Luton's George Street added to Historic England's at risk register

An entire street in a town centre is at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development, Historic England has said.

The public body has added George Street in Luton, Bedfordshire, to its Heritage at Risk Register.

The street has 36 Grade II listed buildings and was once the heart of the hat making industry.

But Historic England said many of its buildings were "now in poor condition" and the street lacked purpose.

Bernard Maximin has owned Maxim jewellers, which is just off George Street, for 14 years.

He said in that time the area had "changed quite a lot".

"I think the main change would be who visits the town," he said.

"I used to have a lot of visitors from out of town, but they started saying they didn't want to come into the area anymore.

"People say they don't feel safe or they don't feel comfortable."

Mr Maximin said work was being done to improve the issues in the town and that he personally felt the town was safe, but more effort was needed to restore the area to its former glory.

"The decline is obvious, the decline is real, the decline is sad," he said.

"As a business I've seen a drastic difference.

"I don't feel great walking up and down George Street, unfortunately."

Mr Maximin said the area needed to establish a better reputation and bring interest back into the town.

"It could be done by putting on exhibitions, entertainment or experiences that engage with people," he said.

"The right people need to do it, but the town can be brought up again."

Edward James, from Historic England, said George Street was "a cracking street".

"It's the historic heart of Luton," he said.

"You've got the town hall at one end, which is this great Art Deco building, then you've got Market Hill and the church, and in between you've got what was at one point the beating heart of Luton's hat industry."

Mr James said the at risk register was a checklist of special and interesting historical places and sites that were "at risk of loss or damage or perhaps need a little bit of help to see them regenerated".

The organisation said George Street lacked "a clear function and purpose" and was "hampered by the physical barrier of the ring road".

"Revitalising George Street and helping it evolve to meet the needs of a contemporary town centre is critical to the future of this characterful street, and to revitalising Luton's distinctive town centre heritage," it said.

A spokesman for Luton Borough Council said it was "pleased the report recognises the historic significance of the George Street area of town".

"The council has significant plans to regenerate the town centre and we are working proactively with developers and formulating a strategy that delivers the best solution and ensures both the character of the street and its function within the economy of Luton remain important," he said.

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