As part of the decision, the Council has agreed arrangements that will enable Sandy Town Council to begin providing community access to the site's green space through a ‘meanwhile’ use arrangement. Subject to future planning and legal agreements, the Council has also agreed in principle to a Community Asset Transfer of the green space to Sandy Town Council, helping to secure its long-term future for recreation, community events, biodiversity improvements and enhanced walking and cycling connections.
The decision reflects extensive engagement and consultation, which showed strong local support for retaining community access to the site's open space while also progressing plans for a new care home alongside complementary community facilities, creating a site that serves both residents requiring care and the wider community.
Councillor Steve Watkins, Central Bedfordshire Council's Executive Member for Assets, Business and Housing, said:
This decision is a major step forward for the future of Sandye Place. We have listened carefully to local people and worked constructively with Sandy Town Council to find a solution that strikes the right balance between protecting what matters most to the community and ensuring the site delivers long-term benefits.
This approach safeguards valuable green space, supports community use and events, enables investment in high-quality care provision for local residents and reduces the financial burden of maintaining an unused site. It is a positive outcome for Sandy and for Central Bedfordshire taxpayers.
The agreed approach follows Sandy Town Council's revised business case, which focuses on the green space element of the site rather than taking ownership of the former school and listed buildings, recognising the significant costs and risks associated with those assets. This creates a realistic and deliverable pathway forward, with community access and environmental improvements at its heart while allowing wider opportunities for the remainder of the site to be considered through the appropriate planning and development processes.
Central Bedfordshire Council will now work closely with Sandy Town Council and other stakeholders to finalise the necessary agreements and take forward the next stages of delivery.