REVISED PLANNING AND LISTED BUILDING APPLICATION APPROVED

Press Release from Buxton Crescent Hotel & Spa Company September 30th 2011

Approval was given to the revised Planning and Listed Building Applications for the restoration and development of Buxton’s most famous and important building on Monday, 26 September. Whilst there were technical matters relating to geotechnical research which has been thoroughly undertaken and the need to reassure the Environment Agency that flood risk could be managed, the Members of the Committee gave enthusiastic encouragement for the project to go ahead when voting unanimously to approve the plans.

Because the Crescent is protected as a Grade 1 listed building – a status given only to the most revered architecture in the country – High Peak Borough Council’s decision must now be referred to the Department for Communities and Local Government to be ratified within 28 days. It is rare for major applications to go unopposed but, in this case, there were no objections brought to the attention of the Councillors but there were encouraging messages of support.

Thanks to the continuing support of the project's main funder, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and its outstanding grant offer of £12.5 million, work on the project is expected to commence shortly. The funding gap for the full project left by the decision to close East Midlands Development Agency has not yet been resolved although all funding parties are fully committed to finding a solution and are determined the project will proceed as planned.

The first steps will be to remove asbestos which has been found in the building and to demolish a part of the colonnade behind the Crescent to allow a temporary pipe bridge structure to be put in place to carry spring water from the source to Buxton Water’s bottling plant. This is necessary so that the excavation for a new plant and kitchen basement to begin.

The Buxton Crescent Hotel & Spa Company will be working with “the BIG Draw” on its event on Saturday, 22 October when professional and amateur artists will draw competitively to represent the essence of Buxton. Winning entries will be reproduced to large size scale and erected on the site hoardings. The Big Draw is now an annual month-long festival of over one thousand events across the UK. Every October, museums, galleries, heritage sites, libraries, schools and parks join in – inviting people of all ages to discover how drawing can connect them with their surroundings and the wider community.

Trevor Osborne said:
“We are very pleased to have the enthusiastic support of the Planning Committee for Buxton’s most important project. The Planning Department – particularly Sue Ashworth and Richard Tuffrey – have been closely involved in all the design issues together with Allan Morrison, the Derbyshire County Council’s Conservation Advisor, and Team Leader, Louise Brennan, from English Heritage which has shown its support by awarding a very generous grant of £500,000. Their help is gratefully acknowledged and our design team look forward to working together with them as we move forward.”

Jo Booker

Business Manager

Trevor Osborne Property Group

Rectory Lodge, Combe Hay, Bath BA2 7EG

tel: 01225 832302 fax: 01225 832304

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