Buxton residents plan photo shoot to show opposition to Capital&Centric development
A photo shoot is being planned in Buxton for residents to come out and show their opposition to the proposed £100m Springs redevelopment.
People are invited to come along on Saturday September 19 on the bowling green by the Old Hall Hotel at 10am.
Resident Ruby Moon had the idea for the photo.
She said: “So many people don’t want this.
“We had hundreds of objections on the formal plans submitted to the council, a petition has nearly 2,000 signatures but I wanted to take a photo for two reasons.
“It keeps it in people’s minds and lets the council know that we haven’t forgotten thai and we won’t take this lying down.
“But it’s also important to see visually how many people oppose.
“A photo with lots of people on you can instantly see the scale of the number and it’s more hard hitting.”
Capital&Centric and High Peak Borough Council are looking to completely redevelop Spring Gardens, The Springs Shopping Centre and the car park behind the shopping centre.
The plan is to build more than 300 new flats and improve the leisure and amenity facilities.
However, the plans have grown since the preconsultation period and residents are worried about the loss of car parking facilities and how the town will lose its identity.
She says the photo shoot is to oppose the current plans, not any redevelopment as Buxton does needs a refurb but not this current plan.
Ruby said: “It needs to be right for the town and this isn’t it.
“Change and bettering the town isn’t a bad thing if it was done properly and reflected the town’s heart and the people’s wishes
“Buxton is beautiful and is full of gorgeous curvy architecture like the Crescent, The Dome, Buxton Opera House and these plans take away everything people love about Buxton and its so square and angular.
“If these buildings get built Buxton will lose its identity so we are doing all we can to save the town from a development no one wants.”
She also says the loss of car parking facilities are a huge issue for people and residents and shop owners are genuinely worried about where they will park which will have an impact on the town if people are not coming in as much.
“It’s also a worry about what will happen to the shops we know and love as there isn’t a big enough unit for next to move into once the redevelopment happens so what happens then?
“If this development pushes long established businesses out of the town then that also isn’t a good thing.
“We want shops, restaurants and a thriving town centre not flats that are used for commuters and a town centre people don’t want to visit anymore.”
Ruby says she picked a weekend so more people would be available for the photo shoot and somewhere traffic free and accessible and asks anyone who feels strongly about the new development plans to come and show their support for the photo.