Ashton Grammar School to Housing: The Unanswered Questions
- Louise O'Riordan
- May 19
- 6 min read
Updated: May 20
For generations, Ashton Middle School — formerly Ashton Grammar School — stood as one of Dunstable’s most recognisable educational and historic buildings.
Its alumni included internationally known actor Gary Cooper, alongside generations of local residents educated within the historic Victorian school buildings that became part of Dunstable’s identity for well over a century.
A Grade II listed Victorian school, founded in the 19th century, the site was not simply “old buildings” — it was a significant part of the town’s heritage, identity, civic history and collective memory as well as a much needed educational institution.
Yet today the former school site has become a private town centre housing development.
The key question many residents still ask is simple:
How did such a large, significant historic and educational asset end up being sold to a developer for only £2.3 million in 2017?
And perhaps more importantly:
Was the process transparent, independent and fully compliant with the obligations placed upon charity trustees responsible for public assets?
The background
In 2014, Central Bedfordshire Council agreed to close Ashton Middle School.
Public concern existed at the time regarding both the loss of the school itself and the future of the historic site.
By 2015, pre-application redevelopment discussions were already underway.
Planning records confirm that Weston Homes had been engaged in discussions regarding redevelopment proposals for the site, including conversion of the listed buildings and construction of substantial new residential development across the grounds and former playing fields.
A 2016 statement relating to the redevelopment said:
“Weston Homes was chosen as the purchasers of the site after extensive liaison with the Foundation and its consultants.”
Planning permission was subsequently approved by Central Bedfordshire Council in October 2016 for:
conversion of the listed school buildings into apartments;
demolition of other buildings on the site;
and extensive new residential development across the wider grounds.
The approved scheme included:
17 houses;
multiple apartment blocks;
conversion of the historic school buildings;
and development across parts of the former playing fields.
The transfer of the site
Land Registry documents show that the property:
Ashton C of E Middle School, High Street North, Dunstable
was formally transferred to Weston Homes Plc on 21 April 2017.
The transfer document (TR1) identifies the transferors as trustees of the Ashton Schools Foundation, including several individuals who also held long-standing public and political roles locally.
Those named on the transfer document include:
Cllr Peter Hollick (former Mayor)
Sally Newton (former Mayor)
Cynthia Gresham (former Mayor)
together with other trustees of the Ashton Schools Foundation.
The Ashton Schools Foundation remains an active educational charity providing grants to local children and students in the Dunstable area.
Its trustee structure includes representatives connected to Central Bedfordshire Council and Dunstable Town Council, alongside long-standing civic figures including former mayors and serving councillors.
The Association of Dunstable Charities — which administers the Foundation alongside other long-established Dunstable charities — operates from the Dunstable Town Council building at Grove House, 76 High Street North, Dunstable.
Trustees named publicly in connection with the Foundation include Cllr Peter Hollick as Vice Chair, former Dunstable Mayor Cynthia Gresham as Chair, former Dunstable Mayor Gloria Martin as trustee, and Mark Saccoccio, who serves as Town Clerk of Leighton-Linslade Town Council, as Treasurer.
None of this in itself establishes wrongdoing.
However, it reinforces why transparency, independent oversight and clear public accountability are important when significant charitable, educational and historic community assets are disposed of for redevelopment.
Because of those public and civic connections, questions surrounding the disposal of the Ashton site are not merely historical property questions — they engage wider issues of governance, stewardship and public trust.
The central public-interest questions
This article does not allege wrongdoing.
However, a number of legitimate public-interest questions remain unanswered.
These include:
Was the site openly marketed on the open market?
Were alternative bids sought?
Was an independent valuation obtained before the sale?
Was the sale price reflective of the site’s enhanced value after residential planning permission was secured?
Were the trustees satisfied they had achieved the best terms reasonably obtainable for the charity?
Were overlapping public roles and trustee positions sufficiently transparent throughout the process?
These questions matter because the site was not an ordinary parcel of land.
It was:
a large town-centre site that attracted footfall;
containing Grade II listed historic buildings;
with planning permission for major residential redevelopment already secured.
Planning permission itself can significantly increase land value.
Residents are therefore entitled to ask whether the eventual sale represented appropriate value for a major historic and charitable asset.
Public opposition at the time
Planning records show substantial concern from residents and community members during the application process.
The official committee papers recorded:
objections from Dunstable Town Council;
concerns regarding overdevelopment;
parking issues;
heritage impact;
and concern about the loss of the school itself.
An online petition opposing the loss of the school reportedly received over 2,500 signatures.
Residents argued that:
the school formed part of Dunstable’s heritage;
the grounds contributed to the conservation area;
and the building should potentially have remained in community use.
Photography Passion JT shows us how beautiful and long lasting the buildings are even today.
Was closure inevitable?
At the time, some local residents, governors and supporters disputed the suggestion that Ashton’s closure was unavoidable.
A formal business plan was produced proposing the transition of Ashton into a secondary school, arguing that the site could remain educationally viable and sustainable.
Supporters argued that:
Dunstable’s growing population would increase demand for school places;
the historic site could continue serving the community;
and redevelopment for housing was not the only possible future for Ashton.
Planning records and petitions from the time also show substantial local opposition to the loss of the school and concerns regarding the long-term impact of replacing educational land with dense residential development.
Transparency concerns
Questions have also been raised regarding transparency and governance.
Development Management Committee minutes from October 2016 record that:
Cllr Nigel Young declared that he knew members of the Ashton Foundation and had met with developers;
multiple councillors present had connections or prior involvement relevant to the application;
and several trustees involved in the transfer were long-standing political figures locally.
Again, this does not in itself establish misconduct.
But it does reinforce the importance of transparency, declarations of interest and public confidence in decision-making processes involving significant community assets.
Charity Commission involvement
Questions regarding the disposal process have now been formally raised with the Charity Commission.
Requests for clarification were made to the Ashton Schools Foundation regarding:
whether an independent surveyor’s report or valuation was obtained;
whether the site was openly marketed;
whether multiple bids were received;
and whether the disposal complied with the Charities Act requirements governing charity land disposals.
The Foundation declined to provide further detail beyond stating that it had complied with its obligations and had taken professional advice.
The matter has now been referred to the Charity Commission for consideration.
At the time of writing, that process remains ongoing.
How these questions began
Since 2016, I have researched multiple housing developments and planning decisions across Dunstable.
Like many residents, I became increasingly concerned about recurring issues including:
overdevelopment,
loss of community assets,
insufficient parking,
pressure on infrastructure,
and significant public objection seemingly having little impact on final decisions.
Again and again, the same themes appeared:large-scale residential development, town-centre land disposals, and overlapping networks of long-standing local political figures involved in planning, governance or associated organisations.
One of the developments I became particularly familiar with was the former Central Bedfordshire College land at Kingsway — now the Kaleidoscope estate.
That site was largely open institutional land without the historic significance of Ashton School.
Yet Land Registry documents show the college land sold to Linden Limited in 2015 for £5.51 million. That discovery raised an obvious question.
How could a smaller former college development site sell for more than double the value of the much larger Ashton School site just two years later?
Especially when Ashton included:
historic listed buildings,
extensive grounds,
a highly central location,
and planning permission for major residential redevelopment.
Before raising those questions publicly, I wanted evidence rather than assumptions.
I therefore spent considerable time researching:
Land Registry records,
planning documents,
charity records,
committee minutes,
historic maps,
and transfer documents.
What emerged raised significant public-interest questions about transparency, valuation and governance surrounding the disposal of the Ashton site.
Why transparency matters
This article does not allege wrongdoing.
But when historic educational land, charitable assets and major redevelopment intersect with long-standing public and political networks, scrutiny matters.
Residents are entitled to ask questions about:
process,
valuation,
transparency,
governance,
and whether the community truly received the best outcome possible.
Those questions are not political attacks.
They are part of democratic accountability.
Historic buildings and charitable assets form part of a community’s shared inheritance.
When such places are sold and redeveloped, the public is entitled to understand how decisions were made — and whether those decisions truly served the public interest.
Many of those questions remain unanswered...
Written by Louise O'Riordan
Former Mayor of Dunstable (2024/25)
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