Tremendous news about Sydenham Library!!
And now for something completely different.........
The future of our local, regional and national park is up for local consultation NOW!
Visit the London Development Agency exhibition being held in a marqee at Penge entrance, close to the cafe, from today till Tuesday, 9 am till dusk. If you cant make it in the next 5 days a second opportunity occurs when it transfers to the Ornamental Gardens at Upper Norwood Gate from Thurs 27 Nov for a further 5 days. Failing this there will be a travelling "Roadshow" which will visit Sydenham Somerfield on 19/20 November 10.00 am till 5.00 pm.
Have your say about the future of this Grade 2 * park and National Sports Centre, both of which have fallen into sad decay over the past decade under Bromley's stewardship. Whatever you feel about the Olympics this is an amazing opportunity for a regeneration of an important sports facilities for our community.
Associated with a new Regional Sports Centre (and future Olympic Training Camp) is a new look at the landscaping of the park.
I urge anyone interested in Crystal Palace Park, be it as a recreational facility or a sports venue to visit Crystal Palace Park over the coming two weekends (it wont do anyone any harm to go for a walk in a local park, anyway) and take part in an important consultation - I'm told that local TV news will be featuring the exhibition this evening - Tune in!
Future of National Sports Centre and Crystal Palace Park
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54
Marianne, I saw your posting and I have seen letters to the press and leaflets which have been delivered around the area.
The public consultation is up and running in Crystal Palace Park and that is why I urge everyone interested in the future of this park to go and see for themselves. It is time for the public at large to say what they think of the plans.
The public consultation is up and running in Crystal Palace Park and that is why I urge everyone interested in the future of this park to go and see for themselves. It is time for the public at large to say what they think of the plans.
Although they are not there yet, you should soon be able to find the plans at www.crystalpalacepark.org.uk (website from the LDA).
They were supposed to be have been posted there yesterday, and at present the website seems to be down, but I'm hoping they'll be there soon.
Otherwise, do get down to the Park, have a look and make your views known!
They were supposed to be have been posted there yesterday, and at present the website seems to be down, but I'm hoping they'll be there soon.
Otherwise, do get down to the Park, have a look and make your views known!
It's there now, and well worth checking out the whole document, as well as the LDA website. There are some superb ideas there, particularly for the development of the sports facilities.
I would love to see the removal of that raised walkway in between the stadium and the swimming pool, so it would be more like the original layout, with the avenue from the Penge entrance, going all the way to the top of the park.
Any improvement to the sports facilities could only be good for the area.
I could find no mention of the possibility of Crystal Palace FC moving to the stadium, away from Selhurst Park, which I know has been mooted.
I hate to be cynical, but I cant help thinking that we will get the option which cost three and six, and changes very little.
I would love to see the removal of that raised walkway in between the stadium and the swimming pool, so it would be more like the original layout, with the avenue from the Penge entrance, going all the way to the top of the park.
Any improvement to the sports facilities could only be good for the area.
I could find no mention of the possibility of Crystal Palace FC moving to the stadium, away from Selhurst Park, which I know has been mooted.
I hate to be cynical, but I cant help thinking that we will get the option which cost three and six, and changes very little.
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54
Crystal Palace FC is not in the frame. A talked about partner at the NSC is South Bk University Sports Science Dept which would seem a logical bedfellow.
Re 3/6d expenditure - the figure of £100m is being bandied around. A new Sports Centre would take up about half this. This and demolition of old NSC and relandscaping into the park will be a 5-7 year programme if the plans are approved.
The LDA has stated it has budgeted for £300,000 per annum for small improvements to the park between 2006 -2009 when it is likely to take on a 125 year lease for the park. These could include opening up the subway, an arts and events programme aand clearing fly-tipping on the closed lands at the Hilltop in order to make this accesssible to the public.
There is much to be done in this park, not least the sorting out of the paths - I cannot see Bromley Council having either the money or the will to do this
I notice there will be a Grand Firework display for the first time in about 3 years. Like them or loathe them this used to be the capital's biggest fireworks display in times past -
Re 3/6d expenditure - the figure of £100m is being bandied around. A new Sports Centre would take up about half this. This and demolition of old NSC and relandscaping into the park will be a 5-7 year programme if the plans are approved.
The LDA has stated it has budgeted for £300,000 per annum for small improvements to the park between 2006 -2009 when it is likely to take on a 125 year lease for the park. These could include opening up the subway, an arts and events programme aand clearing fly-tipping on the closed lands at the Hilltop in order to make this accesssible to the public.
There is much to be done in this park, not least the sorting out of the paths - I cannot see Bromley Council having either the money or the will to do this
I notice there will be a Grand Firework display for the first time in about 3 years. Like them or loathe them this used to be the capital's biggest fireworks display in times past -
Well, according to Simon Jordan, the Crystal Palace Chairman, CPFC are keeping a close eye on the stadium, and he sees it as an option for their relocation. He says he would welcome discussion with Mayor Ken about it. The article was in last Sundays Observer.
Personally, I dont know if it suitable as a football venue, as the track means that the supporters are too far away from field of play, and much of the terracing is uncovered, so it probably wont happen.
I think it is a great shame that the stadium only gets used a couple of times a year.
£300k a year isnt very much. It's the equivalent of having about 15 men working in the park, without any materials.
Personally, I dont know if it suitable as a football venue, as the track means that the supporters are too far away from field of play, and much of the terracing is uncovered, so it probably wont happen.
I think it is a great shame that the stadium only gets used a couple of times a year.
£300k a year isnt very much. It's the equivalent of having about 15 men working in the park, without any materials.
The latest consultation information is still not on the LDA website – what is there relates to previous consultations. If you haven’t seen this already it is worth a look anyway, meanwhile the only way you can see the current plan is to get down to the park.
We visited the consultation in the park over the weekend. It was well presented and set up, and lots of people were busy scribbling their views on the questionnaires provided. They’d also laid on face-painters to keep the kids amused whilst parents perused the stands, which was a nice touch.
The plans were not very detailed but gave an impression of the overall vision – there will be other stages of consultation to look at the detail.
They are proposing selling a small amount of land for housing to help fund the redevelopment. Overall, I don’t think this will have a big impact, but I can see why people are opposed to the principle of selling off parkland. I thought the rest of the ‘vision’ looked very encouraging, and if selling a bit of land for housing is the only way it will happen, then it seems a worthwhile compromise to me, although only if other funding alternatives have been exhausted.
The Simon Jordan article in the Observer said he was ‘looking to speak to Ken Livingstone’ about the idea of moving CPFC to the park. Given the plans for the new sports centre and the park redevelopment have already been progressed a long way, I would say he has rather missed the boat. I’ll eat my hat if it actually happens.
We visited the consultation in the park over the weekend. It was well presented and set up, and lots of people were busy scribbling their views on the questionnaires provided. They’d also laid on face-painters to keep the kids amused whilst parents perused the stands, which was a nice touch.
The plans were not very detailed but gave an impression of the overall vision – there will be other stages of consultation to look at the detail.
They are proposing selling a small amount of land for housing to help fund the redevelopment. Overall, I don’t think this will have a big impact, but I can see why people are opposed to the principle of selling off parkland. I thought the rest of the ‘vision’ looked very encouraging, and if selling a bit of land for housing is the only way it will happen, then it seems a worthwhile compromise to me, although only if other funding alternatives have been exhausted.
The Simon Jordan article in the Observer said he was ‘looking to speak to Ken Livingstone’ about the idea of moving CPFC to the park. Given the plans for the new sports centre and the park redevelopment have already been progressed a long way, I would say he has rather missed the boat. I’ll eat my hat if it actually happens.
It may have a major effect from a Sydenham perspective. The lack of plans and partially obscured artistic impressions appears to be hiding a 5/6 storey block right on top of the Sydenham Gate entrance with views into the park obscured by another building. All you may see is a (expanded?) car park - a recent intrusion I was hoping would disappear as the Park was returned to the people.Weeble wrote:They are proposing selling a small amount of land for housing to help fund the redevelopment. Overall, I don’t think this will have a big impact
As I only went yesterday and have got people staying - I'm a bit behind with stuff. I'll try and publish a report on the consultation tonight so you can judge whether this is a figment of my paranoid imagination or a real danger.
Stuart
True, I nearly added a caveat of 'unless you live very close to the park'.
As a park user I don't think the housing will have much impact, as it will be on the edges and on a small area in the context of the whole park.
However, if you happen to live in an area which will be immediately impacted by new buildings then obviously it is likely to be rather more intrusive.
I thought the plans were for three or four storey housing at Sydenham Gate, rather than five or six.
Five or six storey is planned for the Norwood entrance (top of Anerley Hill).
As a park user I don't think the housing will have much impact, as it will be on the edges and on a small area in the context of the whole park.
However, if you happen to live in an area which will be immediately impacted by new buildings then obviously it is likely to be rather more intrusive.
I thought the plans were for three or four storey housing at Sydenham Gate, rather than five or six.
Five or six storey is planned for the Norwood entrance (top of Anerley Hill).
Check out the stuff near the bottom of:Weeble wrote:As a park user I don't think the housing will have much impact, as it will be on the edges and on a small area in the context of the whole park.
http://www.sydenham.org.uk/lda_consultation.html
Am I being too extreme in suggesting this would be seriously detrimental to Sydenham's access to the park?
Stuart
For me personally, it wouldn't bother me, providing the new housing and pavillion is asthetically pleasing.admin wrote:
Am I being too extreme in suggesting this would be seriously detrimental to Sydenham's access to the park?
Stuart
It would be nice if they could improve that entrance and have a proper park gate.
I'm sure the block at Sydenham Gate was described as 3-4 storey. I wouldn't necessarily read too much into the artists impressions at the moment - at this stage in the consultation I doubt they are any more than that. As you have highlighted, the is a discrepancy in the way the pavillion is presented, which I would imagine illustrates the early stage that planning is at.
Other stages of consultation are planned so if we agree in principle to what they are suggesting I hope we would have another chance to comment on the details of the specific proposals.
In principle I'm happy with what is suggested, although it is worth flagging up potential concerns about heights of buildings, location of pavillion etc as this will enable the LDA to take these into consideration at the next stage.
The issue is surely that we shouldn't be having to rely on artist's impressions.Weeble wrote:I'm sure the block at Sydenham Gate was described as 3-4 storey. I wouldn't necessarily read too much into the artists impressions at the moment - at this stage in the consultation I doubt they are any more than that.
What should be firm at this stage is the business model behind the Park implicit in the LDA's claim for self sufficency. There should be revenue projections of the income expected from these developments and the consequent expenditures/benefits. This will be based on square footage and the character of the building. The artist can draw them wide & low or tall & thin but the meat is how much stuff is going in and where it might be best located.
The exhibition was heavy on artistic impressions and very light on plans and spreadsheets. The latter are much more important when it comes to decision making.
Deciding how much of the family silver to sell to save the house is a tricky question. How are we to form a consensus on this?
Stuart
I think the whole thing looks pretty good.
There is no denying that pretty much all of the park is in a bit of a state, thanks to much neglect over the past few years.
All the buildings, with the exception of the newly built (and to date, unused) urban farm building, and the stage at the bowl, are a mess. The building which houses the swimming pool is a monstrosity, and looks like something from the old Soviet Union. The service roads which run around it, and the raised walkway, are a scar across the park.
The areas on which the proposed building will take place are all pretty uninspiring areas - and it doesnt look as though the buildings would spoil any vistas.
To me, there are no apparant negative aspects.
Now, if we could just get CPFC into the new stadium.....
There is no denying that pretty much all of the park is in a bit of a state, thanks to much neglect over the past few years.
All the buildings, with the exception of the newly built (and to date, unused) urban farm building, and the stage at the bowl, are a mess. The building which houses the swimming pool is a monstrosity, and looks like something from the old Soviet Union. The service roads which run around it, and the raised walkway, are a scar across the park.
The areas on which the proposed building will take place are all pretty uninspiring areas - and it doesnt look as though the buildings would spoil any vistas.
To me, there are no apparant negative aspects.
Now, if we could just get CPFC into the new stadium.....
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Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54
This current exhibition is a consultation exercise to find out what public reaction is to the various suggestions for the park. These are not proposals and no planning application has been made.
The LDA want to know whether the mix they are suggesting for the park is acceptable. The results of this consultation will be fed into a planning "framework" and a further consultaton will take place with the public next summer.
I am sure there will be many comments fed into this process, quite rightly, and it will be interesting to see the LDA taking these into account.
The Sydenham Society Executive has discussed the exhibition and think that the ideas for the park and sports centre as a whole are exciting, but we are aware that there are contentious issues, and, judging by the percentages of people in favour of certain options as well as those against, the LDA should also have have picked up this message. That is what a consultation exercise should be about
The exhibition has now closed at the Penge entrance but opens up at the Norwood Triangle entrance tomorrow, Thursday, and will be there over till next Tuesday. If you have missed it do try to catch up with it over the weekend and have YOUR say about the future of the park and sports centre
The LDA want to know whether the mix they are suggesting for the park is acceptable. The results of this consultation will be fed into a planning "framework" and a further consultaton will take place with the public next summer.
I am sure there will be many comments fed into this process, quite rightly, and it will be interesting to see the LDA taking these into account.
The Sydenham Society Executive has discussed the exhibition and think that the ideas for the park and sports centre as a whole are exciting, but we are aware that there are contentious issues, and, judging by the percentages of people in favour of certain options as well as those against, the LDA should also have have picked up this message. That is what a consultation exercise should be about
The exhibition has now closed at the Penge entrance but opens up at the Norwood Triangle entrance tomorrow, Thursday, and will be there over till next Tuesday. If you have missed it do try to catch up with it over the weekend and have YOUR say about the future of the park and sports centre
Under no circumstances should there be houses built on Crystal Palace park. Once the park is eaten into it'll never be turned back into park. It'd be great if the ugly sports stadium is removed altogether cos quite frankly, its a sports centre – just another building – whats it doing in a park? Can't it be built somewhere else? Knock down an ugly block of flats somewhere and build it there instead and turn Crystal Palace park into South London's answer to Hampstead Heath! Yeah!
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reasontobecheerful
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- Joined: 29 Oct 2005 01:03
- Location: Lower sydenham
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stone-penge
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- Joined: 5 Nov 2004 14:40
- Location: Newlands park