Our town centre is already a great place to shop, eat, drink and mingle, but we know there’s lots more work to be done. On Monday, the Town Centre Delivery Plan was launched, and there are lots of exciting things in the works.
Luton railway station is a key gateway to our town centre, and work to make it more accessible – including a new footbridge and lifts – are starting soon. We hope this is just the start, as the council and its partners are working together to look at the potential for a much-needed wider overhaul of the station.
Right next door, The Stage development on the old Bute Street car park will bring a mixed-use scheme including housing, green space and a 600-capacity performance venue! This will vastly improve the space between the station and shopping centre, making it a much more attractive first impression of the town for visitors.
Speaking of visitors, we’ll get loads more once the new football stadium at Power Court is up and running. The 25,000-seat space will transform this long-overlooked area of the town centre into a bold new district, complete with residential space, vibrant restaurants, a hotel and more than 1,000 permanent jobs.
Just around the corner, the historic and much-loved St Mary’s Church and surrounding area will be reintegrated with the town centre, and the existing churchyard will be protected from the visitors to Power Court. There are also plans to turn St Mary’s Road into a pedestrian and cycle friendly street along a green corridor into the town centre.
And that’s not all – there are also plans to bring a more continental vibe to St George’s Square, with expanded al fresco seating for businesses and shop front improvements. A refurbishment of Luton Central Library is also in the design phase, with potential plans to create a co-located space for parking, EV charging and bike storage at Library Road.
Among the less exciting but still equally important plans are: revolving public art, more proactive enforcement, a well-lit and safe pedestrian route around the town centre, and ‘meet the buyer’ events for local businesses to engage with developers.
There’s lots more planned for the town centre, which you can read about in the Town Centre Delivery Plan here.
About the Author
Jemma Candy
Jemma is a proud Lutonian with a passion for celebrating the town’s vibrant diversity and strong community spirit. As a Marketing Manager with a degree in Mass Communications, she’s committed to highlighting the positive stories in Luton. Whether uncovering hidden gems or discovering new favourite cafés, Jemma loves exploring all that her hometown has to offer.
