The Hatters purchased Power Court in 2016 and received outline consent for a mixed-use development on the property in 2019.
The club, which was demoted from English football’s top tier last season, has played at the 12,000-seat Kenilworth Road stadium for 119 years.
However, 2020 Developments’ design and access statement stated that the ground “no longer meets the club’s ambition of competing at the highest level”.
“The physical constraints of Kenilworth Road, packed in among rows of terraced houses in Bury Park, make it impossible for the club to grow,” according to the statement.
“In turn [this] limits the positive effect a successful Luton Town Football Club could have in helping to regenerate the town centre.”
The statement claimed that clubs with smaller stadiums “rarely survive” in the Premier League due to lower marketing and match-day earnings.
The club claimed that last season’s home games provided a major economic advantage to Luton.
If the council approves further development, the River Lea will be diverted.
A significant substation would also have to be relocated to make way for the stadium.
Gary Sweet, the club’s CEO, expressed gratitude for the council’s “promptness in validating these extensive set of plans”.
Leave a Reply