- Target:
- Luton Borough Council
- Region:
- United Kingdom
Over a period of decades, many buildings of architectural and historic significance to Luton have been demolished and/or altered beyond repair in order to accommodate the town's housing needs, modern shopping trends and commercial/retail functions.
This loss to our historic built environment is continuing, as Luton undergoes a period of redevelopment, regeneration and growth to counter the effects of economic recession and the loss of traditional industry and employment opportunities. But growth and regeneration have brought a large cost in terms of the loss of much of what has been familiar to generations of the town's residents, and what has given Luton its sense of character and identity.
More and more local residents are becoming concerned about this loss, and the impact it is having on the quality of their lives in an increasingly urban and changing environment. The protection of the town's heritage assets is now becoming a significant concern for many residents, who see the local authority as lacking the will and/or the power to prevent this loss of quality of life, to which the built historic environment contributes.
We, the residents of Luton, call upon Luton Borough Council and its partners to acknowledge the need to improve Luton as a place where people should want to live, work and relax; to accept the case for strategic investment for the long-term and sustained improvement of the quality of life and living conditions of all Lutonians, and to which the built, historic and natural environment critically contributes; to agree the importance of Luton's historic and architectural heritage as a means of understanding the town's social and industrial past; to listen to and respond to the real concerns of local communities and residents over the loss of the town's heritage assets in the drive for economic growth and regeneration; to accept that for far too long there has been no effective strategy in place to protect and preserve what little is left of Luton's historic heritage; and, together with its partners, to take the necessary planning, development control and enforcement action, using all legal powers and available resources, to ensure that:
1. those buildings of special architectural or historic interest on the Statutory List are protected, and the list kept under constant review with a view to listing additional buildings;
2. Luton's Conservation Areas, representing areas of special architectural or historic interest, are preserved and enhanced in appearance; and
3. a list should be published of those heritage assets, including buildings, monuments, sites, places, areas and landscapes, which contribute to Luton's history, streetscape, character and identity, and which although they may not merit statutory protection, are of significant local, architectural and historic interest to Luton and its residents, and should be conserved and enjoyed for future generations.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Save Luton's Historic Heritage petition to Luton Borough Council was written by Barry Neale and is in the category Environment at GoPetition.