20 July 2026
I very strongly object to planning application HPK/2026/0228. The proposal is an overdevelopment of this site and appears far too large in scale for Buxton's historic core. The amount of residential development, including around 332 homes for rent, feels disproportionate and risks turning what should be a town-centre regeneration scheme into a mainly residential development with only limited commercial benefit. I am also deeply concerned about the lack of car parking. The scheme removes a large amount of centrally located parking and replaces it with significantly less, which will harm residents, visitors, older people and those with mobility issues who rely on convenient town-centre access. Buxton serves a wide rural catchment, so reducing parking in this way is not acceptable. The parking arrangements also appear uncertain and dependent on future or separate proposals, which is not good enough for a scheme of this scale. The architecture, massing and height of the proposed buildings do not, in my view, respect Buxton's character or heritage. Buildings of up to five storeys in the historic core would sit uncomfortably within the town's distinctive Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian townscape. Given Buxton's heritage significance and conservation settng, the impact on the character of the area is a serious concern. I am further concerned about traffic and access. The proposed changes to Station Road, Palace Road and the surrounding access arrangements, together with excavation and engineering works near the embankment, raise significant highway and safety issues. The cumulative effects should be subject to very careful scrutiny, and I do not believe the current proposals are sufficiently resolved. [Page 2] The public realm and landscape impacts are also worrying. The scheme appears to involve major changes to existing spaces, routes and the settng around the station, with potential loss of trees and harm to the wider townscape. Any public realm benefits are not clear enough to justify development of this scale. I do not consider the housing mix and town centre living offer to be appropriate. A rental-led scheme of this size does not appear to meet local needs or support a balanced town centre. It risks weakening the existing retail and commercial role of Spring Gardens rather than strengthening it. The impact on Buxton's town centre economy is another major concern. The site lies within the Primary Shopping Area, yet the proposals appear to reduce retail floorspace and shift the balance away from active commercial use. That could harm footfall, existing businesses and the future vitality of the town centre. There are also clear environmental concerns, including the loss of parking, possible tree loss, excavation works and the wider disruption associated with a very large scheme. These impacts have not been adequately justified. Finally, the construction disruption would be severe. A project of this scale could cause prolonged disturbance to traffic, access, pedestrians and nearby businesses for several years. I do not believe the application gives enough assurance that these impacts can be properly managed. For all these reasons, I strongly object to the application.