Eyesore land along Buxton A6 gateway listed for auction again at reduced price

The 3.18 acre plot opposite Ashwood Park, running alongside the High Path on Bakewell Road, was listed at an auction on November 9 for an asking price of £20,000-£30,000 but, with no deal emerging, it will go under the hammer again with Graham Watkins & Co on Wednesday, December 14, this time starting at £10,000.

The land’s collapsing walls, fallen trees and overgrown appearance have seen it identified as a “grot spot” by Buxton Civic Association, harming the town’s image on a key visitor approach and posing a potential hazard to pedestrians and motorists.

That opinion has been shared by High Peak MP Robert Largan, and local members of the county council – the authority responsible for highways – but the ownership of the land has proved a consistent obstacle to any clean-up efforts.

Originally council property, the land was sold into private hands by a previous administration more than a decade ago. Given the opportunity to reclaim it, the authority declined to enter the bidding last month and even a reduced price appears unlikely to change the situation.

This week, a spokesperson said: “We are aware of the new auction date and our position has not changed. At present Derbyshire County Council has no plans to buy this parcel of land.”

Any sale is likely to depend on a benevolent buyer, as the land has little obvious potential for development and could require significant remedial and ongoing maintenance costs.

While many residents are still keen to see action taken on the land, the issues involved mean there is not much hope for a swift solution.

Advertiser reader Andrew Craig said: “I think the only way we will see that looking good is if someone crowdfunded it and kept it as a nature haven, community-owned, maybe a lottery grant down the line.”

Fellow reader Lydia Brindley said: “Fancy the council not bidding for it. It should be them who put it right and cut down on the risk of anyone getting seriously hurt.”

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