Live music venues in Luton ‘under threat’ as planning permission sought for HMO licence next door

More than 90 comments have been received over controversial plans to grant a Grade II listed building next to a live music venue in Luton an HMO licence.

Planning By Design has submitted an application for an HMO (house in multiple occupation) license to Luton Borough Council for the building next to The Castle, on Castle Street.

Luton’s Vandalism Begins at Home (VBAH) collective – a voluntary organisation that supports live music – called on residents to object to the plan for seven one-bedroom flats plus bike parking spaces, which now has 94 comments on the council website.

VHAB has claimed the HMO would threaten both The Castle and the nearby Red Lion pub.

In a post about the application on its website it says: “Our live music venue, The Castle, is under threat from an application to convert an old office building directly next door into a house of multiple occupations – a bunch of bedsits in other words.”

It adds: “A host of tenants move in with no connection to the area, venue, music and cultural landscape, and no consideration for benefits to the night-time economy that a venue brings.

“Once moved in, they complain to the council about the noise, despite knowing full well that they’ve moved in next door to a busy pub and music venue, right across the road from another much-loved pub, The Red Lion.

“As we saw with The Bear Club, it was served a noise notice, which forced the venue to crowdfund hugely expensive modifications.

“There does exist an ‘agent of change’ principle in national planning regulations, which should place the onus on a developer (i.e. an agent of change) to take responsibility against noise issues – but it shouldn’t even get to that point and we can’t take that risk. Bedsits in an old office building next door to a loud live music venue are just not appropriate.”

James Cunliffe and Ben Barry from VHAB also posted a video on Twitter encouraging people to ‘say no to the HMO’.

One unhappy resident said: “To approve this application would be signing the death warrant for Luton's night life, for Luton's culture and for two of Luton's most respected venues.”

The environmental impact document shows that there has been no assessment for the noise and smoke coming from the nearby establishments.

Johnathan Pyke, environmental planning consultant, said: “Unfortunately, the applicant has not addressed these matters with assessments of noise and odour/fumes and therefore we are unable to support the application. However, we doubt a favourable outcome could be demonstrated.”

In its application, Planning By Design says marketing of the empty building has "failed to identify a viable commercial interest."

It adds: "It is clearly desirable to identify a viable long term use, and if there is demonstrably no interest in the building based upon its existing mix of uses, it is clearly desirable to identify alternative uses.

“Viable re-use will ensure the proper future maintenance of the building and a continuing positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area, and the vitality of the town centre.”