We Are Buxton town forum marks first anniversary and looks ahead to 2023

We Are Buxton (WAB) held its first meeting in September 2021, following the outcome of the Big Buxton Conversation exercise in which local residents identified the absence of a representative body for the community as an issue when it comes to influencing the look, feel and future of the town.

The group consists of delegates from Buxton Civic Association, Buxton Town Team, Vision Buxton, Transition Buxton, Churches Together in Buxton, Accessible Buxton, Buxton Street-by-Street/Connex Community Support and representatives for the borough and county councils.

A WAB spokesperson said: “We all want the best for Buxton. Asking open questions and listening is so important in co-creating the place we all need, want and share. Through talking and working together we can achieve more.”

Over the year, the forum has met in full seven times, and held smaller meetings and discussions in-between, to consider a wide range of topics such as the Government-funded redevelopment of the Spring Gardens area, the opportunity to redevelop the Market Street depot site and the future of the Devonshire Dome and university-owned properties in the town.

There have been presentations from the Buxton Neighbourhood Plan Group, the ‘20 is Plenty’ speed limit campaign, and Buxton Community Workshop, while WAB members have also provided input on the installation of electric car charge points, the proposed Hogshaw residential development, the maintenance of the High Path walkway, the Jurassic Experience in Pavilion Gardens, retrofitting and biodiversity initiatives, the Buxton CO2 Report and various funding opportunities, signage and mobility issues.

WAB is now starting to plan for a third Big Buxton Conversation survey in 2023, likely to focus on young people, and beginning its review of the High Peak Local Plan in light of the ambition to become a carbon zero borough by 2030.

The community groups involved are also looking to establish new collaborations, having extended invitations to participate in WAB to High Peak MP Robert Largan and residents associations in Harpur Hill and Fairfield.

For more information on WAB, how to get involved or present at an upcoming meeting, email [email protected].

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