Hatters chairman wants to work with Luton Council over dome decision as Town target the Premier League

Town chairman David Wilkinson is hoping to find a way to work with Luton Borough Council after their decision to refuse the Hatters lease for their academy dome to be built at Cutenhoe Road recently.

The club are desperate to achieve category two status for their academy this season, as to do so requires an indoor playing facility, something Town received outline planning permission for from the council in October last year,

However, they then changed their mind, going back on their ruling earlier last month at a private meeting of the Executive.

That saw Liberal Democrat councillors exercise a rarely used standing order to force a reconsideration of this decision, with another committee meeting, once again held in private, to take place this evening.

Writing in his programme notes before the Huddersfield game on Saturday, Wilkinson spoke about the importance of the new facility if Town are to ever achieve their goal of playing in the top flight once more.

He said: “It has been said before, by us and others, that we are shocked and disappointed by the Council’s decision to refuse to grant us a lease on their land by The Brache for us to build a dome for use by our academy and local schools.

"In order for the club to progress, we believe it is vital for our academy to be in the Premier League games programme, which is only open to Clubs in EPPP categories 1 & 2.

"This and better protection for our youth players is vital for us if we want to progress as a locally-owned and community-based football club not relying on overseas owners to generate investment.

“We notice that Peterborough United have just been granted permission for a dome on Council land so that they can move up to Category 2.

"As a local team this will give them a competitive advantage over us in attracting and improving young players, like we have with young Ed McJannet, who we were delighted to have become the youngest to sign a professional contract with the club since 2020 took custodianship, as he did on his 17th birthday last week.

"It is our ambition to reach the Premier League.

"Everyone can see the massive improvement we have made to The Brache since taking over, but there is no room for expansion.

"So we hope that we can work with the Council to find a way of enabling us to satisfy the requirements of the Premier League at the same time as improving and maintaining facilities for use by local schools and the community.”