Red route trial for Bury Park in Luton aims to 'drive behaviour change'

Opponents of a red route trial fear its impact on local businesses, and the executive decision was called in to be reviewed by LBC’s overview and scrutiny board.

Its concerns include a lack of an economic assessment, the need for extra parking provision, which will help prevent issues being transferred to side streets, and the effects on the local environment.

A package of improvements were approved by the local authority’s executive, including an 18-month experimental red route along a stretch of Dunstable Road.

Council leader and Labour Biscot councillor Tahmina Saleem confirmed the reasons behind the proposals are “safety and congestion”, saying: “We listened to the residents.

“A red route is a viable solution, but it’s a trial. We all want the same thing. We’re enforcing the current restrictions. Those are ‘don’t park on double yellow lines or in an unsafe manner’.

“This is an efficient way of ensuring that happens. The community wanted enforcement. Increasing the team of officers by six would cost an extra £220,000. The red route does the same thing for £20,000.

“That releases the four current officers to police the side routes and monitor the spill out into those areas. This will drive behaviour change in the area and it will become safer.

“No parking has been taken away, while 120 spaces at Hazelbury Crescent have been released. Sainsbury’s has 370 spaces available, many of which are free for up to 90 minutes.

“We have to do something,” she added. “This will be monitored at various points. We’re doing this because we care about Bury Park and that area flourishing in the long-term.”

The board was told that there were 13,636 penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued for parking illegally in Bury Park and 599 moving traffic offence PCNs, totalling 14,235 during 2024/25. In 2025/26, this overall figure increased to 15,401 PCNs.

Liberal Democrat group leader and Barnfield councillor Amjid Ali, who chairs the board, wondered if safety or easing congestion was the priority, and whether other options have been considered, such as speed cameras, pavement bollards or zebra crossings.

There are some controlled crossings in Bury Park already, he was informed. A multi-storey car park was looked into, but the cost and contamination on the site made it unviable.

Councillor Ali also asked about feedback from local businesses, to which councillor Saleem replied: “While recognising the safety and congestion issues, their headline was for no parking to be taken away.”

He was told he would receive a written answer to a question about ‘how much this administration has invested in Bury Park, during the last 20 years’. But councillor Saleem explained: “Much of the £18.9m resilience fund will be spent in the area, but this is an investment in Bury Park too.”

The call-in has been referred to an extraordinary full council meeting, next week (Thursday, September 3). The executive decision cannot be changed, but the council can debate the matter.

It may recommend the executive amends its original decision, according to a report to the scrutiny board.