Questions raised after Wandon Park sold to Luton Council-owned developer for £2m
Liberal Democrat councillors in Luton have questioned the council after it was revealed it had sold the Wandon Park site to Foxhall Homes for £2,000,000.
Land Registry records state that Luton Borough Council sold the land to its development company for £2m on July 31.
Barnfield councillor David Franks raised concerns about the sale price, saying: “Luton residents are entitled to an explanation when a valuable public asset is sold at what looks like less than its true value. Especially when it is sold to a company owned by the council.”
The park has planning permission for 60 new houses, and Cllr Franks argued “negotiations for house building land in Luton usually start at about £100,000 per house plot, giving a starting point for Wandon Park of £6m.”
He added: “If the original agreement for 28 per cent affordable housing is still there, then a discount would be expected. At an extreme, with 28 per cent of the house plots (16 or 17 of the 60 plots) passing for nil consideration, then the £100,000 rule would value the park at £4.4m. I have asked the council director responsible to please explain the method of calculation that has produced a sale price of £2m.”
A spokesperson for the council said: “The value was determined through a development appraisal which recognised that 17 of the 60 dwellings will be made available for affordable rent. Suggestions of alternative development values are highly speculative and ill-informed.
“Through Foxhall Homes, the council is guaranteed a level of affordable homes that would not have been achieved through a private sector developer. In addition to delivering these much-needed family homes, the scheme has already provided new and enhanced community facilities and a play park for local residents.”
Stopsley councillor Nigel Marshall also asked the council when it was sold: “Looking through council records, I can find no authorisation for this sale and my repeated questions have produced no answers.”
The spokesperson for LBC said: “The council transferred the land to Foxhall Homes on July 31, 2025, following Executive approval on January 9, 2023. This decision reflected Foxhall Homes’ ability to deliver affordable housing in Luton and ensured that the scheme would prioritise the needs of local families.”
The council had previously refused to reveal the sale price of the plot. It said: “Foxhall Homes is a private company. We would not disclose the valuation for reasons of commercial confidentiality.”
This comes after months of uncertainty surrounding a boundary dispute between the council and homeowners whose properties back onto the green space. This month, Luton Borough Council confirmed no further action would be taken against residents accused of encroaching on its land.
The council maintains the housing scheme on the park “represents an important step towards addressing the town’s acute shortage of affordable family homes by providing a significant number of high-quality, affordable homes for local families”.