Red route trial paused after council U-turn
A three-month impact assessment will take place to measure the potential effects in Bury Park.
**Red route trial paused after council U-turn**
Luton Borough Council’s new coalition has put on hold plans for an 18-month trial of red routes in part of the town.
Last month, the former Labour executive approved the scheme, which would have banned all stopping and loading in Bury Park, despite claims that people involved in the plans had received death threats.
But a no-confidence vote led to a change in leadership at the authority, bringing in a new Liberal Democrat-led administration.
Leader Amjid Ali said: "Whilst we have not implemented the red route we have continued to undergo an impact assessment. Enforcement has been increased and we are working with several locations to create more parking facilities within the area."
Concerns about congestion, road safety and inappropriate parking behaviour have been raised by the community and businesses for years, and the trial would have seen double red lines.
The council’s executive will now ask officers to carry out a three-month economic impact assessment to measure the effect of red routes on businesses, with the findings to be considered early in 2027.
Several other road safety proposals for Bury Park - including banning on-street parking while providing extra off-street spaces instead - will still go ahead. These include a preference for stronger enforcement of existing traffic rules on yellow lines, rather than the planned use of cameras to monitor double red lines.
The authority said it had already added more parking spaces in the area, including 120 at Luton Town Football Club, and that the maximum stay in disabled parking bays would be extended to 90 minutes.
It also said it planned to remove parked vehicles from formal crossing points and bring in footway parking restrictions to keep pavements clear and accessible.
The council will work with bus operators to review bus stop locations and their role in congestion, and will examine the feasibility of increasing the use of low-emission vehicles in Bury Park.
Ali said: "We have adopted a practical and structured approach to dealing with the congestion and illegal parking within Bury Park. We have been speaking to residents, businesses and shoppers who are all equally frustrated with the status quo."