Buxton Crescent project gets £11m grant

The Crescent was originally built to exploit Buxton reputation for healing spring water

A project to restore a Grade I listed building has been boosted with a new £11.3m grant.

The Crescent, in Buxton, Derbyshire was built in the late 18th Century but has been empty since 1992.

In 2003 plans were put forward to turn it into a luxury 79 bedroom hotel but these have been dogged by legal and funding problems.

Now the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has confirmed a second contribution towards the £46m scheme.

Buxton Crescent

• The Crescent was built in the 1780s by the fifth Duke of Devonshire as the centre-piece of his Georgian Spa development

• The county council took over half the building in the 1970s and used it as offices and a library

• High Peak Borough Council has owned the other half of the building since 1993

• The Natural Baths were run by High Peak Borough Council as a public swimming pool from 1937 until 1972

Source: Derbyshire County Council

The HLF awarded £12.5m to the project in 2006.

Earlier this year the county council said it was prepared to loan developers millions to keep the plans on track.

While not all the funding for the scheme has been confirmed, some early renovation has started and it is expected this will continue in the new year.

When completed, large parts of the hotel's facilities will be open to the public.