£400k spend for safety works in wake of Luton Town's promotion to Premier League could reap rewards for town's economy

Spending around £400,000 on safety works could reap dividends for Luton’s economy, as the local authority supports pre-season preparations for the Hatters’ return to English football’s top flight.

When Brighton were promoted from the Championship, it yielded a £24m boost for the locality, a meeting heard.

Luton Town Football Club is making extensive improvements to its Kenilworth Road stadium, according to a report to the borough council’s executive.

“The local authority’s building control team is overseeing these works and is responsible for providing the safety certificate confirming everything’s satisfactory and the stadium safe to use,” said the report.

“Premier League football also produces economic benefits and opportunities for Luton, as more than three billion people worldwide watch the action.

“The council is responsible for ensuring safe routes and access to and from Kenilworth Road, and adequate CCTV coverage outside the ground. All works need to finish before August 12.”

Labour Beech Hill councillor Javed Hussain told the committee: “Executive is asked to recommend to full council an extra, unavoidable one-off expenditure of up to £400,000 to be funded from the major projects reserve.

“The reserve will be replenished from future capital receipts,” he said. “The Hatters’ promotion comes with its own challenges for us and the club.

“To meet our safety obligations, we need CCTV cameras and to repair a path which isn’t adequate.

“This wasn’t budgeted for, so we need full council to approve the £400,000 and delegated authority to the corporate director inclusive economy.”

Asked whether resurfacing works are needed on Beech Road and Ash Road, portfolio holder for sustainable transport and highways councillor Hussain replied: “That can be a separate request and can wait.

“There was an original assessment, but with the extra costs the situation will be kept under review. And we’ll try to get it into a future resurfacing programme.”

Labour Northwell councillor and finance portfolio holder Rob Roche said: “When Brighton and Hove Albion were promoted to the Premier League, in the club’s first season £24m was received into the local economy.”

Liberal Democrat Barnfield councillor David Franks wondered what “other enabling regulatory works in Bury Park and the town centre” meant in the committee report, saying: “It looks like a contingency.”

Interim corporate director inclusive economy Sue Frost explained: “We might need some extra officer presence around there on matchday when the new season starts.

“It could be for the look and feel, but also for parking. We could recover those costs. We know there’ll be plenty of television coverage and we want it to look reasonable in the area.

“Some of this expenditure is estimates at the moment. As work in progress, it’s being done quite quickly to help the club achieve its deadlines.

“Hence the delegation to the corporate director should the costs change slightly.”

Labour Challney councillor Tom Shaw added: “The town and everyone in it will benefit from this. Some of the extra cameras going up are on a flytipping route, so I love the idea of this.”

The executive agreed both recommendations to full council.