussing possible contributions to the one-off costs with the club and the police and added there would be ongoing costs of about £124,000 per year associated with the works which will "either be rechargeable to the football club or the police".

"It's expected there'll be no net increase in the local authority's overall annual budget," it said.