Work to realign River Lea 'crucial step' in making Luton Town FC's Power Court stadium a reality

Full plans for this process on two acres of land have been lodged with the local authority by 2020 Developments (Luton) Limited, on behalf of the Hatters.

“This represents a crucial step in delivering Power Court with the stadium, commercial space and much-needed housing,” explained a covering letter from director of professional services firm WSP Sean McGrath.

“Site wide earthworks are considered separately under another set of full plans. The detailed proposals for the stadium will be subject to a further planning application.

“A new culverted river route would wind its way around the residential developments and stadium, before briefly rejoining as an open section at the Hitchin Road end. The River Lea passes under the site in a covered culvert.

“The wider Power Court site is currently in temporary use for parking, sleeping cabins and relevant facilities for homeless people, and the crushing of localised material and siting of associated machinery.”

Outline consent was granted in 2019 for a mixed use development, at the heart of which is the football stadium with an up to 23,000 capacity.

It included up to 550 homes, an entertainment, music and conference venue, educational, community and commercial floorspace, hotel accommodation, other entertainment space, retail, food and beverage areas, and a food store, as well as up to 1,200 parking spaces.

A second mixed-use application increasing the accommodation from 550 to 1,200 properties was granted planning permission in September 2022.

“Works to the river, with elements of deculverting, are part of both extant planning permissions,” said the letter. “The culverted River Lea runs through the middle of Power Court.

“The wider 17-acre site at Power Court has complex constraints, which make its redevelopment challenging. These include contamination, services running through the location, a substation, the topography and the route of the culverted River Lea.

“Works are necessary to the River Lea to ensure commercial and residential developments can progress. The works will be phased, with the initial stage involving the rerouting of the central part of the river.

“That section will be entirely culverted. This will divert the river around the new stadium. It was hoped the River Lea could run under the stadium, but further detailed investigations confirmed this won’t be possible.

“The second phase focuses on the east end to include some deculverting and the opening up of the river along this edge. And phase three relates to the west end, and includes some opening up of the river and landscaping.

“The works will require detailed engineering and hydraulic modelling, which will be agreed with the Environment Agency,” added the letter. “Talks have begun, but it could be some time before the final course and form of the river is fully understood.”

The council’s development management committee is expected to consider the project in due course.