22 July 2026
Having attended consultations, public meetings and a focus group on this proposed development, I was broadly in favour with what was presented by Capital & Centric a year or so ago. With only a few caveats, I welcomed this as a reasonable compromise which would have resulted in an overdue redevelopment of the town centre. However, having read the planning application, HPBC is now being asked to approve a scheme significantly different from the one which emerged from the consultation process. The most significant change relates to the much larger number of one-bedroom apartments. Given C&C's business model of only long-term rental (i.e. no Airbnb or holiday lets) I would question whether there is really that level of demand and wonder whether we will end up with an empty white elephant. My preference, already suggested to C&C during the consultation process, was to have a selection of quality 2, 3 and 4-bedroom properties, aimed at residents wishing to downsize and live in the town centre, to purchase. This would encourage a more stable population than renters of one-bedroom apartments. It appears from the new plans that some of the high-quality finishes to the buildings (including stone facing, roof gardens, copper cladding) we had been expecting after the consultation process are now no longer included. There also appears to be a much smaller amount of green space. One relatively minor issue: it is proposed to have the name CAPITAL & CENTRIC fastened to the outside of some of the buildings in what appear to be white letters a metre or so high (similar signs appear on C&C developments in Stockport). I hope that HPBC will insist on more restrained signage (as was agreed with McDonald's) in keeping with the Buxton conservation area. In conclusion: whatever was the point of having a lengthy and expensive consultation process if the results are then ignored by the developer? The excitement and optimism which was generated only a year or so year has been replaced by disappointment and opposition. [Page 2]