Luton taskforce to act 'with urgency' after Vauxhall closure
It was set up by Luton Council with the support of central government and the minister for industry, who delivered the opening address.MP Sarah Jones said: "We know this will be a concerning time for Stellantis employees and their families, and we fully support the work of the Luton Taskforce to help those affected through this process."The Kimpton Road site has been bought by property group Goodman, which said it would spend £400m regenerating the site into a "high-quality commercial and industrial park".Goodman said its investment in the industrial estate could create more than 1,700 jobs, once works were completed in 2028.
The taskforce will come up with proposals to central government "for a comprehensive economic response package for Luton".It will focus on "immediate support for affected workers and their families" as well as "longer-term regeneration" of the town, including providing skills and retraining packages.It will also recognise Luton's industrial heritage by developing a plan to "ensure the legacy of over 120 years of car and van manufacturing".Simmons said: "This is in line with our economic growth strategy, which sets out a clear vision for creating a stronger, and more productive economy, which delivers greater opportunities for our residents, improves their everyday lives and ensures that no one is left behind."
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
5 minutes ago
- The Sun
Former Everton star Yerry Mina eyeing shock return to Premier League with defender free to leave Cagliari
YERRY MINA has eyes on a Prem return — and can leave Cagliari for £1.8million. The Colombian centre-half, 30, was a cult hero at Everton before moving to Italy two years ago. 1 He cost £30million in 2018 and made 99 appearances for the Toffees. Injury hampered the centre-back during his time on Merseyside and he left at the end of the 2022/23 season having played just eight games that campaign. Those problems persisted following his move to Fiorentina, where he played just six times in one season. He has spent the last two years at Serie A side Cagliari and was ever-present last year, scoring one goal in 31 games. Meanwhile Everton's transfer activity has been quiet so far this summer. Boss David Moyes says he needs "five or six" players in the next week, after his side lost 3-0 to Bournemouth in a friendly. He said: 'We've signed three, so if you take that off, we're still in the need of maybe five or six players. 'That's what we have to try and do. 'In the past I probably have had to sign a lot of players, but I've never had to do so many in one window as we need now.' Moyes suggested that he and the club's new Friedkin Group owners are paying for the chaos of the final years under Farhad Moshiri. Everton and West Ham to fight it out for Douglas Luiz He said: 'We're sort of picking up a little bit of what we're at the end of now. 'We had a lot of people out of contracts, a lot of loan players, because of the financial situation. 'So we're having to sort of find a way around that and we're trying really, really hard behind the scenes to get things done. 'But you can see we're going to need it. 'We've got no centre-halves and we're really struggling.'
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Man United are 'prepared to meet £61m valuation' of Barcelona star in sensational swoop - as Red Devils wait for Benjamin Sesko's decision on potential move
Manchester United are reportedly ready to fork out £61million to bring in Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez. The Catalan giants are open to offers for a number of their players this summer as they try to generate funds in order to register new signings Marcus Rashford and goalkeeper Joan Garcia in their squad. It's thought that Fermin is one of the players at risk of being sold, with manager Hansi Flick no longer reliant on the 22-year-old in midfield. The Spaniard, who made 28 appearances in LaLiga last season, is indeed likely to see his game-time slashed this term as Raphinha moves inside to accommodate Rashford on the left-wing. But it's thought that Man United are interested in offering Fermin an exit route, with Ruben Amorim and club officials ready to pay Barca's £61m asking price, according to Catalan newspaper Sport. The Red Devils will however likely face stiff competition for his signature, after Chelsea, Arsenal and a number of clubs in the Saudi Pro League also expressed an interest. Any deal for Fermin is expected to take place in 'the coming weeks' with the new seasons of both LaLiga and the Premier League now just around a corner. United's priority ahead of their first league game against Arsenal on August 16 is thought to be the acquisition of a striker. After missing out on prime targets Liam Delap and later Viktor Gyokeres, the Red Devils turned their attention to Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Sesko. They this week however focused their efforts on RB Leipzig's Sesko, after reportedly being priced out of a move for their other option, the Aston Villa forward. United however are embroiled in a two-horse race for the Slovenian's signature with Newcastle, who are believed to have submitted their first bid for the striker on Friday. Sesko is currently weighing up his options, according to reports, and is yet to decide whether he favours a move to Old Trafford or further north to St James' Park. Ruben Amorim's maiden summer at the helm has so far seen United acquire Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbuemo in two deals totalling almost £140million. It's hoped the Premier League-proven wingers can strengthen a United frontline which has been devoid of goals, and confidence, in recent seasons. Rasmus Hojlund, who has actually somewhat impressed this pre-season, could leave the club this summer if Sesko comes through the door. It's thought RB Leipzig are showing a strong interest in securing his services, with the idea of Hojlund being used in a swap deal a genuine possibility. Elsewhere, Amorim is said to be keen to improve his squad in both midfield and in-goal. While no targets have been identified in the centre of the park, club officials reportedly enquired about the possibility of bringing Emi Martinez to Old Trafford earlier in the window. Aston Villa however turned down the proposal.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Manchester United's ‘Wembley of the North' stadium plan hits the buffers
Manchester United's plans to build a 100,000-seat stadium next to Old Trafford are facing delays due to a standoff over the price of land needed to begin work on the construction of the proposed ground Sir Jim Ratcliffe has called 'the Wembley of the North'. The club want land used as a rail freight terminal to complete the Old Trafford Regeneration Project, which they claim will bring £7.3bn a year to the UK economy. United have held talks with Freightliner, the haulage company that owns and operates the terminal, about buying the land, but negotiations are deadlocked due to a disagreement over the price. While Freightliner is understood to have expressed a willingness to relocate from Trafford Park to nearby St Helens, the company is seeking around £400m for the land, with United valuing it at between £40m and £50m. Ratcliffe has made it clear United are unwilling to accept the asking price set by Freightliner's parent company, Brookfield, and initial discussions are believed to have reached an impasse. A source said Freightliner 'have United over a barrel'. The company is willing to relocate to a proposed new site that would offer increased capacity for trains, but it is in no rush to move. The club's view is that Freightliner will only receive what would be a significant windfall if they are willing to drop the asking price. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion When unveiling designs for the Old Trafford master plan, produced by Foster + Partners, in March, Ratcliffe set an ambitious target of completing what he described as a five-year build by 2030. United had been hoping to begin preparatory building work by the end of this year, but failing to secure the Freightliner site will delay the start date. United's options at this stage would be to increase their offer, wait for Freightliner to lower its demands, or scale back the project so that the freight terminal land is not required. It is also possible the new Old Trafford Mayoral Development Corporation, chaired by Sebastian Coe, could issue a compulsory purchase order, although that would be subject to legal challenges and would lead to further delays. Completion by 2030 was always seen as an ambitious target outside the senior leadership team at Old Trafford, given United have yet to obtain planning permission, secure ownership of all the land required or formally appoint architects. While Foster + Partners produced the artist impressions and videos of the proposed new stadium, the club plan to run a formal tender process to appoint architects. At a Fans Forum event on 30 June, United conceded that securing the land required could prove an obstacle to beginning work this year. United were asked by supporters whether building would commence in 2025 or 2026 and responded: 'Planning work is continuing, including the consultations with fans discussed during today's meeting. 'Discussions are also ongoing with local authorities, land owners and potential funding partners with a view to securing the land and the finance we need to proceed with the project. It remains our ambition to proceed with the project as quickly as possible, but we can only do this once the necessary land and funding is in place.' United have estimated the cost of the project at £4.2bn, but claim it will bring huge social and economic benefits to the local community and wider region, including 92,000 jobs, more than 17,000 new homes as well as attracting an extra 1.8 million visitors annually. The cost for the stadium has been projected by United to be around £2bn, although given the tented roof alone is likely to cost £300m, industry sources say £3bn is a more realistic budget. Freightliner's demands for £400m could result in the redevelopment being significantly over budget from the start. United are not seeking any public money to build the stadium itself. The club declined to comment on a private commercial negotiation.
