Planning resources
The Planning Committee (now the Planning Team) was set up in the early days of the Association to monitor and comment on planning issues. Comments are submitted to High Peak Borough Council on planning applications relating to Buxton and the surrounding area in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of siting, design, scale and materials in every case. It keeps a particular eye on applications which affect the Association’s land holdings or which impinge widely on the local community.
This page contains information about:
BCA have specific interests in planning and conservation in the High Peak find out how active we are in assisting with the planning process.
Conservation Areas In Buxton – PDF Downloads
There are five Conservation Areas in Buxton. The Fairfield one was not included in the 2007 appraisal. They are listed below with a link to a plan of their boundaries:
The Planning Process
The Planning Department is also referred to as ‘Development Control’
It is the duty of the Planning Authority to find the balance between the need or desire to undertake new development and the protection of the existing amenities and character of each neighbourhood. Judgements are made on the basis of Government planning guidance and local planning policy. This control applies not only to new buildings but also to extensions, alterations and what the land or building is used for.
The Planning Authority for Buxton is the High Peak Borough Council. Anyone proposing to develop land or buildings has to apply for Planning Permission unless the change is so small that it is exempted as a Permitted development. Details of the application process are given on the High Peak Borough Council website see link below.
High Peak Borough Council has a Planning Portal where lots of information is available on a shared basis with other councils. It is possible to apply for Planning Permission online or download and print the necessary forms. Once an application is received it will be identified by a number in the form HPK/20XX/xxxx, where the centre digits (20xx) is the year, and the last four digits are the application number.
If a close neighbour of yours puts in a Planning Application you should receive a letter notifying you that they have. You will then be able to look up the details on the website or call at the Town Hall to see the application on a computer which will be made available for you.
The Planning Portal also offers Weekly lists of both the applications received and the decisions made. It also gives a separate listing of all current applications for Major Developments. These lists are borough wide and make the monitoring of applications very easy. Some neighbourhoods are identified for individual treatment. Examples of these are:
- Conservation Areas, where strict controls are enforced to protect their special character. Much of central Buxton and part of old Fairfield are protected in this way. In these areas Planning Permission is required before the demolition of any building and the Council can make orders enforcing details such as materials used and even colour schemes.
- Special Landscape Areas, which are not as protected as Green Belt, because development may in the end be required, but are protected in the shorter term to avoid built up areas sprawling into the countryside.
The Pros & Cons
The pros and cons of each application are assessed by paid Planning Officers who may give or withhold Planning Permission under their Delegated powers in accordance with National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF). In more complex cases, the officers will prepare a report for the elected Councillors to make a decision at the Planning Committee. The committee meetings are open to the public and may permit applicants and objectors to address them briefly. Currently (October 2013) there is no local plan and in the meantime the NPPF applies to all planning applications.
Plans Currently Under Review With BCA
Details of planning applications which the BCA Planning Team are currently considering will be updated here:
Development at Old Buxton Mineral Water, Station Road, Buxton
Planning Comments Press Release
News – Members Consider Nestle Site Proposals 9th February 2015
Planning comments to be Submitted TBC
We are currently reviewing the application for the development of the land at the old Buxton Mineral Water Plant Station Road Buxton.
Conservation Areas in Buxton
Local authorities have the power to designate a neighbourhood as a Conservation Area if the character or appearance is worth protecting or enhancing because of features of special architectural or historic interest.
Designation is usually assessed on local or regional criteria in consideration of the special character of the whole neighbourhood rather than individual buildings.
Conservation Areas vary greatly and may include the centres of historic towns, mining or picturesque villages, suburbs, housing estates and historic parks.
Building styles and materials, public and private open spaces, trees and gardens and even the layout of the roads can contribute to the character of these areas.
Conservation Areas give broader protection than listed buildings, as the whole area can be recognized for its features and character. The local authority has extra planning powers with regard to the protection of trees, minor developments, use of materials and demolition.
If you live in a Conservation Area, you may have to obtain Consent before making changes which might not require permission elsewhere. It is therefore important to find out from the local authority planning department whether the property you live in or plan to buy is in a Conservation Area.
High Peak Borough Council undertook a Character Appraisal of the Conservation Areas in central Buxton in April 2007. Some boundary changes were made to extend the protected areas significantly. (See links to boundary documents at the top of the page).
A final note about Building Control
Building Control is a separate process from Planning. It is intended to ensure that construction work is of a sound standard and that it complies with all the legal requirements for safety, energy efficiency etc.
Putting a new toilet in your home or re-roofing it does not need Planning Permission but must have Building Control approval.
When Electricians and Gas Fitters complete their work, they should issue a certificate to confirm that their installation complies with the Building Regulations.
Please refer to the HPBC web site for further information on building control.
Engaging with the Planning Authority
To see the details of any Planning Application first visit the Planning Portal link
High peak Borough Council Planning Portal
Search for a planning application
Think we should comment on a particular Planning Application? Let us know
This will bring you to a page headed ‘Planning Applications’. The bottom of the page has some useful links in red. Click the ‘Planning Application Search’ link and you will get a form with a variety of spaces on it.
The most effective searches are achieved with the minimum of entries on this page, as details that do not exactly match the records foul things up. Just enter the HPK number (if known) or the basic street address and click search. A small table of ‘Planning Application Search Results’ will appear.
More details can be called up by clicking the red number to go to the ‘Planning Application Details’. This may have further links so that you can see the actual application documents or, after a decision has been made, the ‘Decision Notice’.
If you do not have access to the internet, a copy of any current Planning Application for Buxton, and the immediate area around, should be available at the reception desk of the Town Hall.
It is wise to call and make sure the application you wish to view is available on 01298 28400, you will probably view the application on a computer in the reception area.
Planning Applications which the BCA Planning Team are currently considering will appear below here.
We are going to review the application for the development of the land at the old Buxton Mineral Water plant Station Road Buxton. See the news and events page for details of a members meeting on 9th February 2015 at 19.30 to consider the proposals. To view the proposal click on the link above.
Making your views known
Once you are informed about the details of any application, you can comment in a variety of ways. The easiest is to click on the ‘Comment on this application’ button on the details page. This provides you with a form to enter your comments. Your comments will be available to view a few days later as attachments to the planning application, lower down on the same page.
Clicking the red name will take you to the ‘Development Control Staff Contacts’ page where all the planning staff have their e-mail addresses listed. Clicking the red address should open a new e-mail message on your own computer.
High Peak Borough Council, Buxton Town Hall, Market Place, Buxton, SK17 6EL
Planning applications, make a valid comment
BCA Planning Team – Terms of Reference
Contact the Councillors on the Development Control (Planning) Committee:
Councillors on the Control Committee
Find meeting agendas, officer reports and minutes with councillor names and contact details
Weekly list of Planning Applications / Decisions
Development Control meetings diary
Local plan
The latest Draft of the Local Plan was published on 23 April 2014
Click the link above to see what comments have been made on the Local Plan
The BCA Planning Group
We have taken part in various consultations, including the Station Road Design Framework, the Pavilion Gardens redevelopment plans and Shaping the Future of the High Peak.
BCA is an independent Body
In all these activities our strength is that we are an independent body with the general well-being of the town at heart. We have earned a reputation with the Local Authority for being informed, sound and honest and our views are valued as part of the planning process. Through our Planning Team, the Buxton Civic Association helps to preserve and enhance Buxton’s unique heritage and its built environment.