Sale of Buxton’s Market Street car park ‘progressing’, says top council boss

In 2021, the two-acre site was put on the market with the possibility of building houses on the land, which currently has 86 car parking spaces.

Speaking at the time council leader Anthony McKewon said the sale of this land will ‘enable the much needed regeneration and redevelopment of this area to take place as set out in the Local Plan’.

In September 2023 High Peak Borough Council met for an executive meeting and the only item on the agenda was the Former Market Street Depot, Buxton.

The council leader approved proposals for the future of the former Market Street Depot, Buxton.

A concerned resident has contacted The Advertiser about how things are moving forward.

He said: “High Peak Borough Council is no longer interested in developing the site themselves, it appears the plan is to potentially resurrect the previous Conservative administration's plan to allow for the demolition of the old Victorian offices and develop the site with two-storey, low density housing.“With the land sold to a developer they will now put their hands in the air and proclaim they could do nothing to stop that particular development, despite the protestations of the local residents who once again have been denied the right to have an input in what happens in their ward.”

Buxton Advertiser questioned the council on what was happening at the site on April, 22.

A response has now been received - more than three weeks later.

Council Leader, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: “The sale of the site is progressing. There are some issues with nutrient neutrality to address before we can confirm what the site will be used for. I can, however, reassure people that, as part of the deal, car parking spaces will be retained and the car park will be improved.”

The Market Street car park is where the travelling fair pitches up during carnival week and uses the space as its home for the week.

The council has previously stated that the discussion of where the fair people will sleep would be a matter for the fair and the new developer of the site.