The £35 million transformation of the Grade I listed building and adjoining Grade II listed Natural Baths and Pump Room will deliver:

• a 79-bedroom, 5-star spa hotel incorporating the neighbouring Natural Baths
• a brand new visitor interpretation centre
• a state-of-the-art thermal, natural mineral water spa
• seven specialist shops

This flagship project is being funded by High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage and its developer Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa Co Ltd.

The first stage of this programme, to construct a basement between the crescent and the culverted River Wye as well as a package of essential conservation and enabling works, is now nearing completion and the contractor, Vinci, is preparing to move off the site.

Councillor Caitlin Bisknell, Leader of the Borough Council, said: “This is great news for the Crescent project which is returning this fantastic heritage building to full use and has cultural significance not just for Buxton and the High Peak but nationally as well.

“Now that these first enabling works have been successfully completed, we can move forward and work on the very detailed specifications we need to seek competitive tenders for the main contract.”

Buxton Crescent and Thermal Spa Co Ltd granted the contract for these works. Trevor Osborne from the company said: “This part of the project presented construction and hydrology challenges and I’m delighted that by working closely with Vinci we’ve managed this in a professional manner.

“What we’ve learnt from this initial stage will advise the further works in the basement area and be of benefit to contractors who tender for the main work.”

Notes to editors

High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council have worked together on this project for many years. In 2003 they appointed project developers Trevor Osborne Property Group and CP Holdings to carry out the project.

The Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa Company Limited is a joint venture. Trevor Osborne Property Group and CP Holdings are joint developers, and the operator of the spa hotel will be Danubius Hotels, Europe’s leading spa hotel operator.

Heritage Lottery Fund has announced new research showing that heritage-based tourism is now worth £26.4bn to the UK economy - £5.8bn higher than the previous estimate published in 2010.

Historical information: The crescent was the centrepiece of the 5th Duke of Devonshire's scheme to create a fashionable spa in the North of England. It was designed by John Carr of York and constructed 1780-89 to provide an assembly room, two hotels (some of the first purpose-built hotels in the country) and six lodging houses. One of the hotels closed in the early part of the last century. It became county council offices and the town's library in 1970 before becoming vacant in 1992. The other hotel (the St Ann’s) closed in 1989 and has remained empty.

The Natural Baths evolved over many centuries and occupies the site of the Roman Baths situated over the main mineral water spring. The current building was constructed in 1853 to the design of Henry Curry but was altered in the 1920s. It was partly refurbished as the tourist information centre but the majority of the building has been empty since 1972. Henry Curry built the Pump Room for the 7th Duke of Devonshire in 1894. It was last used to 'take the waters' in the 1970s.

Further information

HPBC media release contact: Carolyn Sanders – Media Relations Manager on 0845 129 7777 ext 4691 or 07595 270 937, email: carolyn.sanders@highpeak.gov.uk, High Peak Borough Council website.

Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa Co Ltd, Developer: Trevor Osborne 01225 832 302, email: tro@topgroup.co.uk.