Luton's new Executive has parked the Bury Park red route for a three-month business impact study. Crossing, pavement and loading bay fixes go ahead now.
The Bury Park red route will not start this year. Luton Council’s new Executive has ordered an independent study of what it would do to local businesses before deciding whether it should happen at all. That study takes about three months, and the Executive expects the report back early in the new year.
The decision, EX/95/26, was taken on Monday 5 October. It reverses the position of the previous Executive, which on 7 September voted to press ahead with the 18-month trial.
The rest of the package is not waiting. The Executive agreed to bring forward everything that can be done without a red route.
What goes ahead now
The council’s announcement lists the measures that do not need a red route:
- removing parked vehicles from around formal crossing points
- footway parking restrictions to keep pavements clear
- longer loading bay hours and a longer maximum stay
- working with bus operators to review where bus stops are and whether they add to congestion
- more parking enforcement, subject to available resources
- continuing to look for more parking in the area
- exploring with bus operators whether more low-emission buses can run in Bury Park
The loading bay changes were set out in the scheme approved in August. Hours go from 7pm to 7am to 7pm to 10am, and the maximum stay rises from 30 to 45 minutes, according to the Executive report.
The Executive also added three instructions of its own, recorded in the decision sheet. Officers are to:
- ask businesses and landlords in Bury Park whether their car parks can open to the public on a similar basis to Sainsbury’s, with clearer signs pointing to them
- review bus stop locations, after residents said some of them add to the congestion
- place two enforcement officers in Bury Park at all times over a 12 to 16 hour period, to enforce parking on double yellow lines
No start dates have been published for any of these.
Why enforcement alone is expensive
Scrutiny councillors had argued for more officers enforcing the existing rules instead of a red route. The officers’ report puts a price on that.
There are currently four traffic enforcement officers allocated to Bury Park. To cover a 16-hour day to something like the standard a red route would give would need at least 15 more staff, including 12 civil enforcement officers. The report puts that at about £700,000 a year.
There is a second cost. The report says visible officers deter drivers, so fewer penalty notices are issued and less income comes in. The parking service is designed to pay for itself.
The finance officer’s note is blunt. No additional or ongoing spending should be committed until the full cost and a sustainable source of funding have been confirmed. That sits awkwardly with the instruction to keep two officers on the streets all day, which the decision makes “subject to availability of resources”.
What the parking survey found
The council commissioned a survey of parking supply and use in Bury Park. It found seven car parks within a ten-minute walk of the centre of the high street. Most were moderately to heavily used across the survey period.
Only one had substantial spare capacity: Sainsbury’s. Its operator lets drivers book spaces with no time limit, subject to payment. The report says this is so poorly signed that it looks like customer-only parking. Officers are talking to Sainsbury’s about better signs.
A new car park looks a long way off. A feasibility study in February 2026 looked at a site at 122 to 124 Leagrave Road:
| Option | Spaces | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Surface car park | up to 37 | about £500,000 |
| Three-floor multi-storey | up to 49 | £1.7 million |
Neither figure includes buying or leasing the land. The report also flags possible contamination, because the site has been used for garage repairs.
The 120 spaces at Luton Town’s car park on Hazelbury Crescent are already available. They can be used every day except match days and the day before a match.
What the study will look at
The independent economic impact assessment will follow the Treasury’s Green Book method. According to the report, it will estimate:
- the likely impact on local businesses
- the benefits of less congestion and easier walking
- wider social and economic costs and benefits
- the cost of the proposals, including the effect on parking fine income
- overall value for money
It will compare the red route with the option of heavier enforcement. Public health officers have asked for health costs and benefits to be included. Their note says Luton is significantly above the national average for people killed or seriously injured on its roads.
On buses, the report says Arriva runs 80% of Luton’s services. Arriva, Centrebus and Grant Palmer have all invested in Euro 6 low-emission buses. The council will explore with Arriva whether only low-emission vehicles could run through Bury Park.
How it got here
The scheme was approved on 3 August as an 18-month experimental trial. Two councillors called it in, and the scrutiny board sent it to Full Council with four conditions:
- an economic impact assessment on Bury Park businesses
- work with bus operators on low-emission vehicles
- more officers enforcing the existing restrictions
- a full appraisal of extra parking
Full Council backed those conditions on 3 September. On 7 September the Executive did not agree them, decision EX/86/26, and approved going ahead. The report says preparatory work had started.
A week later, on 14 September, Full Council removed the then leader and elected Cllr Amjid Ali. His new Executive was named on 24 September. Highways now sits with Cllr Adrees Latif. On 5 October the new Executive accepted officers’ responses to each of the four conditions.
Cllr Latif said in the council’s announcement: “We have listened carefully to the concerns raised by local businesses. They are an important part of Bury Park and we need to properly understand the potential impact of any changes before deciding whether a red route is the right approach.”
What it means for you
- No red route this year. There will be no red lines, no camera enforcement of a red route and no red route fines in Bury Park until at least the new year, and possibly never.
- Parking on pavements and around crossings is the target now. Footway parking restrictions and clearing parked cars from crossing points are the first measures the council says it will bring forward. Watch for traffic order notices.
- If you trade in Bury Park, the loading bay changes should help, and the council says it will keep talking to businesses while the study runs.
- If you need to park, try the 120 spaces on Hazelbury Crescent outside match days, or Sainsbury’s bookable parking. Our Luton parking guide has the rest of the town’s car parks.
We will report the study’s findings when they reach the Executive. Current closures are on our Luton roadworks and travel page.
Sources
- Bury Park traffic and safety improvements to move forward, Luton Council, 6 October 2026
- Executive, 5 October 2026: agenda, report “Bury Park Traffic Improvements and Safety Following Full Council Recommendations” and decision sheet, Luton Council
- Executive, 7 September 2026: decision sheet, EX/86/26, Luton Council
- Full Council, 3 September 2026: agenda and scrutiny referral, Luton Council
Have your say