Referral of the proposed subsidy to 2020 Developments (Luton) Limited by Homes England
The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has accepted a request for a report providing advice to Homes England concerning its proposed subsidy to 2020 Developments (Luton) Limited.
Administrative timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 25 February 2026 | SAU’s report to be published |
| 28 January 2026 | Deadline for receipt of any third-party submissions |
| 15 January 2026 | Beginning of reporting period |
Request from Homes England
15 January 2026: The SAU has accepted a request for a report from Homes England concerning its proposed subsidy to 2020 Developments (Luton) Limited. This request relates to a Subsidy of Particular Interest.
The SAU will prepare a report, which will provide an evaluation of Homes England’s assessment of whether the subsidy complies with the subsidy control requirements (Assessment of Compliance). The SAU will complete its report within 30 working days.
Information about the subsidy provided by Homes England
Homes England is proposing to provide £29.5 million from its Brownfield Infrastructure and Land (BIL) programme to 2020 Developments (Luton) Limited to support a substantial viability gap in the redevelopment of the Power Court site in central Luton. Power Court is a derelict former power station and industrial site which has been under used for at least the last 10 years. The site is allocated in the Luton Local Plan for redevelopment but development constraints have prevented development from coming forward.
The funding will be used for land remediation, the diversion of the culverted River Lea and de-culverting works, diversion of existing utilities, relocation of the existing St Marys Sub-station, provision of new utility capacity, public realm, highways works and other costs arising from compliance with obligations under the planning permission along with associated technical and ancillary fees and costs. The site is wholly owned by 2020 Developments (Luton) limited (“2020”). The infrastructure and abnormal development costs will unlock serviced development plots for not less than 780 residential units and c. 204,000 sqft of mixed-use employment floorspace to be developed by other developers or by 2020 in partnership with others. Funding will be available against agreed infrastructure costs from March 2026 until March 2029.
The proposed subsidy exceeds £25 million and therefore qualifies as a ‘Subsidy of Particular Interest’ (SoPI) under the UK Subsidy Control Regime.
Information for third parties
If you wish to comment on matters relevant to the SAU’s evaluation of the Assessment of Compliance concerning the proposed subsidy to 2020 Developments (Luton) Limited, please send your comments on the date stipulated in the timetable above. For guidance on representations relevant to the Assessment of Compliance, see the section on reporting period and transparency in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.
Please send your submissions to us at sau-powercourtluton@cma.gov.uk, copying the public authority: debbie.pennington@homesengland.gov.uk
Please also provide a contact address and explain in what capacity you are making the submission (for example, as an individual or a representative of a business or organisation).
Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission
The SAU will only take your submission into account if it can be shared with the Homes England. The SAU will send a copy of your submission to Homes England together with its report. This is to allow the public authority to take account of the submission in its decision as to whether to make or modify the subsidy or its assessment. We therefore ask that you provide express consent for your full and unredacted submission to be shared. We also encourage you to share your submission directly with the Homes England using the email address provided above.
The SAU may use the information you provide in its published report. Therefore, you should indicate in your submission whether any specified parts of it are commercially confidential. If the SAU wishes to refer in its published report to material identified as confidential, it will contact you in advance.
For further details on confidentiality of third party submissions, see identifying confidential information in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.
Contacts
- SAU project team: sau-powercourtluton@cma.gov.uk
- CMA press team: 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk