THE BUXTON GROUP
1991-2001
It was a day early in September 1991 when a letter appeared in the Buxton Advertiser from a Mr Trevor Gilman. He was asking for anyone who felt as frustrated as he did about the state of the Crescent to contact him.
I had been concerned for some time about the Crescent. The library had been moved out because the floor was unsafe, and the hotel had been closed down by the Health & Safety inspectors.
I phoned Trevor and he said there would be a meeting at his house on Windsor Road on Friday September 13th. On the said date, 25 people attended. We discussed a lot and decided to gather information for the next meeting on October 3rd. Trevor was voted Chairman, myself as Secretary and Jill Leyden as Treasurer and Membership Secretary.
It was agreed to call ourselves The Buxton Group and Trevor drafted out the aims and objectives and also a constitution. During the next few weeks the Duke of Devonshire was visited by Trevor, Ros McCoola, Glyn Jones and Geoff Wilkinson. The Duke graciously agreed to become our patron, wrote to Michael Heseltine, and promised to show HRH Prince Charles round the Crescent on his next visit to Chatsworth. In addition he wrote to other MP's who were involved in Heritage issues.
A dialogue of correspondence took place between the Group and Ministers for the Environment, namely David Trippier and Baroness Blatch, over the next few months.
On the 29th October 1991, the Duke and Ros McCoola (Vice-Chairman of the Buxton Group) appeared on BBC Television in an interview to raise awareness of the situation, also Ros and Trevor featured in an ITV news item. The Guardian covered the Group's involvement with a full back page feature, also we were featured in both The Times the Daily Telegraph
In February, Ros McCoola resigned as Vice Chairman due to her deteriorating health, and was made President, with Linda Cluckie taking over her position. In June Trevor resigned as Chairman, though still deeply committed to the Group, and Linda took over as Acting Chairman until the AGM. Subsequent meetings were held in the Old Hall, where Louise Potter (a founder member) let us have a room. Linda was elected Chairman in 1993 for one year when Brian George took over for the next two years. Trevor returned as Chairman in 1995.
In May 1992 Charles Hendry (Conservative MP for the High Peak) met the Group. About this time we met John Thornhill, founder of The Derbyshire Trust, a management group, who had grandiose plans for the Crescent.
Graham Fairbairn (proprietor of the Grosvenor House Hotel) quoted discontented visitors saying they were not coming back to the town again, and suggested a petition. On Saturday June 27th 1992, 35 members of the Group spent the day canvassing signatures for the petition, which was presented to parliament on October 16th by Charles Hendry.
The Duke spoke on Radio Derby on July 29th and in August 1992 the Bank of Egypt sold St Ann's Hotel to a new company, Capitalrise Ltd. The Group pressured HPBC to place signs outside the Crescent to inform people what was happening, and this was done in September. At this time English Heritage stepped in and started working with HPBC to arrest the deterioration of the building. Charles Hendry met the Group again in the Shrewsbury Room of the Old Hall on September 23rd.
Capitalrise were given until March 8 1993 to produce their plans for repairs to the west side of the building. These were not forthcoming and HPBC made a compulsory purchase order for that side of the building, with Derbyshire County Council selling the east side to the Borough Council shortly afterwards. Repairs to the roof of the Crescent started in May 1994 and lasted 8 months. Discussions between English Heritage and the County and Borough Council's on a marketing strategy for the building were revealed to the public, and the Buxton Group were formally invited to comment on the plans.
In February 1996 English Heritage gave money for repairs to the east side, and an exhibition of plans for the Crescent, Natural Baths and Pump Room was held in the old library on December 2nd and 3rd 1996.
In January 1997, Trevor and Sheila were invited to the official opening of The Crescent by Jocelyn Stephens (Chairman of English Heritage). A plaque was unveiled in the ante room next to the Assembly Rooms, followed by a buffet lunch in the Pavilion Gardens.
Although the Buxton Group was primarily set up to draw attention to the state of the Crescent, we have since attempted to influence many other issues that affect residents and visitors alike.
It was in March 1993 that we first suggested that there should be toilets in the Spring Gardens Centre. Since then we have been in correspondence with the succession of different owners of the Centre, finally achieving a result when plans were drawn and approved and work was due to start in Autumn 2000. Unfortunately, Marks & Spencer's and Somerfield wanted the work delaying until the New Year as they felt it would affect their pre Christmas trading. Early in 2001 Derby University announced their plans to move to the town, and the toilet plans were abandoned due to a possible expansion of the Centre!
We were closely involved in the plans for the refurbishment of the Pavilion Gardens In February 1996, a group of members toured the Gardens with Peter Storrie (the architect) and discussed the features they remembered from their youth, suggesting what items should be restored. Trevor and Kathy Roberts were invited to attend the launch of the restoration.
As a result of pressure from the Group, the windows were replaced in the roof of the Octagonal Hall in 1994.
We have been represented at all the Buxton Partnership (formerly Brighter Buxton) meetings.
In September 1995 the closure of the Devonshire Royal Hospital was announced. The Buxton Group was concerned to maintain the level of health facilities in the town, and instigated the High Peak Health Forum, with representatives from across the community. Following meetings with the MP for High Peak, English Heritage and NHS Estates became involved.
All planning proposals have been scrutinised, and many commented on over the years. A particular one that we were involved with was the application to build houses on land to the north west of St Johns Road. Although a development brief was produced for the site, no further action has been taken.
The Taylor Well has now been restored with a new urn having been fabricated. The pipe work is being installed at the present time, and as soon as the well is in position, the Group will present a cheque for £500 to representatives from the HPBC, together with a feature in the Buxton Advertiser. This must rank as one of the Group's major achievements.
Sheila Morten (Secretary)
Since 2001 we have been involved with the formation of Vision Buxton (a development of the Buxton Partnership), the mural behind the Crescent and we maintain strong links with the Civic Association.
THE BUXTON GROUP 1991-2011
In July 1991 Buxton's Library was moved from The Crescent to its current home at Kents Bank Road. The move was carried out over a weekend with seemingly no warning or consultation, on the grounds of safety. Derbyshire County Council offices were moved at the same time and the whole building was then empty, the St Anns Hotel having finally closed some months earlier following unresolved kitchen hygiene problems.
The move prompted Trevor Gilman to write to the Buxton Advertiser suggesting that a pressure group be set up to encourage the owners to take some sort of action to save the building. On Friday 13th September1991 fifteen people gathered at Trevor's Windsor Road home to inaugurate what was to become the Buxton Group.
During the past twenty years the Buxton Group has worked to influence local decisions. Sometimes this has taken the form of opposition – the proposal for a Food Hall in the Octagon and Sainsbury's supermarket are recent examples. Opposition has always been tempered with positive suggestions; this has always been the basic ethos of the Buxton Group. When it was proposed to take the Buxton Water pipeline along Fairfield Road Buxton Group members responded by 'walking' a route that offered a valid alternative, much of which was later incorporated into the revised plans.
The Buxton townscape has been much improved in the past twenty years. Turner's memorial was rescued and rebuilt at the instigation of the Buxton Group. Opposition to the Food Hall led to a fresh look at the Pavilion Gardens complex, and ultimately, to the Pavilion Arts Centre, now at the end of a very successful first year.
Spring Gardens has been pedestrianised, and such is the impermanence of present-day 'improvements' that this streetscape is under review again. The bandstand, erected in 1997, now forms the centrepiece of a refurbished listed park. John Carr's Great Stable has found a new use as a university campus. The Opera House has seen several projects of refurbishment and improvement during this time.
However, the major project that has continued to elude those with Buxton's interests at heart is The Crescent. After twenty years it is still empty! During the past twenty years it has had sums of money spent on it to smarten its appearance and make it better protected from the elements. Gone are the days of saplings growing out of chimney stacks, dirty net curtains flapping through open windows and waste disposal chutes adorning the façade.
Developers have come and gone. First was John Thornhill who wanted to turn The Crescent into apartments. A fanfare-launch at Manchester Town Hall led to nothing. Next came Stephen Weeks, who wanted to turn Buxton into a 'music spa', somewhat on the lines of Hay on Wye and its love affair with books.
Finally Trevor Osborn. Even with all of Trevor's optimism and enthusiasm, his proposals have been dogged with delays. The development had to be advertised throughout the EC; Buxton Water became concerned about potential contamination; the demise of the East Midlands Development Agency after a change in government meant lost funding. At the time of writing (early October) the local council has accepted a revised scheme in principle. Hopefully work will start soon to address the very issue that led to the founding of the Buxton Group twenty years ago.