East Midlands mayoral candidate puts Buxton's Market Street on agenda

During a visit to the High Peak this week, Conservative mayoral candidate Ben Bradley met with Buxton Councillor Linda Grooby to discuss the Market Street car park and former depot, that has sat derelict for several years.

Councillor Grooby voiced resident’s concerns over the derelict ‘care and repair agency’ building off Market Street, along with the adjacent land and car park, stating that it’s been left in a sorry state for several years and attracts littering and anti-social behaviour.

Ben said: “There are sites like this in Buxton and throughout the region, where a bit of extra support and incentive is needed to bring buildings like this back to life and to a useful purpose, rather than leaving them as eyesores and magnets for anti-social behaviour.

“As mayor, I’ll work with Councillor Grooby and local Councils to ensure we’re able to invest into our town centres and high streets, and to bring these buildings back to life.

“The mayor will have access to funding to bring forward brownfield sites for redevelopment, this is the kind of site that in my mind will benefit from new investment and something the mayor could work with a developer on and improve for the local community.”

The site of the old depot, including the derelict Council offices and car park, was finally put up for sale by the High Peak Borough Council in 2021, but late last year the Council confirmed discussions were still ongoing, with the timings of the promised regeneration at the site remaining uncertain.

Derbyshire Councillor Linda Grooby said: “The depot is such a blight on the town and especially to local residents. I bring it up regularly but as yet nothing is certain as to the future of this area.”

Leader of High Peak Borough Council, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, added: “The sale of the site is progressing but it is taking a little longer than anticipated due to the need to resolve the issues around nutrient neutrality. As we’ve previously advised, as part of the deal, car parking spaces will be retained and the car park will be improved.”