Luton Town FC have said there are no delays to an urgent £10m works program at their stadium, despite postponing their first home game of the 2023/24 season.
The club’s Kenilworth Road stadium is “undergoing a program of extensive ground improvements” this summer in order to be ready to host Premier League games, after winning promotion last season.
This includes the construction of a new stand for the 10,000-capacity venue “to meet broadcast and media requirements”.
The club said the work “is progressing very well and is currently ahead of schedule”. Despite this, he has asked to postpone his match against Burnley FC, which was scheduled for August 19.
Luton said that “due to the extent of the project”, the club “cannot absolutely guarantee to supporters that any unforeseen future events will not cause any delays” affecting the schedule.
In light of this, the club agreed with the Premier League and Burnley FC that the postponement “was a sensible outcome which gives supporters of both teams sufficient time to plan what will now be a weekend off”.
The main contractor for the works program is Hertfordshire-based Capital Sky, its director Martin Maloney confirmed. Construction news. Maloney said the works program is “on track”.
A new date for the game will be announced as soon as possible, Luton said.
Luton chief executive Gary Sweet said: “The joint decision to delay this facility is unfortunate, particularly given the incredible progress that continues to be made in our building work; our current schedule is on time but there is no additional contingency and therefore we cannot give a cast-iron guarantee at this stage that an issue beyond our control, however minor, will not force a later postponement and upset supporters of both clubs.”
In May, Sweet stated that the improvements needed to meet Premier League criteria would cost around £10m and said “we have no complaints as it is part of the inclusion of the [Premier League] affiliation, it is an agreement to make and we are happy”.
In the longer term, Luton plans to move to a new city center stadium at Power Court as part of a wider regeneration plan for 20 acres next to Luton railway station.
Outline permission has been received and preparatory works have begun. The expected date for the completion of construction is 2026.
The Power Court stadium is expected to have a capacity of 19,500 in its first phase of development, with a further 4,000 seats added in the second phase.
