Date not provided
I OBJECT to this development on a number of issues. Consultation process, parking and proposed new car park next to station, access and safety, scale and design and the expected timeline. Consultation First notification of the proposed development came through the letterbox in May 2025. 250 residences proposed also an opportunity to kept up to date by email. I have never received one. Article in Buxton Advertiser 31st July 2025 and the number of residences has jumped to 329 without any public consultation. Also mentioned again is the inclusion of a cinema, theatre and live music venue all of which we already have. Another public meeting September 3rd at Octagon with comments to be accepted by 12.9.2025. Much made about opening the River Wye which is already open through the Pavilion Gardens and Ashwood Park. Also mentioned are existing developments Kampus Manchester - repurposed buildings and some new, £250 million, building time 2017-2021. Weir Mill - Stockport again repurposed building, £60 million, building time mid 2022 - mid 2026. No more consultation with public until this planing application which should have been submitted late 2025 so already running behind and many questions not addressed. Capital and Centric have made many assumptions, for example, that the station is the 'gateway to Buxton', it isn't it is one line that goes to Manchester with trains generally running every hour, so people commuting to other towns and cities need a car. Parking There will be big loss of parking during construction and after. Comment in Buxton Advertiser 2310.2025 stated that they were aiming to maintain some parking on site during construction (no mention of numbers) and we're also working with HPBC for parking at an additional site nearby. This additional site is the old DB Cargo depot by the station. The only information is that the council is in the process of buying this site, not that it has been bought. The actual car park would then be subject to planning permission. It would mean opening up access to the site from [Page 2] Palace Road, causing much disruption as there is a wood with steep banking that would have to be excavated and maybe the road layout changed. The planning permission for The Springs is already behind schedule and no construction can proceed until this car park has been passed. They have a very optimistic date of Spring 2027.It is not a convenient site for doing a big shop from Waitrose as it's uphill and pushing trolleys to it will not be convenient for able bodied people let alone disabled. Will there be any disabled car parking facilities, again something that is not addressed. Access and safety to the public whilst under construction. No information is available as to how the existing traders will continue to trade safely whilst construction is on progress. In the Buxton Advertiser 18.6.2026 C & C state ' that while the majority of the Springs Shopping Centre is to be retained along with it's established tenants a small section will be demolished ' There is no indication of how trading will continue safely. There is no indication of how you will access the shopping centre as the plans do not make it clear. If this is to continue for four years or more it will cause considerable disruption to everyday business. When the original Springs was built in the 1980s there wasn't already a shopping centre in place. The increase in construction traffic is also of concern, with extra congestion, noise and entrance and exit to the site (again not made clear where this will be). Buxton grinds to a halt with a set of lights on Fairfield Road so more heavy traffic will not help the flow of traffic through the town. Not in keeping with Buxton. Much is made of these plans that it fits in with the other styles of buildings in the town. C & C stating 'It is a comprehensive and contextually grounded strategy, ensuring that every aspect if the development is unmistakably of Buxton, for Buxton and with Buxton ', I couldn't disagree more. Some of the buildings are 5 stories high, which will be above the original buildings on Terrace Road and Spring Gardens. The original Springs doesn't exactly complement Buxton architecture either but I think this will be worse. It is too big for the size of the town. There is no target market for who the rentals are aimed at and only 5%. (around 17 at reduced rentals for locals). The council offices are also to be housed in the new development and a comment in Pure magazine was worrying as it stated ' the town centre landmark will be surplus to requirements when council offices relocate to Capital and Centric's Springs redevelopment '. This was in Spring '26 edition before any formal consultation had taken place regarding planning. The very large number of residences will also generate much more traffic, waste and sewerage. Will the town centre cope with this. The council has used money to improve some of the shop fronts on Spring Gardens and they look in keeping with the town, this development doesn't. It says new bars and eateries will be included, we already have lovely, small independent bars, shops and restaurants with outdoor seating and set in beautiful old, repurposed buildings. Do we need more or if we do use empty units of which there quite a few. Time line. Finally, how long will this all take. According to C and C it is to be to be finished in 2029. It is already 8 months behind in submitting the planning permission. Even if it gets passed they will still have to wait for planning permission for the car park, another hold up. Do we really want so much disruption to our town centre for so many years. Please reject these plans and bring something back on a smaller scale, more in keeping with Buxton. 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