The Environment Agency and Luton Borough Council have started a new phase of a major flood protection project in February 2026 to keep homes and businesses in Luton, Bedfordshire, safe through to the year 2100. This initiative aims to protect the town from extreme weather and heavy rain as part of the RAC 2100 vision.
The plan focuses on making the community safer by upgrading local infrastructure and using natural ways to manage water along the River Lea. Work will be concentrated in several areas, including Marsh Farm and the town centre around the Power Court district. Experts plan to uncover (de-culvert) parts of the river that are currently routed through underground pipes to give water more space to flow naturally.
The River Lea Catchment Partnership and project partners say the work will also include building new flood storage areas and creating nature-based measures such as urban wetlands and Sustainable Drainage Systems to soak up rainfall before it reaches homes. Partners intend to integrate low‑carbon flood defences (including ‘green’ concrete) alongside these nature-based solutions to help align the programme with Luton’s net-zero-by-2040 commitment.
Without these new defences, research indicates the number of properties at high risk of deep (30cm+) flooding in the region could double by 2100. The work builds on the success of the 2021 Houghton Brook scheme, which created a large flood storage area that is reported to protect about 600 properties.
This latest phase sits within the Environment Agency’s wider business and capital programme priorities to deliver long-term flood resilience rather than rely on short-term responses. Construction of the main elements of the project is expected to take place between 2027 and 2030.
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