Masterplan

Question:
What role do Bromley Council have in overseeing the work in the Park?

The London Borough of Bromley currently still owns the majority of the Park outside the main National Sports Centre (NSC) sports area.

The planning application for the Masterplan was submitted to Bromley 1 November 2007 as they are the local planning authority. Based on the outcome of the planning application, the LDA will make a decision whether to exercise its option of taking a 125 year lease on the entire Park in March 2009.

Question:
What is the size of the park?

200 acres in area and about 3km in circumference.

Question:
Is the Masterplan a planning application?

The masterplan consists of three planning applications:

• An Outline Planning Application
• A Conservation Area Consent Application
• A Listed Building Consent Application

Question:
How long will this vision take to be realised?

The phasing strategy envisages it to take 15 to 20 years subject to planning permission and funding.

Question:
Why is the planning and redevelopment going to take so long?

Due to the size and complexity of the planning application it will take the London Borough of Bromley up to a year to decide whether to grant planning permission.

Also, as different zones of the Park are identified for improvement there will be separate detailed planning applications for each of these elements. The redevelopment itself will take a long period of time because it is made up of 8 discrete phases that each take approximately 2 years. This will ensure that large parts of the Park are not closed to the general public and that wildlife within in the Park is not adversely affected.

Palace Terrace

Question:
On the Palace Terrace (otherwise known as the top site), what types of trees will there be?

The Master plan envisages the planting of 400 London Plane trees and will retain and incorporate the existing trees on the Palace Site.

Question:
What are the uses of the topsite?

It is envisaged that the Palace Site will be used as a multifunctional community serviced event space for family orientated activities such as cafes, farmer's market, fairs and festivals. Facilities will include a new Museum and visitor centre incorporating the restored subway, kiosks, playgrounds, water features are proposed between the main walks and within the glades created by the tree cover, improved lighting, and signage.

Question:
Where would the energy towers be?

The energy tower does not form part of the planning application and may be pursued as a separate project by the LDA. If built it would be situated on the site of the former Brunel Tower next to the existing Crystal Palace Museum. It is still an aspiration in the Masterplan but would require a separate detailed planning application.

Question:
Why does the LDA Masterplan not include rebuilding a Crystal Palace?

As owners of Crystal Palace Park it is the responsibility of the London Borough of Bromley to decide the best use for its land.  The LDA believes that its Masterplan provides the most practical and sustainable vision for the future of the Park.  The LDA has an option to take ownership of the rest of the Park in March 2009, but this will be dependent on the outcome of the Masterplan planning application which was submitted on 1 November 2007.   

It is entirely open for any other party to submit a planning application to Bromley and to prepare the necessary business plan and statutory planning environmental assessments and arguments required to support this scheme.

Question:
What are the plans to reconstruct the Sphinxes?

As part of restoration works to the Palace and Italian Terraces, the sphinxes will be restored to their former glory. One of the first improvements to the Park from the Masterplan will be the restoration of the Terraces.

Question:
Why do the glasshouses cost so much?

The cost of the glasshouses are reflected in the sheer size of the buildings and the materials (such as glass and steel) and technology (such as mechanically operated opening roof) needed to construct and operate the roofs. The costs also include that of the landscaping, vegetation and the butterflies.

London 2012 Olympics

Question:
Will there be any events in place for the Olympics?

No. It will be used as a training camp for visiting Olympic teams. The LDA seeks to encourage a much greater diversity and frequency of other types of events such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which returned to the Bowl in 2007.

Question:
Why are Crystal Palace Park's facilities not being used for the Olympic Games?

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic has already stated the locations of the Olympic Games and Crystal Palace Park was not included as a venue. The reason for this is that the venue is beyond the 50 min travel distance.

Security

Question:
What will replace the fencing if it is taken down?

Other security measures are being examined to replace the fencing. This will include better lighting, new help points throughout the park, CCTV cameras on the Park's car park and buildings in the Park, and landscaping features that will increase visibility within the Park. The LDA is investigating the possibility of having dedicated Park police. The increased football will also ensure greater security within the Park.

Question:
Will we still be able to let our dogs run free?

Policies concerning dogs will be discussed at a later stage in consultation with the local community.

Housing

Question:
Will the plans lead to large areas of the Park being built on with housing?

The Masterplan for the 200-acre Park identifies two potential sites for housing - the Rockhills and Sydenham Gate sites. Neither of the sites will be on land that is currently accessible to the public. As a result, an extra five acres of land (2.5% overall) would be returned to publicly accessible open parkland. In total 180 flats could be built on 2.02 acres. This represents 2% of the total Park.

Question:
Does the inclusion of housing in the Masterplan mean it will definitely be built on the Park?

No. The LDA will explore all funding options once it has planning permission for the Masterplan. The housing elements of the Masterplan will only be considered if other funds cannot be obtained to complete the landscaping and other basic park improvements.

Transport and traffic

Question:
What's happening with the Crystal Palace Station?

There are plans to refurbish the listed station building for the East London Line extension in two phases by Transport for London. The new station will have step free access to the platform. Please look for announcements from TfL over the coming year.

Question:
What are the plans for the new tram route?

This is a Transport for London project. They have announced the result of their consultation and are expected to reveal their preferred option in Spring 2008.

Question:
How many car parking spaces will there be?

The bulk of the parking that is currently situated in the centre of the Park will be relocated to the site of the present Jubilee Stand to provide over 300 spaces. Spaces will be landscaped and the trees will be less imposing due to the landscaped layout. This will give improved access to the sports facilities and the Farm. The car parks by the Sydenham and Penge Gates will be retained but reconfigured to allow improved access for vehicles. A new car park will be created at Rockhills (present site of the Caravan Club).

The number of car parking places will be reduced from 750 to approximately 450 spaces. On the few occasions where there are very large events, car parking can be accommodated along the circuit road and around the restored NSC. With the delivery of the East London Line and possibly the tram, public transport will drastically improve access to the Park which is how the LDA would like most visitors to travel.

Question:
What will be the traffic impact be of the Ranger station at Sydenham Gate?

There will be minimal traffic impact because the vast majority of vehicle movement from the Rangers station will be in the Park.

Question:
Will any changes be made to the bus station?

If TfL decides to proceed with the Croydon Tramlink Extension, the bus station will be integrated into a new transport interchange. The masterplanners aim to ensure that any changes to the bus station will have a minimal impact on the Park and achieve a very high level of design.

Leisure and education

Question:
When will Capel Manor Farm be open to the public?

The renovated farm will be opening in January 2008. There have been some delays due to asbestos on site and the difficulties of moving animals due to the restrictions caused by the outbreaks of Foot and Mouth and Blue Tongue diseases.

Question:
What is a mist garden?

Small water jets release spurts of water creating a mist effect on the site of the old aquarium which was the world's largest salt water aquarium in the late 19th Century.

Question:
Are there any viewing facilities in the Park?

Yes, from the tree top walkway which runs from the palace site to Sydenham Gate, and the new Museum and visitor centre top floor will house a viewing platform with 360 degree views of London and the Kent countryside.

Question:
Will there be children's play areas?

Five new children's play areas are proposed for the Park. There will be three playgrounds for younger children in addition to a new adventure playground and skate park for older children.

Question:
What will happen to the gateposts, a gift from Queen Victoria to Joseph Paxton, found near Rockhills?

The gateposts will be preserved and incorporated into the new Rockhills entrance in keeping with their significance in that area of the Park.

Question:
What is the planned future of the radio-controlled cars race track?

At this stage no decisions have been made and this will take place in the future subject to further discussions with the Club and Park users.

Question:
What are the plans for the Museum?

The new Museum and visitor centre will provide new exhibition space for the existing museum and surrounding museum collections, incorporate the subway, gallery space for artists, an information point, public toilets, a café for park users and educational space for visiting schools. The new Museum plans do not impinge on the old Crystal Palace foundations.

Question:
Why isn't there any mention of the cycling track in the plans?

Cycling forms a key activity and role in Crystal Palace Park in keeping with its sporting significance and history. The cycling track will remain with improved track layout and signage.

Consultation

Question:
How did people initially get involved with the Dialogue Process?

Rather than recruiting large numbers of participants, which makes in-depth consultation very difficult, the Dialogue Process has tried to ensure that all identifiable interest groups (formal and informal) are represented within a manageably-sized group. The Dialogue Process now has a membership of 280 individuals and organisations. However, it is clear that some social groups remain under-represented, despite efforts to attract them into the process. These include ethnic minorities, disabled, parents with young children and youth. We are working hard to bring representatives from these groups on board.