18 June 2026
- The proposed designs would barely increase the commercial space in the centre of town, even though this is supposed to be about regenerating the town centre. - Instead, far more residential units than were first proposed would be built. This has knock-on effects for parking (which is already being reduced in these plans). Moreover, the sort of units being proposed - lots of one-bedroom flats for rent - are clearly about income for the site owners, and not about alleviating any housing need in the town. They are catering there to a younger, affluent urban market, not the one you find in a rural town an hour by train from Manchester - The building designs will jar with the rest of the town. While across numerous consultations, Capital and Centric said they would take into account the need to echo styles already in existence, what they have ended up proposing looks much like the buildings they have in places like Stockport and Stoke. They work there, in former industrial areas surrounded by existing multi-story buildings (I like the ones in Stockport), but they are a really poor choice for Buxton. - The plans suggest outdoor space and use of the river. Presumably, the planners have not spent time in Buxton, where the unique microclimate means the weather is predominantly cold, and several degrees lower than surrounding towns like Macclesfield.