England: Luton with promotion and new stadium design

30.05.2023 12:36 source: StadiumDB.com; author: Kuba Kowalski

Luton Town FC is famous not only for their historic promotion to the Premier League, but also for their stadium, which has stolen the hearts of fans from all over the world with its old-school style. The club's board of directors, while proud of the age-old arena, has made concrete plans for a new facility.

Prompt action by the Luton Town board

While Kenilworth Road was being discussed as a potential Premier League venue, Luton Town FC has revealed that very good progress has been made regarding the Power Court as final designs are being created. The club's development company, 2020 Developments, has released new images of the planned new Power Court stadium in the heart of Luton's centre, in preparation for a detailed permit application to be submitted soon.

The renderings show Power Court Stadium in the first phase of development with a capacity of 19,500 seats, of which about a third will be safe-standing. The second phase will see the addition of another 4,000 seats or standing areas, which can be developed as demand requires without too many disruptions.

Groundwork for the new stadium is expected to begin late this year or early next year, and the construction period for the stadium itself is estimated at around 24-30 months. The goal is to complete the construction in 2026, regardless of the team's future progress. The stadium is to be accompanied by a whole new Luton city district with 1,200 homes, entertainment, restaurants, bars, retail and community spaces.

Power Court © Luton Town FC / AndArchitects

The final years of the legendary stadium

All signs point to just a few seasons ahead for Kenilworth Stadium. The local stadium, surrounded by tight residential streets, is located on the outskirts of the city centre. It was at this atmospheric facility, which was on the lips of most sports sites, that the team achieved the best result in the 21st century.

To ensure that the stadium is able to host matches of England's top league in the 2023-24 season, renovation work must be done at Kenilworth Stadium. According to Luton's owners, there is no doubt that the current facility could cope with hosting Premier League matches, but this would involve an immediate cost of around £10m. The club will have to rebuild most of the Bobbers Stand. The stand running down one side of the pitch is currently the smallest Kenilworth Road stand in terms of capacity and contains a row of corporate boxes.

Power Court