Capital&Centric appointed to redevelop Buxton’s The Springs
High Peak Borough Council has appointed Capital&Centric as development partner to reinvigorate The Springs shopping centre and the surrounding areas in Buxton town centre.
The redevelopment specialist is planning to transform the 1980s indoor shopping centre into a mixture of new homes, workspaces, and independent shops, bars, and cafés.
The plans look to provide pedestrians with improved access through the site from Spring Gardens to the train station, while also seeking to open up the River Wye to create green public spaces for al fresco food, drinks, and events.
The £100m+ development has been possible after High Peak Borough Council was granted £6.6m of Future High Street Fund money by the Government to help purchase the centre in 2022, along with £4m of its own funds.
A full planning application is expected to be submitted in about 10 months time.
John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “Surrounded by the Peak District National Park, Buxton’s already a town with so much going for it – from its stunning Georgian and Victorian architecture, to its healing spa waters and buzzing food and drink scene. This is a huge opportunity to revitalise the shopping centre, improving the spaces for shops, cafes and bars whilst bringing in new people to live in the town centre. We want to create a new gateway from the station, which draws in visitors and really showcases the amazing things the town has to offer.”
Leader of High Peak Borough Council, councillor Anthony McKeown, added: “Over the last few years we have gathered hundreds of ideas from the local community for the future of this part of the town. In order to move these ideas to reality we are thrilled to announce the next steps for this transformational project for Buxton by announcing a development partner.
“Capital&Centric has presented a confident vision, aligned with our aspirations for this site. We now want everyone to have the opportunity to help shape the proposals through further consultation and engagement next year.”
Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, deputy leader and executive councillor for regeneration, tourism and leisure, said: “We promised to revitalise Buxton town centre and that’s what we’re doing. As regeneration projects go, this is huge for Buxton and presents an enormous opportunity to diversify what we have in the town centre, whilst at the same time ensuring what is proposed compliments the great assets we already have here that are cherished by residents and visitors alike.
“We look forward to working with our new development partner as we work together on this bold and exciting scheme we aim to have completed in 2029.”