Council recommends consultation on the future of the former Sandye Place Academy site in Sandy
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
We have published papers recommending a formal consultation on the future of the former Sandye Place Academy site in Sandy.
Subject to approval by the Executive, which meets to discuss the proposal on 1 April, we will be looking for views and feedback on the following:
Improving care home provision by investing £19 million in Sandy by building a new care home on the former Sandye Place Academy site. This would have the potential to replace the capacity at Allison House Residential Home, which is owned and run by us, providing a modern care facility that will future-proof supply of care home places in the area. The new care home could also include other community facilities that the public have previously suggested the site could be used for, such as community space and café facilities open to the public.
Suggestions for the rest of the former Sandye Place Academy site - this could be transferring the asset to the community or leasing it to a group for an agreed amount, reviewing community suggestions for the land, giving the community the right to bid for the site, as well as opening up the opportunity to sell the land to any of the mentioned groups, or others. Any of these options would need to mitigate ongoing financial pressures on us.
We are currently spending £100,000 annually on security and maintenance of the former Sandye Palace Academy, with an additional £140,000 needed to prevent deterioration of the listed buildings.
Although it is highly valued locally, the site was not open to the public for general use when it was a school and has not generally been open for public use since its closure other than ad-hoc community events such as the Sandy Carnival and Coronation celebrations; and Sandy Youth club operating from a dedicated building on the site.
Councillor Steve Watkins, Executive Member for Assets, said:
We are seeking approval to hold this really important consultation with the community, and others, to decide what will happen next to the former Sandye Place Academy site including the reprovision of Allison House on the site.
The site has been listed as an ‘asset of community value’, which could mean the community can have the opportunity to bid to purchase it. There are also other options we want to explore with the community, and together, come up with the best plan for the currently inactive site that will benefit and add value to the local community and address the ongoing wider financial implications.
The decision to hold a formal consultation will be made at the Executive Meeting on 1 April 2025. Read more about Sandye Place Academy and watch the meeting