Pictures: New vision for how Capital&Centric's Buxton development could look

The £100m regeneration project which will completely overhaul the town centre has been slammed previously by residents for not being appropriate for the Georgian town of Buxton.

However, Mr Largan has contacted the Buxton Advertiser to share his vision of what the town could look like.

He has taken the images from Capital&Centric and used them to create a new and different looking project which he says is more in keeping with the town.

He said: “Along with Buxton Conservative Councillors, I fought hard to successfully secure the Future High Street Fund money for the town.

“However, while the money was granted by a Conservative Government and won by a Conservative MP and Conservative Councillors, it was down to High Peak Labour Council to spend the money and come up with a plan for that town centre.

“While I am pleased that my idea for opening up the River Wye has been taken on (it was a very popular idea when I held my own residents' survey on regeneration a few years ago), the rest of the plans are currently nowhere near good enough.

“The architectural designs don't feel in keeping with Buxton's heritage and look like it could be 'anywhere' rather than specifically Buxtonian.

“As I’ve said before, the most successful high street regenerations conserve what makes their town look and feel unique.

“Buildings and public spaces should be beautiful and inspiring. Not boilerplate and boring.

“Local people overwhelmingly welcomed the Future High Street Fund money when we secured it and want to see regeneration of the area around The Springs. But there is widespread opposition to these plans as they currently stand including from Waitrose and Buxton Civic Association.

“Concerns aren’t just about the design. The lack of parking and the large number of new residential units is also drawing considerable concern.”

In a letter to the Advertiser Paulene Davies shared her views about the plans which have been sent to High Peak Borough Council.

She said: “We do not need residential units in the centre of Buxton.

“We need more retail outlets with architecture in keeping with Victorian/Edwardian heritage and Spa.

“Public conveniences have been lacking for years, shops without toilets, unheard of. More parking not less.

“Yes Buxton town centre needs regeneration but it should be in a way that keeps Buxton unique, drawing in visitors.

“The plans of square concrete buildings adorned with Capital&Centric logo have no place in this town.”

Following on from the story in a previous edition of the paper where High Peak MP Jon Pearce gave his views on the plans another resident Stella Percival emailed and said: “Jon Pearce MP seems only to have posted his single comment on this major proposal on his own Facebook page - from which he routinely blocks his constituents and councillors.

“The councillor responsible for trying to ram this proposal through planning, Damien Greenhalgh, is Jon Pearce's office manager.

“The Buxton Advertiser has just published a piece about HPBC refusing planning permission for 14 houses in Buxton because of a lack of parking - the hypocrisy is breathtaking.”

Speaking earlier in the year about the car park, Rich Spackman, Development Director of Capital&Centric, said the plans would bring ‘better bays, better access and better links to shops without affecting parking costs’.

He said: “Straightforward improvements that support local trade and make life simpler for people.”

However, the parking issues are one of the biggest concerns being raised by residents who say the loss of parking on the car park behind the Springs not only during the development but also after when some of the spaces are lost to residential apartments is a worry.

Explore Buxton added: “There needs to be serious changes to the plans, in its current state, it's not right for Buxton at all.”