20 July 2026
I object to this planning application and endorse the concerns set out by Councillors Madeline Hall, Rachel Quinn and Chris Payne. In addition I highlight my objections as follows: A reasonable proposal for a modest mixed-use development, that was subject to considerable public interest and support, has shifted without further consultation into a land grab of publicly owned spaces for a private housing development, with little of any public space and totally inadequate parking provisions. This shift has made the consultation a deeply flawed process where a distorted, partial view has been presented and then radically changed into a proposal that will have several serious detrimental effects on the town and its existing residents and businesses both during and after its development. The initial, reasonable plan for a modest number of residential units and new, reasonably designed buildings has been transformed into a huge number of planned residential units, the majority of which are not for sale as affordable homes, only around half of which will have parking spaces (when the national average for car ownership is over 80%) and which, in total, will adversely affect the existing private rental market in the town. The proposals include facilities which already exist in the town - thereby further adversely affecting the existing facilities and economy. The 5 year (at least) disruption to, and adverse impact on the tourist, retail and hospitality sectors in the town while the development takes place will be hard to recover from if that is possible at all. The proposed reduction in, and/ or a relocation of parking in the town, and the potential loss of the residents parking scheme, will make parking for tourists and residents more problematic, indeed chaotic and overcrowded, and therefore likely to also impact the retail and tourist sectors. [Page 2] The proposal to redevelop the land behind the station into a car park would involve removing an area of trees/woodland, which runs counter to the efforts and policies of the Council to protect and promote biodiversity The proposal that elements of the River Wye would be 'opened up' to provide attractive public space has been compromised and as the additional housing need maintains existing culverts as evidenced in the response to the Environment Agency. The design plans and ideas would look more at home in a city and are not either in keeping with, or complementary to, a small Georgian and Victorian town. This developer has not delivered a development in a small market town with a reliance on tourism to support its economy. I am not against a sensitive redevelopment in the centre of Buxton. The current Waitrose car park is both an eyesore and a huge waste of space, as is the Springs shopping centre. But we are a small, historic town, not a city centre, and we need a development which understands that and provides a balanced, high quality development, bringing public services back into the town centre with a reasonable number of affordable homes. And we do not need numerous additional retail and hospitality premises which are likely either to remain empty, or to cause further closures and empty premises on Spring Gardens. Given that parking is such a crucial issue then the development should be scaled back and/or conditions set that need to be met before any construction/demolition work can commence; for example: No development to commence until alternative parking capacity has planning permission and is functional. Development of the West end of the site and new multi-story car park to be completed before the East end deck car park (Waitrose) can be developed. The development to contain restrictions on the residential units being used for short term lets (AirBNB) due to the additional parking required by this type of accommodation The development to contain restrictions on commercial units being converted into flats
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