Luton business park has 'drifted' into an industrial estate says councillor, as five units added

Applicant Henry Boot Developments Limited submitted plans for 7,617 square metres of light industry use on land at Butterfield Business Park, Great Marlings.

The firm’s scheme across four-and-a-half acres would provide for over 100 jobs within four buildings, as well as an access road, parking and and landscaping.

The Butterfield Green site has been allocated for employment purposes since 1997, after the adoption of the Luton Local Plan.

Planning team leader Clive Inwards told the development control committee: “High quality and flexible uses are acceptable in principle in this part of the Butterfield site.

“The layout appears to be logical making efficient use of the site,” he said.

“The buildings adopt a suitable contemporary design, which maintains the architectural consistency with previous development at the Butterfield site.

“The job creation of the proposal is likely to be in the range of between 109 and 212 full-time or equivalent jobs.”

Liberal Democrat councillor David Wynn said: “I’m concerned as the local councillor that this business park was, and is still, called a technology park.

“It’s somehow drifted into being a general industrial site.

“I don’t think the committee should be accepting a vague statement that we can’t assess the impact of.

“There’s been an implicit assumption that it can become an industrial estate.

“You ought to properly consider what the impact on my ward will be,” he added.

“I don’t want to get in the way of jobs being created, especially now with the loss of employment happening as a result of Covid.

“But I can’t accept this general approach that ‘No matter what, we can put up what we like. Never mind the noise and pollution’.

“It’s no longer a technology park.”

Senior director at Henry Boot Developments Adrian Schofield said: “The developers of the project been involved in the site for five years.

“As owners of Butterfield, the company is fully committed to building out the whole scheme to the same high quality as the premises being constructed already.

“This will represent a further £30m investment in modern high quality commercial accommodation in Luton, which is likely to attract new businesses and job opportunities into the borough.”

Labour Farley councillor Dave Taylor, who chairs the committee, said: “It’s good to have lots of hi-tech companies here.

“This has been actively marketed. It matches our Local Plan.

“I’d rather have it this way than have a lot of buildings waiting empty for technology firms which don’t appear.”

Councillors approved the industrial project, with eight votes in favour and three against.