Date: 16/12/2008
High Peak Borough Council is launching an innovative consultation programme, asking you, the public, to help develop a vision for the future of Buxton's town centre.
We have appointed specialist consultants to arrange a series of workshops, starting on Wednesday, February 4, 2009, to put together a 'Buxton Town Centre Design and Place Making Strategy' -- a plan that will guide the way that future development in Buxton should be designed and the ways in which local infrastructure will need to be improved or changed.
The study will aim to work with all who have an interest in Buxton, so that a common future vision for the town can be agreed and to which everyone can subscribe.
Tony Kemp, Executive Councillor for Regeneration, explained the need for the study:
"Buxton has an architectural and cultural heritage that may be unique for a town of its size in the UK. In recent years, High Peak Borough Council has worked with partners to bring forward the restoration and re-use of many of these features and more investment is planned.
"Exciting as these schemes may be, they bring inevitable pressures, and we have to ensure the old and the new sit comfortably together -- also that developments, driven by the private sector, meet the town's expectations, without changing the character of the town in a detrimental way.
"We must look at how transportation issues and parking integrate with daily life and work, and how we balance the pressures of tourism with local aspirations. Above all, we need to establish a clear local vision of Buxton's future.
"In so doing, I recognise that we can never hope to meet every wish of every individual -- but I do believe it is vital that all can feel that they have had the opportunity to make their views known, that their contribution has been valued, and that it has added to an agreed overall picture that we can all 'buy into' and support.
"We will be inviting established 'stakeholder groups' and many other interested parties and individuals, but I want to stress this is not an exclusive process. Anyone can attend the consultation events -- we ask only that they approach the debate in a constructive way and respect views expressed by others.
"I am asking you to commit some time, but it will be well worthwhile, if together, we can have a real and positive influence on the future of the town we all value so much."
The first public meeting will be held in the Paxton Suite, Pavilion Gardens, on Wednesday, February 4, 2009. Anyone interested in attending is asked to arrive from 5.30pm onwards, to ensure we can start the session promptly at 6pm (expected length of session is three hours).
People will need to register your interest in attending the public meeting, no later than Friday, January 30, 2009. You can do this here, using our online form, or by ringing the Call Centre on 0845 129 7777, or 01298 28400.
