19 July 2026
I am full agreement with the objections as laid out by Councillor Melandra Smith, Councillor Chris Payne and Councillor Madeline Hall, particular with respect to other possible approaches to the town centre regeneration. The scale of development is focused largely on rental accommodation, which does not fit the brief of town centre regeneration that was the subject of the consultation process and proposed funding, and is on a scale well beyond that described. It's unclear where this demand for additional rental accommodation is coming from, particularly when the former hall of residence stands empty. The design and appearance of the development is not in keeping with the history, heritage and appeal of Buxton as a country market town, and would be more in keeping with a more urban settng. The overall development has no significant increase on the available commercial space, when a commercial-led regeneration was a key driver behind the purchase of the existing retail facilities. The reduction in parking is particularly problematic, both in terms of a curiously low estimate of vehicle ownership in the new accommodation when there is little in the way of walkable employment opportunities in the centre of Buxton, and the impact on the shops at the core of the town centre. [Page 2] The massive reduction in available parking during the construction phase is not addressed, and this will place massive pressure on the surrounding residential streets. The absence of any consultant with the keystone retail tenant (Waitrose) is telling by its absence ' minimal parking access for 2-3 years will have a material impact on their business, and likely drive them away from Buxton, which would be massively counter-productive. A key component is to open a pathway to the station. Buxton's train service is minimal, and the percentage of passengers arriving by train vs driving has not been quantified. Making the town centre more accessible is no guarantee of increased train passengers and a corresponding reduction in car journeys. The key constraint on the train service is not demand, or town centre accessibility, but instead, it is traffic throughput at the Stockport interchange, meaning that any more frequent services are highly unlikely. The was a hugely positive response to the initial plans for town centre regeneration, and that continued through the public consultation process. But the plans as proposed have moved too far away from the original intention, have massively over-reached the brief, and it should be no surprise the scale of objections that it has garnered.