Green light for Crystal Palace sports centre refurb

Plans to transform and regenerate the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which had become a “boarded-up relic of the past”, have been approved by Bromley Council.

The centre, which first opened in 1964, will undergo a £130m overhaul, including a full refurbishment and upgrade of the Grade II*-listed hub.

Liam Conlon, Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge, also wishes to bring the Diamond League track and field series back to Crystal Palace and expand para-sport provision at the site.

He said it was a massive moment for south London and described it as “the spiritual home of UK athletics, with 28 world records set here, and household names like Usain Bolt and Mo Farah having raced here”.

The Diamond League left Crystal Palace in 2012 and the main 50-metre pool closed in 2020.

The competition has since been hosted at the London Stadium, which is also home to West Ham United.

In 2014, the future of the site was placed in jeopardy when proposals were put forward to demolish the athletics stadium.

The investment will fund a full refurbishment, including upgraded swimming, diving and indoor sports facilities, improved accessibility, and new community and outdoor sports spaces – with a target completion of 2028.

The scheme was spearheaded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

Sir Sadiq said he was delighted planning permission had been granted, adding that “this historic and much-loved national sports facility has created so many UK sporting stars”.

The mayor is also seeking additional funding for a proposed 25,000-seat athletics stadium.

While some improvements have already been made to the existing stadium and further redevelopment is planned, the final scale of the project will depend on how much investment is secured in the coming months.

Supporters have praised the sporting opportunities the new centre will bring to south London, while objectors remain concerned that some sports could be affected under the plans, including the loss of an artificial pitch used for hockey and football.

The planning application received hundreds of responses from Bromley residents. A total of 390 people wrote in support of the project, while 406 objections were submitted.

Conlon said: “It had become a boarded-up relic of the past, with the stadium looking tired and the Olympic-sized swimming pool and diving boards closed for years.

“The regeneration of this facility is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and it’s now firmly on its way.

“I have no doubt this regeneration will inspire the next generation of Team GB Olympians and Paralympians, and I am working to bring world-class athletics and para-athletics back home to Crystal Palace.”

Conlon said the redevelopment would also create opportunities for local people, including improved access to a range of sports for local schools.

He added that the centre would finally become fully accessible.

Lucas De Gouveia, the Australian Open wheelchair tennis junior doubles champion, who lives nearby in Beckenham, said: “Too many local disabled athletes have had to travel far and wide to participate in para-sport, but now it’ll be on our doorstep.

“This change will not only benefit those of us already playing para-sport, but will also encourage and provide opportunities for even more disabled people, especially disabled young people.”

Local resident Karin Hobins described the centre as a “really amazing place”, but felt work could have started sooner.

She told the BBC: “Well, hallelujah. It’s been a long time.

“We’ve gone in there sometimes just to have a look at the pool and it’s been so sad. It’s just literally sitting there, this amazing resource.

“The longer you leave it, the worse it’s going to get and the more money it’s going to take. It’s been very frustrating.”

Another local resident, Dean Dennis, welcomed the plans.

He said: “If you just look at the park itself and the sort of demographic that uses it, pretty much, you’ve got a whole set of people who live in and around this area who use this facility.

“You’ve got everything. They recently renovated the park itself, which has made a massive difference.”

Additional reporting by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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