6 July 2026
I welcome the redevelopment of the Springs Shopping Centre and approve of the proposal to open up the river in parts. My objection is the design of Capital and Centric's buildings which despite repeated objections from local people still present a development out of keeping with the architecture and feel of the town. Buxton is primarily a Victorian and Edwardian town and the buildings even on Spring Gardens reflect the period when it developed as a tourist destination. Unfortunately the architects for this development still keep producing modern designs of limited grace in materials which will look shabby in a few years. The observation tower is a design which illustrates my point. It would look out of place on our skyline. It doesn't even feel modern - more like something from the 60s or 70s. This is a one chance to get a major development right. The buildings in my opinion need to complement what we already have which is what makes Buxton special for residents and tourists. The existing Springs development has always looked out of place in Buxton and now looks dated. Please don't make the same mistakes with this design and produce something with more of an architectural wow factor. Bigger towns and cities can take the old alongside the new better than a smaller place like Buxton. But to succeed, a development has to be loved by the people who use it. There are numerous examples in Manchester where developers got it wrong - Piccadilly Gardens, Fort Ardwick, The Arndale Centre etc. Please give us some buildings we can fall in love with.