1 July 2026
I strongly object to planning application HPK/2026/0228. As someone who works in a retail business in the town centre my main concern is the lack of car parking. The proposal appears to remove a large amount of centrally located parking and replace it with much less, with some of the replacement provision depending on separate applications and future infrastructure. Buxton serves a wide rural catchment, as well as visitors, older people and those with mobility issues, so convenient town-centre parking is essential. I do not believe the current scheme makes adequate provision for this. I also object to the scale, massing and appearance of the proposed buildings. Large contemporary buildings of up to five storeys in Buxton's historic core would not, in my view, respect or enhance the town's distinctive character. Buxton has a particularly important heritage setting, with Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture, conservation areas and historic townscape that should be given great weight. The proposal also raises serious concerns for Buxton's town centre economy. The site is within the Primary Shopping Area, yet the scheme appears to reduce retail floorspace and shift the balance away from shopping uses. I am not satisfied that existing retailers have been properly safeguarded, or that the development will strengthen rather than weaken footfall and the role of Spring Gardens as a commercial centre. Finally, I am concerned about the timing of such a major decision before Local Government Reorganisation is complete. This is a long-term scheme with consequences that will last for decades, and it should not be approved in a way that could unnecessarily constrain future authorities. For all these reasons, I strongly object to the application. [Page 2]