Luton Town v Sheffield Utd – 28 August 2021
Gary kicks off this new season with …
“As these are my first notes of the season it falls on me to update you with more news of our longer-term progress. As mentioned before, the single, most common question I get asked is “How’s the new stadium coming along?”, especially of late when we’ve had to cope with a hugely changing environment after global pandemics, potential economic crises and massive shifts in consumer behaviour has forced a significant rethink on much of what we’re seeking to develop according market demand. To ease your mind, despite all this, I can confirm that developments plans for our new stadium at Power Court are progressing well and, despite a small hitch in time and some nominal compromises, is all on track. Being able to fund the construction of the stadium is paramount in our mind, of course – we simply cannot build if we haven’t got the money and, with costs on the rise, it isn’t loose change that’s going to make it happen. The principle of funding deriving from our facilitating developments at Power Court and Newlands Park categorically remains, and I can inform you that we are making good progress on this front to the extent that we are in the process of concluding our first (of many, I hasten to add) freehold sale of one small plot of land to partner developers and future neighbours.
With our positive progress on other partnership prospects and having painstakingly scrutinised over a redesign of the stadium and surrounding public realm (a necessity brought about by a global pandemic and behavioural change), we are now just about to embark upon a detailed planning stage for those elements, as I write. Whilst not the lengthy process our outline stage took, it largely is what it says on the tin – a very detailed design – and needs to be done fully and properly to ensure that we get the design right, don’t overspend, and save time and efficiency in construction. I’ll provide more updates as we progress this process, but suffice to say that it really is an exciting phase of advancement as we study the various possible access routes, assignments of entrances, concourses, hospitality areas, players’ tunnel and back-of-house amenities as well as strategies for riverbanks and cycle-paths and placements of new sub-stations and smart car parks. So, as we draw closer to the reality of our much long-awaited relocation, please savour every minute you can at our current home, starting today. Get behind the team as you always do.”