04/02/2025 - Luton roads to be closed to allow deep clean

Waste is an issue for the town, in terms of the volume of waste produced and the presence of litter, fly-tipping and dumped items which make the town look messy and dirty. The deep clean programme aims to make a real difference to the cleanliness of some of the roads as it recognises how important clean and tidy places are to residents.

We aim to minimise disruptions while the cleaning works are taking place and ask residents to ensure their vehicles are parked in their driveway or on nearby unrestricted roads during the periods of closure. It won’t be possible to clean drains if vehicles are left on the road, which could lead to standing water or flooding issues in the future. 

Our operation will include sweeping the roads and footpaths, repairing potholes, clearing away litter and weeds and cleaning storm water drains. We will also be relining faded road markings and pruning any overgrown trees.

Pedestrians will still be able to access the roads during these times and there will be assistance through the site for emergency vehicles if needed. ‘No parking’ cones will be placed on the road the day before the cleaning and residents are asked to not move them. Vehicles parked in restricted areas may be issued a penalty charge notice. 

If residents are unable to move their vehicle, a vehicle lifter will be on-site to relocate it to a nearby unrestricted road. Residents will receive a notice detailing the make, model, colour, and registration of their relocated vehicle, along with its pick-up and drop-off locations. (Vehicles will not be moved to restricted areas and in such cases, parking enforcement will be informed, and tickets will not be issued for a 14-day grace period.)

Cllr Javed Hussain, portfolio holder for highways, said: “Giving these roads some extra attention is important to ensure they are clean, and the drains are working properly to alleviate flooding. Closing the affected roads is a minor inconvenience to ensure a clean area in which to live, and we ask residents to park elsewhere for this short time.

“We hope these works will help people to foster a sense of care and respect for the local environment and pride in the town in which they live and work, but we need residents to cooperate with us and help keep the streets tidy. Blockages in drains are often caused by fat, oil and food scraps, so we ask residents to avoid pouring these things down them. Littering and fly-tipping isn’t acceptable, and we ask people to take responsibility for their litter, by disposing of it safely in a bin or arranging for large items to be collected. Anyone caught fly-tipping will face a fine and possible prosecution.

“People can join the War on Waste by reducing the amount of waste they generate and recycling and reusing whenever they can. Our Household Waste Recycling Centres (also known as Tidy Tips) should be used to dispose of waste responsibly. These are located in Eaton Green Road in Wigmore which is near the airport, and Progress Way in Sundon.”

A list of the upcoming road closures can be viewed on our website. We ask residents to be aware that the scheduled date may change due to unforeseen circumstances or weather conditions, and to check the advance warning boards at the end of each road for updates.

For any questions or urgent access needs, contact the council’s contractor at: [email protected]