London Mayor Plans to Build Houses on Historic Park
 

by Crystal Palace Community Association

GLA/LDA involvement

After years of campaigning against inappropriate development on a protected London public park, the intervention of the London Development Agency (LDA) safeguarding the National Sports Centre (NSC), the Stadium and the future of Crystal Palace Park.

The LDA agreed to join and fund an existing stakeholder dialogue process in March 2004 as part of their commitment to wider public consultation on the Park’s future, after the London Mayor agreed to take control of the run-down NSC in 2006 with the option of the whole Park by 2009.

The LDA announced their intention to improve the Park with paths, plantings, a cricket pavilion, a zoo and boating lake, and improvements to Paxton’s terraces. They also proposed to relocate and rebuild the NSC closer to the railway station. This would take advantage of the new East London Line extension and possibly Tramlink. It may also play a role in the 2012 Olympic Games.


Plans for housing strongly opposed

The first concerns were raised when the LDA stated that they “were not in the business of subsidising parks” and that “difficult decisions and trade-offs” would have to be made.

Plans showing private housing development around the edge of the Park drew strong opposition from stakeholders and the LDA agreed to drop the plans. Later, after repeated questioning, Derek Newman LDA Park Project Director confirmed to the relief of stakeholders that, “it is not the intention of the LDA to put housing on the Park…” and “…it was not the intention for the Park to subsidise the sports centre.”


Public Consultation

In October 2004 four ‘options’ were put to the public at a poorly advertised ‘Public Consultation Event’. As no costings for these levels of intervention were provided, the public understandably favoured ‘Extensive Improvements’.


Far reaching precedent

It now transpires that the LDA’s strategy for funding these improvements is through ‘enabling or supporting development’ and ‘match funding’ from the Big Lottery Fund. Not only does such ‘enabling development’ conflict with previous LDA assurances that no parkland would be sold off for private housing, commercial or retail development, but it would set a precedent for all public parks and public open spaces throughout the country.

The Park’s Statutory Consultees, English Heritage and the Garden History Society were not made aware of the LDA’s intention for enabling development.


CPCA withdrawal

As a registered charity, the Crystal Palace Community Association has been actively involved in the dialogue process since its inception. Earlier this year stakeholder representatives were told they could not represent those who had appointed them, could only attend in a personal capacity, could not take notes and could not report back to their respective committees or discuss matters outside the dialogue. Following legal advice that acceptance of such restrictions would be incompatible with its charity status and breach of its constitution, the CPCA had no choice but to withdraw from the dialogue.


Direct talks

On 14th September 05 following representations, the CPCA met with the LDA who confirmed their proposal to sell-off tracts of the Park for private housing, commercial and retail development. When reminded of previous LDA undertakings that there would be no housing on the Park, Derek Newman said, “That was absolutely true at the time …things move on”.


Details of LDA proposed sell-off

The LDA propose to remove the only Camping and Caravan site in London, which sits on six acres on the northern corner of the Park. The intention is to sell-off one third of this land for private park-style villas and apartments. More villas would be built on the Park when the recently constructed and Heritage Lottery funded maintenance building and One O’Clock Club are demolished.

The LDA also plan to build on the opposite corner of the Park a multi-storey development comprising private housing, offices, retail and a ‘piazza’ with a £3 million underground car park for 120-150 cars. There would also be housing on the edge of the Park adjacent to the relocated NSC. It is intended that there will be 200-300 housing units in total on the Park.


Conclusions

The CPCA welcomes the prospect of a rejuvenated and enhanced Crystal Palace Park and the creation of local jobs, but not at the cost of selling-off public parkland for commercial and private residential development. The magnificent makeovers of many London parks in recent years were not funded by selling-off our national heritage to the highest bidder.

The CPCA objects to the principle of the sale of Grade II * registered parkland, some within a Conservation Area and all within MOL. It would set a precedent threatening all public parkland and public open spaces across the land and must be resisted.

Given increasing population and housing density in the South East with the Mayor’s London Plan recognising that parks and urban green spaces should be protected, urban public parks are more vital than ever to the nation’s health and well-being.

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