17/10/2025 - Luton Council urges Government to consult fire services on all major developments

A motion asking Chief Executive Mark Fowler to write to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as the town’s two MPs, was passed unanimously at a recent Full Council meeting.

The motion was brought by Councillor Jacqui Burnett, who is also Chair of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority.

She said: “The motivation behind this motion is the Grenfell tragedy. I will never forget what I saw that morning when I woke up and turned on the TV. The Government has since brought in stronger regulation with building safety, but the fire service is not a statutory consultee on planning.

“Luton Council and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service work collaboratively in a number of ways already, including on some planning matters, enforcement and information sharing. Not only does this motion formalise and strengthen this partnership, it also restates the strong commitment of both organisations to fully resource the work.

“Most of the public have no idea and would be astonished that fire services up and down the country are not consulted as a legal requirement early in the process for major planning applications.

“It is really important we give a united clear message as to what we expect of developers from the fire and local authority sectors.”

Councillor Javed Hussain, Deputy Leader of Luton Council and Executive Member for Strategic Development, said: This motion will ensure the relationship between the fire and local authorities is further strengthened, and will help save lives. This is so important because we never want to witness a tragedy similar to Grenfell ever again.”