Future High Street Fund Buxton

Image provided is copyrighted © Pam Smart

High Peak Borough Council has successfully secured £6.6m of Future High Street funding from the Government. 

The aim of the Future High Streets Fund is to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that drives growth, improves experience and ensures future economic sustainability which means that they are not fully reliant on retail.  The funding provides financial support for transformative and structural changes to overcome local and national challenges and diversify town centre uses. 

The award has a number of stages:

Stage 1: Local Councils apply for Development funding to help develop proposals and business case for towns (or parts of towns) which have higher than national shop vacancy levels. 101 Towns successful across England including Buxton. Completed

Stage 2: Masterplan and business cases developed in line with scheme criteria. Funding is only for capital (physical) works and cannot be spent on retail. 69 towns successful across England including Buxton. Completed.

Stage 3: Delivery. Subject to acceptance of grant offer, the Councils and partners will seek to implement proposals with opportunity to adapt or amend proposals to take into account Covid, changing demand for office, workshop or retail floorspace as well as other factors. Planning applications for any new development will be required for all new buildings in the normal way and the public can comment on proposals. In addition a FHSF town stakeholder group is to be established bringing together elected representatives and key community groups to support delivery of the project, act as an external consultative body and to communicate and engage with their memberships or constituents on project objectives, deliverables and progress. In progress.

Stage 4: Public consultation and appointment of development partner. Everyone who lives in, works in or visits Buxton was invited to join a community consultation to help shape the regeneration in and around The Springs shopping centre, which included in-person events across the town, a public survey and a virtual Zoom event. A dedicated website for the project was also launched - revitalisingbuxton.co.uk

A development partner is now being sought who can deliver a scheme which reflects our changing shopping, leisure and work patterns and will result in a thriving and vibrant town centre where people want to live and spend time. It is hoped to appoint the partner by late 2024 with construction starting in 2026.

The grant award must be fully spent by March 2024, but works to deliver full proposals with other funding can continue until 2027. 

Future High Street Fund Masterplan proposals 

Consultation information on emerging proposals Feb 2020 (PDF) [2MB]
Map of eligible area and proposed development Feb 2021 (PDF) [2MB]
Future High Street masterplan May 2020 (PDF) [7MB]
Future High Street fund 3-D comparison of proposals to current layout May 2020 (PDF) [1MB]

Frequently Asked Questions - Future High Street Fund Buxton (PDF) [1MB]

Heritage Action Zone

Buxton has also been successful in securing Heritage Action Zone initiative which will complement the above scheme and provide grant funding to reinstate traditional shop fronts and restore vacant heritage buildings.