Public consultation possible for former Sandye Place Academy site
Friday, 24 May 2024
The long-term future of an important site in Sandy will be discussed at the next meeting of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Executive Committee on 4 June.
The site of the former Sandye Place Academy, which closed in 2019 and has since remained empty, could be the subject of a 12-week public consultation that would shape the future of the much-loved area. The recommendation to consult includes outline proposals which the council would be seeking views on, as well as inviting alternative ideas, and a consultation would begin a process that would see a final decision in early 2025.
The site is an important part of Sandy’s heritage, and the report going to members of the Executive Committee recognises the strength of feeling locally about its future. It also highlights the cost to the council of securing and maintaining it – in excess of £100,000 each year – and reflects comments from a previous consultation in June 2021, as well as work undertaken by Sandy Town Council in the development of their Neighbourhood Plan.
Subject to agreement by the Executive Committee, the consultation would be seeking the views of local people, businesses and other organisations, including the town council, on:
a) Improving care home provision in Sandy by building a new care home on the site. This would replace the capacity at Allison House which is owned and run by the council, but now lacks the amenities generally expected in modern care homes.
b) The new care home could also include other community facilities that the public previously suggested the site could be used for such as youth centre provision, community spaces and café facilities open to the public to enjoy. This would support the public’s desire for the site to remain a focal point for the whole community.
c) The sale of part of the site to generate a one-off income, offsetting investment in Sandy such as the £16M to transform Sandy Secondary School including additional SEND facilities, £4M to re-provide indoor leisure facilities at Jenkins Pavilion, and supporting the delivery of the new care home.
If sold, part of the site is likely to be used for new homes. Sandy has had relatively low levels of housing growth in recent years and more people living centrally in Sandy would boost footfall to the high street, supporting local shops and businesses. Data indicates there is a strong demand for new homes in Sandy, including affordable and social housing. Development of the former Sandye Place Academy site would represent the first ‘significant’ development within Sandy since 2014/15 and would ensure the delivery of affordable housing, in line with council policy.
The site is protected by being in a conservation area and contains listed heritage assets. A significant amount of green space would be maintained, and options could include enhancements such as riverside walks and a new footbridge over the River Ivel. Any development would have to be sympathetic to its location, while listed buildings such as the Mansion House could be preserved at no cost to the council taxpayer – were the council to maintain ownership of the site, a spend in excess of £2M would be required to refurbish the building and running costs would be in the region of £200K per annum.
Councillor Steven Watkins, Executive Member Business, Housing and Public Assets, said:
The location and special qualities of this site, and the buildings located on it, are clearly of great importance to the Sandy community. Some parts of the site are listed and in a conservation area, and some parts also have historical importance to the community. We understand this and want to reflect the whole community's interests when we consider the future of the site.
As an Asset of Community Value, any sale of the site would be offered to the community first, but we need to work towards a proposal that is financially viable, and that is likely to see new homes on part of the site, potentially alongside a new care home. The delivery of new housing would help local people stay living in Sandy where they might otherwise have to look outside of the area, and numerous protections are in place to ensure that any growth would be sympathetic to the existing area. A significant area would remain as green space for the whole community.
We want to work with local people to create an attractive, vibrant space for everyone in and around the area. If we proceed with a consultation following the Executive Committee on 4 June, I will be urging everyone in Sandy, from children and young adults to their parents and grandparents, as well as local businesses, community groups and other organisations, to get involved and tell us what they think.
The full agenda and papers for the council's Executive Committee on 4 June are available on the Central Bedfordshire Council website.