Luton CEO confirms Power Court and Newlands Park will be delayed by coronavirus

Sweet knows club have to 'tread carefully' over finances for developments
An artists impression of how Power Court could lookAn artists impression of how Power Court could look
An artists impression of how Power Court could look

The coronavirus outbreak currently sweeping the nation will delay Luton Town’s attempts to build a new ground at Power Court and mixed use scheme at Newlands Park according to chief executive Gary Sweet.

The club had been hoping to accelerate plans for the new 17,500 all-seater stadium at Power Court and a second development at Newlands Park after being given the green light to begin building on both sites last month, when Mall owners, Capital & Regional, opted against an appeal after its bid for a Judicial Review into planning permission for Newlands Park was rejected.

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However, with the football season now suspended until April 3 after the EFL took the step to postpone the Hatters’ next three fixtures this morning, when asked if that would have a knock-on effect on the club’s plans to move home due to lost revenue and income, Sweet said: “It doesn't matter what business you’re in at the moment, if you asked the question, is it going to have an effect, then absolutely.

“And how deep will that scar be? It’s certainly going to be a visible one.

“We are taking temporary pauses on some of those things at the moment, for sensible reasons, especially where we may be committing to expenditure that actually we might not have down the line.

“So we do have to tread very, very cautiously and prudently at this time.

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“In an ideal world it won’t change where we are with those developments, we will plough on, the world will still exist of course at some point down the line.

“The best thing we can say about it is, it will delay matters and who knows what effect that might have on the developments?”

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