Capital&Centric set their sights on Buxton town centre
Social impact developers Capital&Centric are taking on their latest challenge – the £100m+ reboot of The Springs shopping centre in Buxton.
It’s been revealed that the Manchester-based developers are collaborating with High Peak Borough Council to transform the site between the train station and the high street.
They plan to repurpose the 1980s indoor shopping centre into a vibrant mix of hundreds of new homes, workspaces and independent shops, bars and cafes. The vision is to give pedestrians easy access through the site from Spring Gardens up to the train station, while also seeking to open up the River Wye, creating green public spaces perfect for al fresco food, drinks and events.
The team are now working up a vision for the site, with more to be revealed in the coming months as a planning application is prepared.
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.”
‘Revitalising Buxton’ will see the shopping centre, Spring Gardens and Station Approach redeveloped – a scheme which became possible after the Council received £6.6m of Future High Street Fund money from the Government, which it then used to buy the shopping centre in 2022.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Anthony McKeown said:
“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.”
Capital&Centric has built a loyal following by restoring and repurposing some of the UK’s iconic historic buildings, turning them into new homes, work and cultural spaces fit for the 21st Century. Locals may recognise founders Tim Heatley and Adam Higgins as having featured on TV shows such as Channel 4’s Big Interiors Battle and the BBC’s Manctopia.
Having already delivered a slew of regeneration projects across the North of England - including in Manchester, Stockport and Sheffield - this will mark their first foray into Derbyshire. The developer has gained a reputation for delivering imaginative town centre neighbourhoods, with a focus on standout architecture.
It follows the tried and tested method they’re taking in other places like Kampus, Manchester’s award-winning garden neighbourhood, the reboot of Farnworth town centre in Bolton, and a new community at Goods Yard in Stoke-on-Trent. They’ve also been appointed by Homes England to lead the delivery of a town centre and around 2000 homes at the Northstowe new town in Cambridge.