Luton

The town was for many years famous for hat-making and was also home to a large Vauxhall Motors factory; the head office of Vauxhall Motors is still situated in the town. Car production at the plant began in 1905 and continued until 2002, but commercial vehicle production remains.

Home to Luton Airport, Luton Town Football Club, and Luton Carnival, the biggest one day Carnival in Europe, there are plenty of reasons to visit the town and using the Green Line 757 service makes it convenient too.

Although you would expect Luton to be suburban in nature, it is actually surprisingly ‘green’ with more than 7% of its total area made up of open space. More than ten sites of importance for wildlife can be found in Luton, with most accessible by public transport.

A major regeneration programme for the town centre is underway, which will include upgrades to the town's bus and train stations as well as improvements to the town's urban environment. St George's Square has been rebuilt and reopened in 2007. The new design won a Gold Standard Award for the Town Centre Environment from the annual British Council of Shopping Centres awards.

Work is beginning on an extension to the Mall shopping centre facing St Georges Square, The Mall has already let the largest of the new units to TK Maxx. Planning applications for a much larger extension to The Mall Arndale shopping centre (in the Northern gateway area - Bute Street, Silver Street and Guildford Street) and also for a new centre in Power Court (close to St Mary's Church) have been submitted.

On the edge of Luton, at Putteridge Bury, a high-technology office park, Butterfield Green, is under construction. The former Vauxhall site is also to be re-developed as a mixed use site called Napier Park. It will feature housing, retail and entertainment use, including a new casino.

Travel to Luton on Green Line 757.