250 homes and 50,000sq ft of business space planned for Buxton’s £100m redevelopment

Capital&Centric will be having a meet and greet on Thursday May, 15 3pm to 8pm at the former Track and Trail shop and will be sending out questionnaires to get residents' views on how the four-year project should develop.

The developers are collaborating with High Peak Borough Council to transform the site between the train station and the high street.

On Tuesday May, 6 they revealed their early plans and new sketches, as they ask local people, businesses and visitors to have their say.

At £100m, this is one of the biggest town centre developments that will take place in the next few years and has already gained national attention.

The full funding strategy will be determined by the design of the scheme, but it is likely to include a mix of private and public sector funding.

There will be an initial investment of £6.6m of Central Government funding and £4m of High Peak Borough Council’s investment.

The developers plan to repurpose the 1980s indoor shopping centre by introducing a vibrant, residential-led, mixed use neighbourhood.

It will feature revitalised new work and retail spaces for independent shops, bars and cafes that will spill out onto new plant-packed public squares, complementing all the best bits the town centre has to offer.

The vision is to give pedestrians easy access through the site from Spring Gardens up to the train station, while also seeking to open up the River Wye, creating green public spaces perfect for riverside dining and events.

John Moffat, Joint Managing Director at Capital&Centric said: “This is a £100m opportunity to build on what already makes Buxton a great place to live and hang out.

“We’re planning a new neighbourhood with a mix of homes for everyone, from young professionals to families and downsizers, alongside lush green open spaces to chill out alongside the river.

“We’re also giving The Springs and surrounding area a complete reboot with loads of new space for indie businesses and shops, bars, eateries and coffee shops.

“Another big part of the plans is to create a new gateway to the town centre from the train station with new walking routes linking through to the re-imagined public open spaces.

“This is the next chapter for Buxton, and we can’t wait to hear what people think of our plans.”

The company says it is working to revitalise The Springs Shopping Centre and create a new gateway to the town.

A Capital&Centric spokesperson said: “We want to add to what already makes Buxton an awesome place to live and spend time in, and ensure it remains a destination for many years to come.”

They say the first step is to get out and about talking to people about the plans and take their feedback on.

They then plan to come back out to the community later in the year and see what everyone thinks about our more detailed plans.

Thinking how to improve the gateway to the town, the new plans state: “The Springs backs onto the train station, so it’s an uninviting welcome for visitors. This is further complicated by the substantial height differences.

“We’re planning to address the challenges of the steep levels in the town, by breaking them down around the shopping centre.

“We’re also going to make it easier to navigate by creating new pedestrian routes, as well as providing new public spaces and services for residents and visitors.

“At the other end of the site we are also looking to create a new gateway into New Wye Street which will improve access and footfall into the east end of the town centre.

“This will focus around new public spaces and provide an opportunity to incorporate the River Wye in our proposals.”

Part of the scheme is new homes for a growing community.

Capital&Centric say Buxton is a town of ‘diverse age groups, but many young people who venture out of Buxton for work or education, often don’t come back to put down roots in their home town’.

The developers are looking to reverse this trend by creating around 250 apartments to suit all ages and lifestyles.

Blending restored, much loved existing buildings with new builds, they want to create a neighbourhood of homes that the community ‘can be proud of.’

One of the plans is to throw in a ‘shed load of new public spaces, with stacks of new greenery and planting to give locals and visitors places to kick back in, hang out and enjoy al fresco eats and drinks’.

Speaking on the Capital&Centric website it states: “We have a great opportunity to unlock the River Wye and allow it to run through the heart of the neighbourhood, adding to the chilled outdoor surroundings.

“Expect riverside dining, new seating areas and relaxing spaces for everyone to enjoy and reconnect with nature. “We want to celebrate what people love about Buxton, complementing the original buildings and those famed curves in the town and the surrounding area. So when we’re creating new buildings, we’ll be taking inspo from the town’s unique architecture and threading it throughout the scheme, so that old and new sit perfectly together.”

Damien Greenhalgh, deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration, tourism and leisure at High Peak Borough Council said: “We are delighted to now be embarking on a key stage in Buxton town centre’s future development - working with Capital&Centric - to unveil initial ideas and visuals that will give a glimpse of what to expect in this once in a generation opportunity to transform our much-loved town.

“We urge everyone to have their say over the coming weeks and help shape a better Buxton we can all enjoy, once this major scheme concludes in 2029.”

Newsletters and questionnaires are landing through letterboxes in homes throughout Buxton and the surrounding area, so local people can share their feedback on the plans.

Once filled in, questionnaires can be and dropped off in a box at one of the following locations: Buxton Swimming and Leisure Centre, Pavilion Gardens or Buxton Town Hall (Mon–Fri up to 1pm).

The deadline for questionnaires to be returned is Friday May, 31.

People can also have their say at www.capitalandcentric.com/buxton.

This is the first of two conversations Capital&Centric will be having with people about their plans for Buxton town centre.

This first chat will help inform more detailed plans which will then be shared in the summer, when the team will be back in town to seek people’s views before a planning application is submitted to the Local Planning Authority at High Peak Borough Council in the autumn.

We would love to hear your thoughts on these outline plans, email your views to [email protected]