Luton Town submit minor amendments for Power Court stadium plans

Changes to Blocks E and F won't affect neighbouring areas
The Hatters' designs for a new stadium at Power CourtThe Hatters' designs for a new stadium at Power Court
The Hatters' designs for a new stadium at Power Court

Luton Town have submitted their initial amendments to plans for a new stadium at Power Court.

Documents appeared on Luton Council’s website over the weekend that confirmed the club’s ambitions for a ground with a capacity of up to 23,000 capacity remain more or less the same as previously so far.

Hatters CEO Gary Sweet had spoken previously of some 'major modifications' being required due to the coronavirus pandemic hitting the economic environment, but the documents confirm no major changes to the ground, or other plans, which include 550 residential units, entertainment, music and conference venue, along with a hotel and a foodstore, despite an Aldi recently being approved less than a mile away, with 1,200 car parking spaces too.

The amendments are to do with Blocks E and F of the design, moving them closer to the stadium and increasing the height of the buildings from four metres to five.

The application covering letter from Emily Taylor, Principal Planner from consultants WSP, said: “The minor amendment to the application is concerned with Blocks E and F of the extant consent, which are located in the west of the site and north west of the stadium.

"In the extant consent, the blocks are set some way apart from the stadium/podium area and step towards the west.

"Block F, the closest to the stadium of the two, is the taller building of the two.

"Moving to the reserved matters stage, the blocks need to shift eastwards, to be located closer to the proposed stadium,

"This will tie in more closely with the latest thinking on the stadium's design.

"The separation distance allowances within the parameters, between the two blocks will remain acceptable to preserve amenity, with the exact distances to be determined at the reserved matters stage.

"The distance between Block E and the stadium in the current layout is reduced and it is envisaged that any future detailed stadium design would have to accommodate appropriate separation distance between the stadium and the new residential units.

"The heights of the blocks remain below the maximum parameters permitted through the outline permission.

"However the distribution of height needs to be amended to reflect the market preferences, so that Block E is now the taller of the two.

"In terms of overall heights, there is only a difference of 1 metre between the overall heights of the two blocks in the extant consent and the current proposals,

"To reflect the shift in the buildings and heights, the section plans associated with the outline consent will be amended to show the updated location and height so the correct parameters can be referenced.

"We are also proposing to remove some of the existing supporting plans that depict the floor-by-floor layout of the proposed development as layout is a reserved matter in line with the outline consent, so the details on this are to be confirmed through subsequent reserved matters applications.

"It is reasonable to provide a consolidated site layout plan that shows the indicative layout of the scene, in line with the updated locations of the new parameters.

"The changes are clearly minor when compared to the scope of the extant outline permission.

"The land use and by number of buildings has not changed, remaining as two blocks providing residential units.

"In general, the layout and grain is staying the same with two blocks being adjacent to the new stadium area,

"The change is restricted to a matter of the exact location of the two blocks in relation to the stadium and the distribution of height across the two blocks (and the outline consent did not seek citing to be determined).

"The difference in the overall heights on the consented parameter plans is only a matter of 1 metre.

"The change in the level of the height between the two buildings was 4m and is proposed to be 5m.

"In the context of the two buildings, this is a very small difference and the location of the tallest building changing does not materially alter the townscape impact.

"The location of the two blocks is proposed to shift closer to the stadium. The separation distance allowances between the two residential blocks will not be changing, nor will the orientation of the two buildings.

"When looking at the scheme as a whole, very minor variations to the location and height distribution of two of the blocks cannot be seen as a material chance to the nature, scale or scope of the permission."

The proposed changes won't have an adverse effect on the neighbouring areas either, as the letter added: “As the overall scale of the buildings are unchanged, the impact to townscape and the nearby St Mary's church will not differ materially from that as assessed in the outline permission through the Environmental Statement.

"In the outline permission, it was found that there was limited scope to impact on neighbouring amenity due to the existing built up nature of the town centre and the neighbouring uses.

"As the general location of the building is remaining the same, there is no resultant change to the impact on privacy of outlook to any neighbours.

“The scope of the changes are so minor that the effects of the application as assessed in the outline permission are not altered. In short, it is non-material.

"Finally, given the siting of buildings was not determined at the outline stage, and there are no new proposals or effects that make it necessary to undertake consultation as the principle and overall layout and massing remain as previously accepted,

"Indeed, in the context of the forthcoming application for the reserved matters, and the new outline applications which will be coming forward shortly, a further consultation could be confusing."