Purple Flag status for Luton town centre

The accreditation is for town and cities that provide a vibrant mix of dining, entertainment and culture, while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and residents.

ACTM Judges visited Luton town centre on Saturday, April 7, to make an assessment, they took a tour of key businesses including The Mall Luton, The Galaxy Centre, the University of Bedfordshire Student Union, The Red Lion, The Bear Club and G Casino.

Presentations were made to the judges by Luton Borough Council, Bedfordshire Police, Noah Enterprise, Luton SAFE and Luton Business Improvement District (BID) focused on safety initiatives, police presence and enforcement, art, music and cultural offer.

Leader of Luton Borough Council, councillor Hazel Simmons MBE, said: “This is excellent news for the town.

“We’ve demonstrated that we offer a varied choice of leisure and entertainment for a diversity of ages, groups, lifestyles and cultures, both during the day and at night, and we’ve shown that residents can get home safely after an evening out.

“Our strength in this process was showcasing the level of partnership working across the town, and how the Council, Luton BID, Luton SAFE, Bedfordshire Police, the University, The Mall and The Galaxy are all equally invested in the providing a safe, vibrant and diverse environment that residents can enjoy.”

The Purple Flag application was funded by the BID and jointly prepared by all partners with Luton town centre BID and Luton Borough Council leading. It demonstrates a commitment to ensuring Luton town centre is a clean and safe place for people to enjoy and come together, which is part of Luton Borough Council’s 1.5 billion Luton Investment Framework.

The landlord of the Brewery Tap, Gabi McKeown BID director, said: “As a pub landlord I am overjoyed and immensely proud of this achievement.

“Luton town centre at night time is not as bad as people might think, and being accredited with Purple Flag is a chance to highlight all of the great projects and developments that are going on so that Luton has a safe night time economy.”