Plans to redevelop former Vauxhall site in Luton recommended for approval

Applicant Goodman Luton Gateway (One) GP LLP has submitted outline plans to demolish the old van and car manufacturing buildings and redevelop almost 90 acres of land at IBC Vehicles Limited, Kimpton Road, Luton.

Its proposals include access from Kimpton Road and Vauxhall Way, parking, landscaping and other works on a site allocated as a category A employment area.

Transforming the site will cater for advanced and urban logistics, manufacturing and engineering, and digital infrastructure and tech, according to a report to Luton Borough Council’s development management committee.

The land is being decommissioned and demolished currently, said the report. “When operational, the former Vauxhall van factory included an assembly plant to produce light commercial vehicles.

“The previous use of this area was general industrial, with ancillary storage and a distribution use with offices. There are large development platforms covered almost entirely with buildings and associated hardstanding.

“Vegetation is primarily limited to being located around the site boundaries, with small pockets of grassland and scrub. There are no public rights of way nearby. National cycle route six passes nearly 500m south of the premises.

“There are no designated heritage assets within the site. This land is located in flood zone one at low probability of flooding from rivers, but parts of the site are potentially subject to surface water floods.

“Vauxhall car production began in 1905, expanding into commercial vehicle delivery in 1930. After 1940, the company specialised in cars and light commercial vehicles.

“The car plant closed in 2002, and the van plant shut down in 2025. Buildings on the site date between the 1930s and 1990s, reflecting the longstanding activity by Vauxhall locally.”

A prior approval application to demolish the remaining buildings was granted in January, explained the report. “The final details of scale, layout, appearance and landscaping for the main developable area will be decided through future reserved matters applications.

“The applicant has stated this scheme will involve demolishing all the buildings except part of K Block next to Morton House and Kimpton Road. There would be office space and welfare facilities, such as showers, lockers, changing rooms and canteens, a cafe, operational service yards for each building, staff parking and bicycle storage.

“Parameter plans have been provided to control and limit the extent of the development, with:

• up to 200,000sqm of industrial, storage and distribution floorspace uses;
• up to 200sqm for the cafe;
• and open space with wellbeing areas, drainage attenuation and biodiversity improvements.

“Access will be from A505 Kimpton Road between gateway zone G1 and gateway zone G2. A vehicle access will be provided on to the A505 Vauxhall Way in the north-eastern corner of the site.

“The main public frontage of the development will be to the south on to Kimpton Road, while the proposed layout involves splitting the land into four zones each with its own design approach.”

These will be the innovation zone, the strategic zone, the gateway zone and the buffer zone, added the report. “The innovation zone will be particularly suitable for small- and medium-sized enterprises to support innovative growing businesses.

“The strategic zone will contain larger plots, able to accommodate the full range of strategic business requirements, such as advanced and urban logistics, manufacturing and engineering.

“Flexible plots would be provided in the gateway zone, suitable for a dynamic mix of accommodation and supporting a varied economic ecosystem, and the buffer zone would be maintained as a landscaped ecological area.

“A secondary walking, cycling and emergency access on to Kimpton Road along Loverose Way is also part of the development.”

LBC’s planning committee will consider the project at its meeting on Wednesday, July 22.