Redrow Homes

Napier Park, Luton

At Planning Committee on 7th December 2016, Members unanimously agreed that planning permission be granted.

Planning Potential secured permission for a development of 520 new homes on the Napier Park site in Luton in December 2017, on behalf of Redrow Homes. Napier Park has been a strategic site for Luton Council for over 10 years, and although previous attempts to develop the site have failed, Redrow worked hard to create a scheme which could be delivered on a very challenging, steeply sloping brownfield site.  

Planning Potential have been involved with the 10.7 hectare Site since January 2015, and have worked closely with Redrow in devising the strategy for the delivery of 520 new homes on Napier Park.  Outline consent was granted for a large mixed use development across a wider site in April 2015 (application ref: 13/00280/OUT), and to date, Redrow are the first developer to submit a subsequent Reserved Matters Application. 

The Site has been the location of industrial activity for the past one hundred years and most recently formed part of the vast Vauxhall car plant complex. Production stopped in 2003 and in 2006 the site was cleared.

Numerous pre-application meetings were held with the Local Planning Authority (LPA) in the run up to the submission, which sought to evolve the proposals, taking into account the challenging level changes across the site.  Redrow also considered comments from local residents and sought to develop a scheme which respected the views of neighbours, whilst creating a new community made up of three distinctive character areas, suitable for a wide range of people.  These are named Valley Gardens, Midslope Gardens and Upper Gardens, which incorporate high quality areas of landscaping and play space.

Due to the topography of the site, building design, heights, scale and massing were all fundamental to the success of the scheme.

We worked closely with Officers throughout the planning process, and also achieved consent, during this time, for a new access point into the Site.  This allowed for the creation of a new and effective link into the main area of the Site.  We also prepared and submitted a substantial amount of information to discharge numerous pre-commencement conditions, associated with the outline permission.  The proposals were amended during the planning process to respond to comments made by Officers and stakeholders, which resulted in a scheme that was considered fully acceptable to the Council.

At Planning Committee on 7th December 2016, Members unanimously agreed that planning permission be granted.

Napier Park has been a key strategic allocation for a large mixed use development, in the borough for many years, and this approval will enable to delivery of much needed homes for Luton in the very near future.  Construction is expected to start on site in 2017. 

Summary of achievements

  • Development of a robust and creative planning strategy for the site
  • Provision of Pre-Application advice
  • Consultation with local residents
  • Project management
  • Full review of submission documents and input into revisions
  • Preparation of Planning Statement and supporting documents
  • Co-ordination and submission of the Reserved Matters Planning Application
  • Co-ordination and submission of the New Access Planning Application
  • Co-ordination and submission of a number of applications to discharge Pre-Commencement Conditions
  • Monitoring of the Planning Applications
  • Detailed and ongoing liaison with the LPA, throughout the planning process
  • Presentation at Planning Committee, culminating in a unanimous approval