£400k of emergency works to support Luton Town FC’s Premier League promotion agreed by council
Emergency works around Kenilworth Road costing up to £400,000 have been agreed by the local authority to support the Hatters’ return to top flight football.
The expenditure is due to be paid from Luton Borough Council’s major projects reserve fund and covers some statutory tasks.
Luton Town Football Club won promotion to the Premier League for the 2023/24 season, requiring the club to make extensive improvements to its stadium.
Luton Town’s manager Rob Edwards (L) and Luton’s mayor Mohammad Yaqub Hanif (R) lift the Championship playoff trophy as Luton Town football club players and staff hold an event in St George’s Square as they celebrate their promotion to the English Premier League. Photo byc/AFP via Getty Images)
The Championship play-offs success means financial benefits for the Hatters and economic opportunities for Luton, with more three billion people watching worldwide, according to a report to a full council meeting.
“LBC’s building control team is overseeing the works at Kenilworth Road and is responsible for providing the safety certificate for the club to confirm the stadium is safe to use,” said the report.
Being a Premier League club has implications for the local authority, which is responsible for ensuring safe routes and access to and from the stadium.
“Adequate CCTV coverage is needed for the external area around the ground. This ‘Zone Ex’ is being reviewed, as it requires expansion of the major routes from Luton railway station to Kenilworth Road.
“All works need to be completed before the new football season, which starts on August 12th.”
The impact on LBC’s finances was discussed by its executive last month, with a recommendation to the council to agree extra unavoidable one-off expenditure of up to £400,000.
“As there’s no approved budget for these one-off works, executive and full council approval are needed,” added the report.
“The main works required are:
- providing eight new CCTV cameras at an estimated cost of £120,000;
- supplying live CCTV feeds to the council control room and Bedfordshire Police headquarters in Kempston at a predicted one-off expense of £25,000;
- rebuilding and widening the steps at the top end of Beech Road which are in a state of disrepair and are the council’s responsibility;
- and overseeing the demolition and construction works at the stadium, with the £70,000 cost almost entirely rechargeable to the football club through fee charging.
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With the planned changes to the Bobbers Stand including new exits, it’s likely Beech Road will be used more heavily and so the steps need to be rebuilt and widened at an estimated total of £70,000.
“No developer contribution funding is associated with these works and so the cost falls to the council, as the steps are on highways land,” explained the report.
“Officers are discussing with the football club and the police the possibility of contributions towards the council’s one-off expenditure.
“The costs will be covered from UK shared prosperity fund finance. The maximum draw down from the reserve will be £400,000, but could be much less, with no impact on core services.
“There are ongoing expenses of about £124,000 per annum. This funding will either generate extra income earning avenues, be rechargeable to the club or the police or be met from available revenue grants.”
Councillors agreed the unavoidable one-off expenditure and that the major projects reserve is to be replenished from future capital receipts.
