28 June 2026
I wish to make an objection to the above application associated with the Springs Shopping area.
I feel that this is totally inappropriate for Buxton and will ruin its character.
I am 75 years old and have lived in Buxton all my life so I feel qualified to know a lot about the character and history of the area.
Buxton has always presented as a market town with a historic centre and a history of tourism dating back many years including its times as a healing Spa.
When I look at the size of the proposal it seems out of all proportion.
The development claims to be paying homage to our original buildings, but all I see is modern blocks with little character, large areas of glass and flat roof. I also cannot imagine why copper faced buildings as proposed compare to anything else and to claim it is because of the Devonshire mining of copper seems ludicrous.
As for the reduction in parking this will be the death knell for many local businesses which will lose trade to areas with free parking out of town.
I do not believe the proposed car parking near the station which is not supported financially by the developer, as I understand, is of any help. Long term parkers may use it, but anyone with a short trip to town or a large trolley from Waitrose will not use it.
I am also baffled as to why we need a tower to look out over Buxton and who is responsible for long term maintenance of this and all the proposed gardens.
At the moment our council gardeners do their best but struggle to keep everywhere tidy — which includes the goose infested Pavilion Gardens — and the grass verges etc.
Will the developer keep all this maintained??
We already have coffee shops in Spring Gardens and I could foresee these moving into the newer units, level floors etc., and leaving the main street even emptier.
There is talk of a cinema — tried before several times — have they got some firm interested in providing this service??
Will DCC commit to the proposed museum space??
The current HPBC workmen cannot keep the existing town centre in good repair — take a walk down the pavements near Costa Coffee to see a patchwork quilt of rough repairs.
This will not look good in a new development.
I feel that if Spring Gardens was really tidied, possibly with the replacement of the long lost colonnades — new toilets in the shopping centre — this should be no problem now HPBC own it — and an effort to get some independent shops into the remaining units with attractive rents etc.
We should thus be able to revamp a reasonable high street.
Increasing shops at a time when high streets everywhere are dying seems ridiculous.
Take a look at Northwich — which built shops at council expense — many of which have never been occupied.
Finally I turn to HPBC and our money as council taxpayers.
There is a proposal that new council offices should be available on the site currently occupied by Conway Timbers — will this be acceptable if HPBC is swept away in government proposed reorganisation??
Secondly, as Capital and Centric is hoping to make a good return on its investment from the rental of the flats, I trust that any of our money invested is ring fenced with a suitable interest return on investment.
I think here of the Crescent which seemed to swallow vast funds and shows little return!!
I feel very strongly that this is not a good development for Buxton, and I hope you will give your deliberations careful thought before reaching your decision.
Yours sincerely,