Hatters chief can't think of any 'legitimate reason' why Luton Council would block Town's academy dome from being built

Town boss Nathan Jones is struggling to think of 'legitimate reason' why the club’s aims to build an academy dome at Cutenhoe Road is being scuppered by Luton Borough Council.

The Hatters saw their application for the facility, which is a requirement to move from Category 3 to Category 2 status, allowing them to play in the Premier League’s U23 development games programme, passed back in October.

It was then turned down at a meeting of the Executive on Monday, although that decision was called in by the Liberal Democrats last night, meaning the Council, who are coming under increasing pressure from local councillors along with the club's supporters, could still reverse their original call.

With Town having such a rich history of producing young talent, current Premier League star James Justin the latest in a long line to come through the ranks at Kenilworth Road, Jones believes a U-turn would be the only sensible outcome.

Speaking about just how important it is for the club's future that they are allowed to expand their academy, he said: “We’re at our limit here and for us to move to the next level, we need certain things to happen.

“One of those is that we get a new stadium and get that so we can compete at this level.

“To move into the next level, we need to be able to recruit for a young age, to develop our own and to do another James Justin on a bigger scale.

“Then we can compete at the next level, to do that, the dome, starting off to go Category 2, being able to open up a scope and have a greater catchment area and create a pull to bring these good players, these young players here to really do some good work.

“All these need to happen and I can’t believe that it has taken this long to do all those things because we’re logical.

“To do a dome would benefit everyone, absolutely everyone.

“Not just the football club, everyone because it will give us Category 2, people who are in schools and good footballers who are in schools can stay in the Luton area, can train, can be in a Category 2, hopefully in a Category 1, open up a pathway.

“Obviously I’m slightly biased but I cant see a legitimate reason why permission is taking this long if we are thinking about long term, the community and taking this club, town, county forward.”

The Hatters are also due to unveil updated plans for their new ground at Power Court in the next few weeks, which should see the application go before a Development Control Committee meeting in March and, if successful will see building start on site later in 2021, with the club aiming to stage a first game in 2024.

Jones knows that will be another game-changer for the Hatters if they are to ever realise their dreams of playing in the top flight once more.

He added: "I was at a football club before I came here – Brighton – that I signed as a player in the year 2000.

“Micky Adams’ (Seagulls manager at the time) words to me were, ‘however long you want, you tell me the length of contract you want and by the time that finishes, we will have a brand new stadium.’

“That was 2000, they moved into the Amex in 2012, because a lot of people blocked things and put millions in legal costs and putting things through planning.

“Finally they got it 12 years later and it has been a wonderful thing for Brighton, for the city and for the place, wonderful.

“Then I came here and there has been a fight on to move the club forward.

“If the club moves forward with the planning that it had, lets go back to that, the whole of Bedfordshire will benefit from that.

“If the football club is doing well, then that generates a lot for the community, it adds a certain bit of traffic and so on but it brings people to the town, to the county and as a League Two side, it doesn’t bring many, as a Championship side it brings more.

“If we can actually go another step, it will open up a whole new world.

"To get to that level, we have to reach certain levels through praise the lord, real good work on all levels throughout the club.”