Luton - Development Projects
Current investment in Luton
Planned Developments
M1 Junction 10A Improvements
Housing Development, Road Infrastructure, Mixed Use Development, Major CommercialThe M1 widening of Junction 6 to 10 has now been completed and opened. Work has also started on the M1 between junctions 10 and 13 in each direction by introducing a fourth lane using the hard shoulder. The council secured £1million of GAF III funding to develop the engineering and environmental design work for the J10a improvement scheme. The council are continuing to work hard on securing the funding required to allow these works to go ahead. The improvement scheme is much needed to unlock the development sites in the south and east of Luton, together with those in the town centre. The improvement scheme is part of the overall transport strategy to deliver 26,300 homes in the growth area by 2021.
Completion Date: 2021Luton Town Centre Transport Scheme
Road Infrastructure, Mixed Use DevelopmentThe Luton Town Centre Transport Scheme (TCTS) is a £26million project which will create additional road capacity to reduce traffic congestion. The overall emphasis of the scheme is to encourage public transport, and walking and cycling. The Regional Spatial Strategy identified Luton as the key town centre for the Luton and South Bedfordshire growth area both as an office based business location and to provide high quality retailing.
The Luton TCTS is important to support planning applications for the proposed mixed-use development in particular on the north and east sides of the town centre (Power Court, The Mall shopping centre and Station Gateway) together with the redevelopment and regeneration area in the south of High Town, to the north of the railway station. The scheme is due for completion in 2014.
Completion Date: 2014The Luton-Dunstable Busway Scheme
Road InfrastructureThe Luton-Dunstable Busway Scheme is a major development comprising a guided busway that will facilitate quick and reliable connections to the town centres of Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Luton Airport Parkway station, as well as the Airport itself. The project will cost £89.2 million and is due for completion in spring 2013.
Completion Date: 2013The High Town East Village
Housing DevelopmentHigh Town is strategically located at the fringe of the town centre and is expected to be subject to increasing pressure for redevelopment. The High Town East Village is an exciting regeneration project to the north of the main railway station. An expansive footbridge linking to the station and town centre and the striking design of the new multi-storey car park are the gateway to this new neighbourhood which lies in the heart of High Town, to the east of its historical retail spine which dates from 19th century and is characterised by specialist shops.
The new urban village would sit among other ambitious regeneration projects that will transform the centre and provide new facilities for Luton. Approximately 360 new units and a minimum of 8000 sq m of commercial space will benefit from proximity to The Mall shopping centre, the University, and the sustainable transport hub currently being created right opposite the site; this comprises a new bus station, an improved train station and the Luton Dunstable Busway (linking three town centres, the airport, housing and industrial areas).
Shared spaces will create a pedestrian friendly environment throughout the area and two new public green spaces and play areas will enhance the feeling of an urban village, ideal for families, artists and creative businesses. High Town is strategically located at the fringe of the town centre and is expected to be subject
London Luton Airport
Airport DevelopmentLondon Luton Airport Limited (LLAL) plan to increase the airport’s capacity to 18 million passengers a year. LLAL is looking to increase the capacity of the airport from an estimated 11.5 million passengers a year, using the existing runway and within the current boundary, which it estimates could create up to 6,000 new jobs and generate millions of pounds of investment. The plans would improve the airport’s congested road network, airport car parking, passenger terminal, aircraft taxiways, aprons, piers and parking stands.
The Mall
Retail Development, Major CommercialThe Mall is the 906,000sq ft shopping centre providing extensive and contemporary shopping to the Luton catchment. In July 2010 The Mall completed its £20million St George’s Square development comprising 75,000 sq ft of retail units let to TK Maxx and Argos plus a further six restaurant units that front onto St George’s Square. The Mall's vision is to continue working with Luton Borough Council to further extend the shopping centre to create bigger, more modern shop units to attract prestigious new retailers ;improving the appearance of the centre through high quality architecture and urban design and integrating the redevelopment of The Mall Luton with other key town centre regeneration initiatives.
Power Court
Retail DevelopmentThe regeneration of Power Court will be achieved by a high quality retail led scheme which respects its setting in the town centre of Luton, adjacent to the grade 1 listed St Mary's Church. Taking advantage of its proximity to the expanding university and the rest of the town centre, this scheme will deliver new retail development in such a way that it enhances and integrates with the rest of the town centre. It will also deliver new housing and enhanced public spaces. The site was recently purchased by British Land and Luton Borough Council are in the process of working up design proposals with the new owners to ensure that this delivers a high quality scheme which strengthens the offer of the town centre.
Butterfield Business and Technology Park
University/Science/Research, Major CommercialThe Butterfield Technology Park is located in the north east of Luton. It is easily accessible from both the A1 and the M1. It is a thriving and expanding community with a range of amenities which make it an attractive place to locate your business. Easter Group are currently developing the Business Park which caters for business and industry users and offers up to one million sq ft of low density mixed use development.
The village at Butterfield is now a premium business location, securing tenants such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, GEC,McCaan Erickson and the University of Bedfordshire. A 155 bedroom Hilton Garden Inn is located on site offering a 24 hour business centre with excellent facilities. Butterfield also offers bespoke design and build solutions for a wide spectrum of business users on a leasehold or freehold basis.
The park has an outline planning consent with approximately 300,000 sq ft of buildings having been completed to date and is fully serviced. The park has on site management with 24 hour guarded security and CCTV surveillance. A bespoke 90,000 sq ft building for Coopers MTL Instruments has recently been completed which includes a head office and high-tech manufacturing facility. Easter Group has a proven track record of providing varied types of bespoke buildings for occupiers across a wide range of commercial uses. Easter has an established design team who can prepare a detailed brief, plans and specifications.
Century Park
Tourism & Leisure, Housing Development, Retail Development, Mixed Use Development, Major CommercialA 104 acre site to the east of London Luton Airport, Century Park is strategically located approximately 2.5 miles from Junction 10 of the M1. Designed as a mixed-use development, Century Park benefits from outline planning permission for a total of 143,025 sq m across a range of unit sizes. This provides for 123,291 sq m of office, industrial and warehouse space; a 18,573 sq m hotel with 1,161 sq m of ancillary leisure together with 10,446 sq m of retail accommodation.
Developed by ProLogis, the buildings at Century Park will meet the company’s high standards of environmental sustainability which aim to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accreditation, to be certified Carbon Neutral and to gain the highest EPC ratings possible within each building’s size category. The close proximity to London Luton Airport makes it suitable for occupiers seeking airport related uses, as well as for general employment purposes.
Napier Park
Tourism & Leisure, Housing Development, Retail Development, Mixed Use Development, Major CommercialNapier Park, the £400m redevelopment of the former Vauxhall car site, is one of the South East’s largest urban Regeneration projects.
Explore Investments, the development team behind Napier Park in Luton (the former Vauxhall Motors car plant) are planning to transform the existing consented scheme into a truly world class sustainable community for residents, businesses and leisure users alike.
In June 2007 the team acquired a strategic parcel of land adjoining Luton Parkway Station, providing further commercial, residential and retail opportunities as well as important ticketing facilities and a vital pedestrian link to the fast trains to London St Pancras International. In addition to the new station link, the entire development could incorporate: up to 2,000 open market and mixed tenure residential units; almost 75,000sq m of Grade A commercial office space; a 200 bed hotel, conference and casino centre; 1,500sq m of community retail space; airport related car parking; retail warehousing and a new central park anchored by a cascading water feature at the approach to the scheme. Napier Park is a wholly sustainable mixed use urban regeneration scheme - 1.6km to Luton town centre, 1km to Luton Airport and 2.2km to M1Junction 10.
Station Gateway
Tourism & Leisure, Rail Infrastructure, Housing Development, Mixed Use Development, Major CommercialThe Station Gateway site is strategically located and presents an excellent sustainable development opportunity.
The key attributes include:
- Immediate proximity to the station, offering easy access to London, Bedford and beyond
- Similarly adjacent to the forthcoming guided busway, tying the site in with the sub region
- Being just one stop away from Luton Airport Parkway and associated businesses
- A nodal connection point between High Town to the north and the town centre to the south
- At the hub of Luton town centre’s wider regeneration and redevelopment initiatives, notably the planned Power Court scheme and improvements to The Mall
The Council has secured funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government to undertake a major regeneration of the area around Bute Street and the railway station creating a new and vibrant gateway to Luton. This will include, an improved railway station, transport interchange, including the new guided busway, bus and taxi facility and a station square with retail and residential developments.
The Gateway will complement the other important development projects in the town centre such as The Mall extension and Power Court. It will also create an important link point between High Town and the town centre. The public transport interchange facilities will be modern and easy to use. The guided busway, the bus interchange and the railway station will be close together in order that people can reach them easily and conveniently. The project includes the newly completed 720 space, £18million multi-storey car park in Midland Road.
Consultants have been appointed to prepare a master plan and preliminary proposals include:
- A new station ticket hall building
- A major bus interchange facility
- Approximately 375 flats
- A hotel next to Luton station (3500 sq m)
- Shops, restaurants and cafes (2869 sq m)
- Flexible units (2916 sq m, two storey units)
- Parking (11430 sq m)
