Spa town signs landmark agreement

The historic Crescent hotel and adjoining natural baths are to be transformed into the UK's first genuine spa hotel in over a hundred years.

The Buxton Crescent hotel and the Thermal Spa company have signed an agreement to transform the grade I listed Crescent and the grade II listed Natural Baths and Pump room into a 5-star spa hotel.

The agreement will allow preliminary work to start this spring on the scheme that aims to 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, and eight specialist shops.

Borough council leader Caitlin Bisknell described the signing of the development agreement as "marvellous news" that would bring closer to reality "a nationally-important development that will strengthen the growing reputation of our lovely spa town as a major visitor destination."

Anthony Streete, English Heritage planning director for the East Midlands, described the development as an "enlightened project" that would breathe new life into Buxton's long history as a spa town.  And he added that, once work had finished, English Heritage would be able to remove The Crescent from its Buildings at Risk Register.