Luton Borough Council explain decision to refuse Luton Town's lease for an academy dome at Cutenhoe Road

Leader Hazel Simmons details why original outcome was overturned
How Luton Town's academy dome could lookHow Luton Town's academy dome could look
How Luton Town's academy dome could look

Luton Borough Council have explained their decision to refuse Luton Town a lease to build their academy dome at a site at Cutenhoe Road.

Late last year, the council passed the Hatters' application for the facility which is essential to the club moving from Category 3 to Category 2 status.

However they then rejected the decision at a recent meeting of the Executive, despite the proposal containing clauses allowing the council to take the land back at any time should they want to build a school themselves, plus also allowing free use of the sports fields by local schools.

It led to the Luton Liberal Democrats exercising a rarely used standing order to force a reconsideration of the decision, but in a letter to a member of campaign group Save our Town, detailing why the outcome was reached, leader of the council, Hazel Simmons said: "In 2017, both LTFC and an organisation representing local Gaelic football clubs approached the council with a view to securing part of the CCLV playing fields for their own use.

"This coincided with the development of both the new Linden Academy school on the former Vauxhall motor sports ground opposite to CCLV.

"Both of the developments had limited outdoors sports facilities and a decision was made at the time to retain 100% control of the CCLV playing fields, in case there were needed to support sporting activities at either school.

"Thus a precedent was set.

"As you know, Linden Academy do use the CCLV playing fields on a regular basis and Chiltern Academy have an option to do so once they reach full pupil capacity in a year or so.

"It was recognised that the proposal did include the offer of a shared use, but there was a concern that this might be difficult to manage in the circumstances.

"The recent and ongoing substantial residential developments by Redrow and Strawberry Star in Kimpton Road will fuel primary pupil place demand in the south of the borough and it could be that the new school opportunity in question becomes a priority soon.

"With this in mind it was felt that committing to a private lease on the land potentially required for this (even with that break clause) would be inappropriate.

"Any such lease would also be subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for Education, obviously approval cannot be then taken for granted.

"Although the rent income would be most welcome from the proposed lease, the current general economic climate is uncertain and is not conducive to making long term letting decisions.

"We believe it would not be right, as things stand, to commit to a lease that gave the club something in the way of a long term security of tenure.

"The potential demands on the whole of the CCLV site do not lend themselves to such an arrangement.

"I know you will not be happy with the decision but I do hope it clarifies our position at this time."

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