Date not provided
I object to planning application HPK/2026/0228 in the strongest possible terms. This is far too large a scheme for Buxton's historic core and feels like overdevelopment. What should be a town- centre regeneration scheme appears to have become dominated by a very substantial residential development, with the scale and massing of the proposed buildings seeming out of keeping with the character of the town. Buxton has a distinctive heritage and civic identity, and the architecture should blend in and complement the town, as the retirement home and McDonald's do, rather than imposing large contemporary buildings that do not respect the existing townscape. I am also very concerned about the loss of car parking. I use the car park to shop at Waitrose twice a week, and if parking is reduced or unavailable during construction and afterwards it will seriously affect my ability to shop there. Buxton already relies on convenient town-centre parking for residents, visitors and people with mobility issues, and parking needs to be maintained at the same number as now, or more. If this scheme is to proceed in any form, phase one must be the construction of new car parking provision before work on the Spring Gardens site starts. The impact on the town centre economy is another major concern. The plan should support existing shopping in Spring Gardens, not risk taking trade away from it. Reduced parking, construction disruption and a shift towards residential use all threaten footfall and the viability of existing businesses. I am particularly worried that Waitrose and other shops could lose trade. There are also serious concerns about traffic, access and construction disruption. Major works of this scale will cause prolonged disturbance, and the access arrangements and highway changes need far more scrutiny. The construction period alone would create unacceptable disruption across Buxton. [Page 2] Finally, I am concerned about the wider impact on civic assets and public confidence. In the current context, this proposal raises questions about how Buxton's town centre is being managed and whether the public interest is being properly protected. For all these reasons, I strongly object to this application.