Latest news with #LutonBoroughCouncil
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Vauxhall plant closure 'could cost Luton area £300m a year'
The closure of Luton's Vauxhall plant could amount to a gross value added loss to the area of more than £300m a year, a report estimated 1,200 employees were affected by Stellantis's decision to shut the Bedfordshire plant in March, 120 years after it started manufacturing Borough Council has formally approved a decision to create a taskforce to "manage and mitigate the economic shock", it said. The group includes the council, government officials, logistics firm Goodman that has purchased the site, and Luton Rising - the council-led group that owns London Luton Airport. The report by Sinead McNamara, service director for inclusive growth, to the borough council's executive said the closure would have "significant economic and social consequences, and will negatively impact both Luton's and the wider regional economy's future financial growth ambitions".It would affect the direct job losses but also "the supply chain", it said."Early estimates are that the closure of the Luton plant represents a GVA loss of over £300 million per annum, a huge economic shock to the local and regional economies."The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the report stated that "several positive meetings" had been held with the new owners, which said it would spend £400m regenerating the site into a "high-quality commercial and industrial park". Hazel Simmons, Labour leader of the authority, said the group would be "specifically focusing on the economic renewal of the site, with extra skills and training to support affected workers back into employment". She said "opportunities" were also emerging with the approval of the expansion of the town's airport and Universal Studios planning to open a theme park close to Bedford. "We also have the new 25,000 capacity football stadium opening in our town centre, as well as a strong cultural events programme and live music offer to support the thriving visitor economy."These two developments alone will transform our town and reinforce the role Luton plays in the wider regional economy. "What we must address with the taskforce is the short-term and how we can maximise opportunities around what's happening at a later date," she said it closed the Luton plant to move its electric van production to another site in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, where it was investing £50m."Our employees always remain our priority, and we continue to act responsibly towards our colleagues in Luton," a spokesperson previously said. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Luton school rooftop is a 'powerful educational tool'
The rooftop of a primary school has been transformed into a "powerful educational tool", its headteacher has McKiernan, from Denbigh Primary School, in Luton, said the space will allow children to "connect directly with the natural world". It has been designed as a living laboratory, Luton Borough Council said. Funding for the work came from the Greener Future Fund by London Luton Airport, awarded by the Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation. The council said: "Designed as a living laboratory, the garden is already enriching the curriculum by bringing environmental learning to life. "Children across all year groups are engaging in planting, observing nature, and learning how ecosystems thrive, all while building a deeper appreciation for the environment, and the importance of climate action for Luton."Mrs McKiernan, said: "The rooftop garden is more than just a beautiful new space; it's a powerful educational tool. "It allows our children to connect directly with the natural world, helping them understand the science behind how things grow and why sustainability matters." Plans are already in place to expand the school's green spaces. "As the garden continues to flourish, it stands as a symbol of the school's dedication to combining innovation with education," the council said. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Luton's £136m stage project delayed by building safety regulator
A £136m town centre regeneration project has been delayed by a building safety regulator as the plans did not meet the required Stage flagship mixed-use development in Luton is due to be built on the site of the former Bute Street railway station - which was replaced by a bus station and later demolished in Building Safety Regulator (BSR) said there had been several applications "one of which was rejected as it failed to demonstrate that the buildings, if constructed as designed, would meet legal requirements".Luton Borough Council said it was committed to ensuring "our application for the Stage development fully meets the required standards". A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive, the umbrella organisation for BSR, said: "The building control processes introduced following the Grenfell Tower tragedy are a vital safeguard, aimed at raising fire and structural safety standards across the built environment."They added that detailed plans submitted by the applicant for the Stage development around fire and emergency safety matters were not adequate or clear and there were a number of concerns over structural issues.A spokesperson for Luton Borough Council said: "We have consistently provided comprehensive information to support our application, responded promptly to any requests for clarification, and made adjustments where required."The development, which is underpinned by £20m of levelling up funding, includes flats, a multi-purpose performance and community area, a food court and commercial space, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Luton Borough Council's director of property and infrastructure Roger Kirk told the scrutiny finance review group on Tuesday that the delay in approving the project was costing the authority £100,000 a said the application was submitted in July 2024 and the council's "best guess at present is that the negative impact, in terms of the capital project, is less than £1m."He said the regulator had requested a third extension until July 11 and added he was confident of a positive outcome.A spokesperson for the authority said: "We appreciate the pressures faced by the BSR as a newly established regulator and remain committed to working constructively with them to ensure our application fully meets the new standards." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Council opens housing scheme to cut homelessness
A council has launched a scheme to help people at risk of homelessness find private accommodation. Luton Borough Council's government-financed fund your own home initiative was designed to cut council house waiting lists in the town, which can be up to 10 years. The Labour-run authority said demand for housing assistance had reached "unprecedented levels", with the number of families seeking support rising from an average of 200 per month to 450. Rob Roche, the council's portfolio holder for housing, said: "This is about families and giving them a decent home and if they have children, giving them a secure place to live." In Luton, more than 12,000 people are currently on the council's housing register, so the authority hoped this scheme will help some of them explore the private rental sector as a more immediate housing solution. Roche said in the past people had "come to us with eviction dates" and they then had "to be put into temporary accommodation". He added he hoped the scheme would help "get in there first before that happened". A woman from Luton, who wished to remain anonymous, was one of the first to benefit from the scheme after being placed at first into temporary accommodation with her three children. Her housing officer urged her to explore renting privately with council assistance instead and she now lives in a home close to her extended family. She said she "needed to change for her kids and needed more structure and routine" and her "mental health was a lot better" in their new home. Her children have "settled in really well and are pursuing their hobbies like cycling around friends and family" and they were able to recently celebrate Eid together, she added. The council worked on the scheme with the Mary Seacole Housing Association. It creates personal plans for applicants, which look at their household size, potential disabilities, support needs and financial situation. Matthew Bushnell, chief executive of Mary Seacole Housing Association, told the BBC that "homelessness can feel overwhelming" and that it was "quite easy to bury your head in the sand" if you were at risk of it happening to you. He hoped this scheme would help "alleviate that stress and anxiety very early on". He added that "if you are able to go through the private rental route" you are likely "to secure housing via a much faster process". Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Town plans more than 400 new homes a year Council told to pay mum £1,200 over housing error Luton Borough Council: Housing Find Your Own Home Mary Seacole Housing Association
BBC News
06-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
New scheme in Luton launched to cut council house waiting lists
A council has launched a scheme to help people at risk of homelessness find private Borough Council's government-financed fund your own home initiative was designed to cut council house waiting lists in the town, which can be up to 10 Labour-run authority said demand for housing assistance had reached "unprecedented levels", with the number of families seeking support rising from an average of 200 per month to 450. Rob Roche, the council's portfolio holder for housing, said: "This is about families and giving them a decent home and if they have children, giving them a secure place to live." In Luton, more than 12,000 people are currently on the council's housing register, so the authority hoped this scheme will help some of them explore the private rental sector as a more immediate housing said in the past people had "come to us with eviction dates" and they then had "to be put into temporary accommodation".He added he hoped the scheme would help "get in there first before that happened".A woman from Luton, who wished to remain anonymous, was one of the first to benefit from the scheme after being placed at first into temporary accommodation with her three housing officer urged her to explore renting privately with council assistance instead and she now lives in a home close to her extended family. She said she "needed to change for her kids and needed more structure and routine" and her "mental health was a lot better" in their new home. Her children have "settled in really well and are pursuing their hobbies like cycling around friends and family" and they were able to recently celebrate Eid together, she added. The council worked on the scheme with the Mary Seacole Housing Association. It creates personal plans for applicants, which look at their household size, potential disabilities, support needs and financial situation. Matthew Bushnell, chief executive of Mary Seacole Housing Association, told the BBC that "homelessness can feel overwhelming" and that it was "quite easy to bury your head in the sand" if you were at risk of it happening to hoped this scheme would help "alleviate that stress and anxiety very early on".He added that "if you are able to go through the private rental route" you are likely "to secure housing via a much faster process". Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
