Residents in Marsh Farm and Central Luton are being invited to help shape how a combined £40 million in government funding will be spent in their neighbourhoods over the next decade. The cash comes from the national Pride in Place scheme and will see each area receive £20 million, or £2 million a year, to tackle local priorities. As part of the initiative, Luton Borough Council has opened applications for seats on two new neighbourhood boards that will give local people direct control over where the money goes.
The council is also hunting for a “dynamic” independent chair to lead each board. The closing date for chair applications for the Central Luton board is 15 June 2026, with interviews lined up for late June and July. Once formed, the boards will decide how to spend the cash on things like grassroots projects, improved community facilities, street cleaning and social infrastructure. Luton North MP Sarah Owen, who helped secure the funding, said: “This funding will be transformational for people in Marsh Farm. It will create jobs and opportunities, help improve community facilities and green spaces, make streets cleaner, safer and more welcoming, and strengthen the groups that bring communities together.”
But the scheme has prompted concerns from opposition councillors that other deprived parts of Luton are missing out. Amjid Ali, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the borough council, said areas such as Biscot, Dallow and Saints clearly need investment but are not receiving the same level of targeted funding. The Pride in Place programme is part of the government’s wider social cohesion strategy and has already seen Luton receive £1.5 million from an earlier phase.
Residents interested in joining either board can find more details on the council’s website. The deadline for chair applications for the Central Luton board is fast approaching, and those living in the ward are being urged to step forward and help lead the decision-making process.
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