The Trust Interviews… Michael Moran

This week, we spoke to Michael Moran, Chief Operating Officer of 2020 Developments, who is the overall Project Manager responsible for delivery of Power Court. Mike told us of the journey towards our new home, and revealed some exciting news about milestones along the way… including two we’ll see in the next week or so!

Thank you Mike for taking time out from what we know is an incredibly busy schedule, to bring us up to speed with what’s happening, when, at Power Court. Could you start, please, by telling us what your exact role is?

As COO for 2020 Developments I’m focussed on project delivery. It’s my responsibility that ultimately things will be built on time, to a budget – and within the laws of the land, together with the wider site infrastructure and residential properties. I’m not the designer, the club have shaped the character and the essence of the stadium. My role is effectively to pull it all together. I would like to think I’m pretty focused and precise, that’s something I bring to my job. And it’s needed for a project of this scale and ambition.

What’s your background and what led you to working with the club?

I was born in Oxford, of Irish descent, and grew up in North Wales, where I played football to a decent standard as a youngster – but my parents were clear that they wanted me to go to university, and I gained a master’s degree in property investment from Manchester University.

Focusing on the development side I found a bit of a niche advising pension funds on their property portfolios. I then became a director of a big surveying company in my 20s, however, when they were taken over by a huge global conglomerate, I decided I didn’t want to work like that. So 20 years ago I started working for myself in the UK, then Germany and Scandinavia and then when the market started to settle down, back in the UK, advising banks and investors particularly in the retail and leisure sectors.

By complete coincidence I ended up as guest of a friend in the boardroom at Kenilworth Road – we were playing Kettering – and I got talking to Gary Sweet about the club’s vision for a new stadium, for the town and for its communities and was genuinely inspired. And from working initially as a consultant I firstly became full-time, and then a director and shareholder in 2019.

Why Power Court?

Gary and the board set the challenge to evaluate all possible sites for a new stadium in Luton. I pulled together a team of consultants looking at the feasibility of around 30: pragmatic and deliverable site assessments rather than an academic box-ticking exercise. We had a great big scoring matrix. Is it in the right location? Is it accessible to all of Luton? Is it under the flight path? Is there road access? Another consideration was who owns the land, and we looked at various kinds of geotechnical aspects too – is it in a floodplain, for instance? And of course value and costs. From this we identified Power Court as our chosen site.

Among its main advantages were its accessibility and centrality – and also what it could bring to the community. Luton has had such a kicking over the years, and the board felt that at Power Court we could bring the town with us as we looked to the future – something other potential sites couldn’t do. As an investment strategist in love with sport and football, it was perfect for me – working alongside people whose hearts and passions were aligned to my ethics, putting together a really great plan for development, regeneration and a football stadium.

A key part of the strategy was Newlands Park at Junction 10 – where we had the opportunity to buy land – as a facilitating development to help make the Power Court scheme work. It was such an exciting plan, delivering a fabulous development at Newlands Park as well as our town centre stadium, and we launched the concept in 2016 with our successful roadshow presentation.

But life is never easy, is it! Virtually overnight we saw the retail and leisure property development market crumble, key partners we had lined up withdrew, and then we went into Covid. The board decided to hold on to junction 10 and we worked with Luton planners, politicians and the council – we’d built up a lot of trust and respect for our vision – to make the most of the new realities. The easy thing would have been to give up, but that wasn’t going to happen.

We had delays caused by Capital & Regional and their objections too, but in retrospect with all that’s happened to the economy, to material supplies and costs, we’d have been flying through the eye of a storm and that could have been a much bumpier ride. C&R were, of course, misguided, but we are where we are now, and our plans are becoming an even better reality.

You told us that we’ve now reached some key milestones: can you share what they are, please? That’s what all of us want to hear!

As you’ll know, we’ve been doing a lot of groundwork. Although not a great deal has been visible on site, it’s all been happening.

Next week, we’ll see water flowing through the redirected river around the edge of the site –we’ve built and installed over 300 metres of a huge concrete tunnel – so the centre of the site is opened up. And the week after – in two weeks’ time – the old electricity substation will be demolished. The new one is already serving the town with power, but we had to run it alongside the old one during a testing period.

So once that has been demolished, that effectively completes phase one of the site preparations. Phase two is targeted to start just before Christmas when you’ll see massive rigs in place, to put down the 20-metre piling we’re building on – and we’ll also be completing some work with moving old sewers and strengthening retaining walls. Piling before the end of the year has been one of the key objectives we’ve worked towards as part of our total, fully focussed commitment to being ready to play at the new ground for the start of 2028/29. Underground works will then take around six months or so.

Above ground external works will begin in 2026 once the substructure is completed. The skeleton of the stadium will be created quickly so it’ll all be visible, but that’s followed by all the mechanical and electrical works which are a huge part of the job – and then there’s completion and testing in 2027/28 to be set for that 2028/29 start. In the meantime, fans will see the façade and the shape becoming reality.

All of this, of course, will be subject to any possible impact from global events outside of our control – but we’d like to think that after our experiences to date, we’re ready to react to anything to keep things on track!

Some of the big changes have been going straight to a 25,000 capacity and Limak being brought in as construction partners. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

We kept challenging ourselves to make the stadium as good as it can be. Once we opened the door to actually reorienting it, so it wasn't perfectly sitting on right angles, we were able to create a much better public realm in front of the stadium. But it also got us to challenging the nature of the design concept and then through that the option of not going as originally designed with a 17,500 first stage but straight to 25,000. That gives us a better, more viable scheme from day one, with substantial economies of scale and no future disruption and avoiding unnecessary waste and significant abortive cost.

When we created the ‘bigger, better, bolder’ design, we put the project out to tender and ran a ‘beauty parade’ of UK constructors, with European and international options too. Limak came out favourite by a mile. They not only have significant relevant experience – what appealed the most was how they wanted to approach the project and work with us. The club has developed this design, to a uniquely ‘Luton’ model and we were not about to simply hand the project over to a contractor.

Recently, the ‘affordable housing’ element of the residential build was dropped in agreement with the council. What’s that all about?

We've never varied from the position that we want to deliver affordable housing on the site as it will be good for the community and good for Luton. But looking at the realities of the last five years, capital values of residential have plateaued at best, while construction costs have skyrocketed. So a viability gap had become a key issue. We've been talking to Homes England for a number of years and it's important for them to separate the stadium from the residential on site. For obvious reasons, they cannot, as a public entity, put cash into a football stadium for Luton. To secure a brownfield infrastructure grant, Homes England effectively require us to push every button to improve the viability of the residential. So we had a planning committee in August and technically the affordable housing percentage has gone down zero. But in reality, the ultimate process will see affordable housing potentially coming back on to the site through another branch of Homes England.

All our appraisals and viability models separate out the residential away from the stadium. The stadium works on its own two feet and that's something we've had to prove to Homes England in order to deliver this once in a lifetime opportunity for the town. And to be honest seeing the Club and the Council work together so strategically in Luton inspired me to get involved as leader of my local council in my spare time in Warwickshire, where I live, 60 miles up the M1. It’s very much a non-exec role for me there but it certainly helps give a greater understanding of the workings of local government and national policies.

What’s going to happen to Kenilworth Road?

That’ll be decided by the Council and the community, but we believe there is an intent to protect its legacy whilst integrating the redevelopment into Luton’s broader regeneration plans. Public discussions and planning will increase as Power Court advances. Over 120 years of history won’t disappear overnight.

It's been quite some journey, hasn’t it?

Yes, but the good things in life aren't always easy. Most of the things that happen that are outside of your control, so the important aspect is how you respond to those obstacles. All you can really do is focus on what is in your own gift and what you can control. I think Luton has suffered as a town through taking too many shortcuts, without trying to focus on taking the town forward. 20 acres of new town centre public realm and the new stadium – without cutting corners – with all that comes with it will give people a new perspective on the town, and that's the prize we're all working towards.

Gary and the board have never, ever wavered from this. We speak every day and I think that's the single biggest driver on this. Their vision and commitment to the end goal has kept things focused all these years.

I look back to my first away match, a day at Alfreton, a 5-0 win with Luton outnumbering the locals 10-1, which is when the passion really struck home to me, and then on to Wembley 2023, which I went to with my family – easily the best day I’ve experienced as a football fan, knowing what it meant to everyone. Those are the times that make a football club, and this one is unique. This journey has been 10 years of my life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s seen so many ups, downs and challenges but it’s been amazing. And the best is to come.

Thank you Michael – it’s so fabulous to know that the 2020 vision for the club and the town is becoming reality before our eyes. Now let’s do our bit and roar the team back up the league so we’re in dream land on an off the pitch when we take our seats at Power Court!

We’ve got the Power! – milestones on the way

Phase One

1 week – rerouted river starts to flow

2 weeks – old substation demolished

Phase Two

December 2025 / January 2026 – piling begins for substructure

Underground work continues for 6 months

Phase Three

Spring / Summer 2026 – external construction begins

Skeleton of stadium created

Façade takes shape

Mechanical and electrical work commences