Bedford Borough Council faces opposition from local politicians over plans to transfer the former Debenhams building to preferred developer Cityheart for £1 to launch the Mayes Yard redevelopment.
A cross-party group of councillors called in the cabinet decision, questioning why a building bought by taxpayers for £1.8m in 2023 could be handed over for a nominal fee before a final masterplan is finalised.
Cllr Henry Vann (Liberal Democrats/De Parys) said: “It is beyond belief that the Mayor is willing to dispose of a building that cost £1.8m to buy, for just £1. Not one million pounds – one pound. This decision needs serious investigation by a council scrutiny committee.”
Vann added, “Rushing through half-baked plans to redevelop this area that includes Debenhams, Beales and the Library and the Corn Exchange isn’t good enough.”
Read: Bedford Borough Council selects preferred bidder for former Debenhams redevelopment
Cllr Carl Meader, deputy leader of Bedford Borough’s Labour Party, argued that the administration showed a “complete disregard for elected members”, while Cllr Paul Edmonds (Green/Castle and Newnham) expressed concern that public assets might not be protected.
However, land disposal regulations under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 allow local councils to transfer property below market value if the deal delivers long-term social, economic or environmental well-being to the community.
Under official planning policy HOU2, any developer taking on the Mayes Yard block must fund the comprehensive masterplan, heritage assessments, access strategies and local infrastructure contributions.
The nominal £1 sale price reflects the substantial financial liabilities of restoring a complex, derelict site that private investors previously refused to touch.
Derelict asset
Tom Wootton, the mayor of Bedford Borough (Conservative), explained that public intervention was essential because private buyers abandoned the site after years of decay following retail closures.
Read: Open letter: Mayor Wootton, make Debenhams a legacy Bedford can be proud of
Speaking to the Bedford Independent on Friday (27 July), he said: “We bought it because nobody else was buying it, and we bought it because it was too big for the private [sector].”
He noted that water ingress had severely damaged the top floors of the former department store, making private investment unviable without council backing.
Wootton explained, “The deal will probably be, we put the ground in, they do the hard lifting, and that’s how I see the deal going.”
Alongside plans for Greyfriars and wider investment linked to Universal, the mayor views Mayes Yard as a central project in reshaping the town centre.
Benji Slater, development director for Cityheart, explained that the company exclusively takes on projects focused on town centre regeneration where strong working relationships exist with local authorities.
Also speaking to the Bedford Independent last week (Friday), Slater said: “Cityheart as a business… we don’t say we want to be in this town, we want to be in this town.
“It’s very much for us about the working relationship with the key people that are looking to deliver regeneration.
“So, we’re very sort of people and relationship focused rather than specifically wanting to work in certain towns.”
Heritage preservation
Addressing criticisms over the evolving nature of the site proposals, Cityheart emphasised that maintaining commercial flexibility is vital for long-term viability.
Read: Report reveals risk behind Bedford mayor’s £2.2m acquisition of former Debenhams building
Slater explained that initial ideas for a purely residential scheme shifted after discussions with potential commercial, hotel and education partners.
Slater commented, “I think it will be a mixed-use development, so that will entail commercial, retail, leisure, and potentially a hotel.”
Cityheart also confirmed a commitment to protecting key architectural features valued by local people.
Plans include retaining the prominent Art Deco frontage on the High Street and preserving an ancient, potentially Saxon, listed wall hidden at the rear of the property.
Slater noted: “We are aware of the Art Deco frontage there that is quite synonymous with Bedford, and the listed elements of the back, which again, within our bid submission, were retained.”
Public consultations
Negotiations over the formal development agreement are progressing between Bedford Borough Council and Cityheart, with completion expected in September this year.
Read: Mayor rejects calls to sell former Debenhams building costing taxpayers £450,000 each year
Once finalised, the developer intends to launch extensive stakeholder engagement across Bedford Borough.
Local people, business owners and community groups will be invited to participate in informal workshops to shape the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
“We want to build a roadmap really, where we’ve engaged with all parts of the community to understand, you know, what’s best for Bedford,” said Slater.
Update: This article was updated at 07:15 on 28 July 2026 to make it clear that the £1 sale is part of a plan being explored but not a decision that has already been made.
