Funding set aside for next phase of 2040 vision for the town - but there's still a long way to go

To achieve the local authority’s shared Luton 2040 vision, there are several challenges to be addressed, warned a report to the committee.

This vision is built around five priorities:

• supporting a strong and empowered community, built on fairness;
• building an inclusive economy that delivers investment to support the growth of businesses, jobs and incomes;
• improving population wellbeing and tackling health inequalities;
• becoming a child friendly town in which our children grow up happy, healthy and secure;
• and tackling the climate emergency.

“Despite strong progress, we’ve a long way to go in just 16 years to realise our vision,” said the report. “There are strong plans for reducing poverty in the long-term, but we need to invest in timely solutions to relieve those suffering now.

“Many of the factors which impact poverty sit outside the remit of Luton’s system, such as the two-child cap on Universal Credit with its impact on 6,000 children in the town.

“Our goal is to begin the implementation of proposals to tackle those challenges before the corporate peers return on January 22nd 2025 to review our progress.

“Alongside our plans for long-term system change, we need to develop our programme to help as many people as possible move out of destitution and poverty in the short-term.

“We can achieve this by convening specialists to develop ideas and projects which tackle poverty head on, and increase income into the council and wider system to fund this work,” explained the report.

“We need to facilitate a strong system structure with regular reporting on progress and learning, take greater shared responsibility for progress, problem solving and delivery, and engage further with the community on delivering towards 2040.

“To accelerate change, we’ll establish a strategy and policy hub with specialist colleagues from across the council to lead on shared planning, implement the strategic framework and make policy recommendations.

“We also need to develop our lobbying and national advocacy to gain more support from government, public and voluntary groups, and business to end poverty.

“With an initial outlay of £52,882 from invest to save, there’s a further £100,000 from Luton 2040 special reserves fund,” added the report. “This fund has £167,000 not committed to current work to be used on Luton 2040 special projects.

“A further £52,286 will be provided from the Luton investment framework reserves to fund a bid officer. That finance has a purpose to promote economic development within the town.”

Labour council leader and Lewsey councillor Hazel Simmons told the executive: “This sets out our plans for the next phase of delivery.

“A reduction in the number of people living in destitution in Luton is expected, with greater joint working across the council with our partners, and increased income estimated at £1.5m into the local authority and system through grants to fund anti-poverty work,” she said.

“This will help us progress Luton 2040 during the next three years.” The committee agreed the future plans and accompanying resourcing.