Environment and Heritage

The team deals with conservation areas, archaeology, listed buildings, Heritage Economic Regeneration Schemes (HERS) grants, the natural environment, townscape and design.

Luton's heritage
The town has grown up on the road and rail routes from London where they pass through the Chiltern Hills. The earliest settlement was in the north of the Borough, and remains can be seen at two Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Wauluds Bank (Neolithic) and Drays Ditches (Iron Age). The early town developed around the parish church in Saxon times.

Brewing was a major occupation from the medieval period, and many fine old pubs still exist. Straw plaiting was established in the area by the early seventeenth century, becoming a major centre of the hat industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which at its peak employed 25,000 people.

The twentieth century saw further expansion with the growth of Vauxhall Motors and other engineering industries. The economy boomed in the inter-war years, attracting people from all parts of the British Isles. Post-war immigration from overseas has added to a rich cultural diversity. Latterly London (Luton) Airport has experienced major growth.

With its associated businesses it is now the town's largest employer, and is likely to be the major industry in the forseeable future.

The team maintains the Sites and Monuments Record of sites and buildings of archaeological, historic or architectural interest throughout the Borough. It also organises annual Heritage Open Days in September. These give access to sites and buildings not normally open to the public.

Conservation areas
Luton has three primarily commercial use conservation areas: the Town Centre, Plaiters Lea (the former hatting district) and High Town Road (the core of Luton's earliest suburb), plus the primarily residential Rothesay Conservation Area that was designated in 2003.

A major traffic management and environmental enhancement project is about to be implemented in the High Town Road Conservation Area.

Listed buildings
There are about a hundred buildings throughout the town that are included on the Statutory List of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

There is one Grade 1 listed: the medieval St. Mary's parish church. All the others are Grade 2. Most date from the nineteenth century. Many other buildings are worthy of protection and there are several Art Deco designs from the period when Luton experienced major growth in the 1920s and 1930s.

The town has 175 non-statutory locally listed buildings.

Natural environment
Despite being an urban area Luton has strong policies on the natural environment. The team advises on Local Agenda 21 Sustainability Policy, Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Policies, environment strategy and strategic landscape issues, as well as being involved in Environmental Impact Assessments for development proposals.

The town straddles the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and there are five wildlife corridors running through the town that link into the surrounding countryside.

Heritage economic regeneration schemes (HERS) grants
The team administers UK and European Union funding for two HERS schemes that cover the High Town Road and Plaiters Lea Conservation Areas. To date financial assistance has been given to about thirty buildings for repairs and restoration of original features.

General advice and assistance
The team provides advice to all Borough Council Departments and to the public on these aspects of environment and heritage. It responds to consultations on planning applications, and has inputs to planning policy documents.

It is involved in local partnerships on environmental issues including the North Chilterns Trust. It administers the Luton Design Awards and the annual Luton In Bloom competitions.

Main information sources and documents
The following leaflets can be obtained from us by using the above contact information.

Sites and Monuments Records.
Luton's Heritage: Buildings of Architectural and Historic Interest.
High Town Road Conservation Area Enhancement Scheme
Plaiters Lea Conservation Area Enhancement
Scheme and Design Strategy
An Outline of the HERS Scheme with application form
Rothesay Conservation Area leaflet
Shopfront Design Guide (Supplementary Planning Guidance)
Designing for Sustainability: A Summary of Good Practice (Supplementary Planning Guidance)
Designing for Community Safety (Supplementary Planning Guidance)
Luton Hat Trail, two leaflets
Luton Town Centre: Historic Pubs and Breweries Trail leaflet
Luton 1937 and 1997 Heritage Open Days leaflet
Luton in the 1930s leaflet
Luton Town Hall leaflet
Luton Town Hall Clock
Bedfordshire and Luton Biodiversity Action Plan
A Nature Conservation Strategy for Luton
Luton's Local Agenda 21 Action Plan
Luton Environment Strategy
Discover Luton's Living Landscape
County Wildlife Sites Review
The Chilterns Local Products Guide