Issue - meetings

Crystal Palace Park

Meeting: 12/02/2020 - Executive (Item 139)

139 CRYSTAL PALACE PARK pdf icon PDF 191 KB

Crystal Palace ward

Minutes:

Report DRR20/018

 

The Executive received a report summarising progress on the restoration of Crystal Palace Park and seeking authority to proceed with the restoration of the Crystal Palace Subway. The outline planning application for the Regeneration Plan had now been submitted - this reflected the scheme as presented to Members in 2017, with some changes to the Capel Manor College site next to the Museum and the existing farm site. The Leader stated that he would be contacting the Mayor of London to explain why it was crucial that the capital receipt for the two sites sold for housing was maximised to support the Park. 

 

Councillor Angela Wilkins addressed the meeting as a ward member for Crystal Palace. She thanked officers for their achievement in getting the Subway restoration plans in place, and commented that there was some opposition from residents to the Capel Manor development. She also stated that it was important that transfer of events management to the Crystal Palace Park Trust should happen as quickly as possible. Councillor William Huntington-Thresher confirmed that it was the intention that the Trust would take on the management of the events programme, and the related income stream, but also the liability for maintenance and clearing up after events. The details of the impact on the idverde contract needed to be worked through.

 

Councillor Nicholas Bennett addressed the meeting as the Council’s Design and Heritage Champion. He had been impressed by the work of Capel Manor College, which had also taken over the Hadlow College site in Mottingham, and he supported the College’s plans. He welcomed the restoration of the subway, and urged that explanatory notice-boards should be installed to provide information about this scheme and the history of the Park. Councillor Peter Morgan, Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, agreed on this point and stated that there was a need for new notice-boards across the Park.

 

Councillor Bennett also invited Members to attend the historic vehicle run starting at Crystal Palace Park at 7am on 3rd May 2020.

 

Councillor Simon Fawthrop drew attention to the cost of the subway scheme, which was based on a detailed condition survey and cost plan work undertaken in 2014, with the addition of 48.5% inflation, which he questioned. Officers explained that this was a prudent figure, including all fees, 10% contingency and 5% dilapidation costs and reflecting not only inflation but also the specialist nature of the work. Officers undertook to provide a note with further details to Councillor Fawthrop. 

 

The report had been scrutinised by the Renewal, Recreation and Housing PDS Committee on 11th February 2020, and the Committee supported the proposals.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1) The contents of the report be noted, including the information relating to the submission of the Regeneration Plan outline planning application.

 

(2) Subject to the agreement of full Council, the addition of the Subway project to the Capital Programme at a cost of £3.141m on the basis of the scheme costs being fully funded by grants  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139


Meeting: 11/02/2020 - Renewal, Recreation and Housing Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee (Item 64)

64 CRYSTAL PALACE PARK pdf icon PDF 189 KB

Minutes:

Report DRR20/018

 

Members received a progress report on the regeneration of Crystal Palace Park giving updates on the Regeneration Plan and the Crystal Palace Park Trust.

 

Authority was also sought to take forward the project to restore the Crystal Palace Subway.

 

Councillor Wilkins thanked the Assistant Director Culture and Regeneration for the work undertaken to secure the funding required to proceed with the Crystal Palace Subway restoration project.

 

In regard to the regeneration plan, Councillor Wilkins advised that there was some local opposition to Capel Manor’s plans for a maintenance and training building to be located next to the museum and that the 0% affordable housing was a significant issue.

 

The Assistant Director Culture and Regeneration reported the following:-

 

·  In regard to affordable housing, when the 2007 Masterplan received planning consent in 2010, the former Mayor of London and Secretary of State had stated that no element of affordable housing would be required due to the special needs of Crystal Palace Park and the importance of maximising the proceeds from the housing sites to regenerate the park.  The 2010 planning permission was still extant and Legal officers were being consulted to throw weight behind it.

 

·  There would be a planning requirement to deliver the Regeneration Plan using the capital receipts from the housing, so there was no risk that the enabling development would not be delivered appropriately.

 

·  Historic England fully supported the Regeneration Plan and the enabling development case.

 

·  Capel Manor would significantly contribute to the community by offering young people skills and training.

 

·  Robust regeneration was proposed for the park, with restoration of historic landscape being fully delivered.  Regeneration would benefit the whole community.  The park was visited by 1.4m people each year.

 

·  It was anticipated that a decision on the planning application would be obtained in around six months’ time however, due to the 0% affordable housing element, it was then likely to be called-in by the GLA.  However, it was felt there were enough positive factors to mitigate this.

 

·  It was expected that works to the park would begin in 2022 and be ongoing until 2026.

 

·  Although the Subway restoration project was part of the regeneration plan, it would be managed separately.  A multi-disciplinary team would be engaged within the next two months.

 

·  Should the planning application be granted, there would be no requirement for payment to be made in lieu of affordable housing as the enabling case was that community benefit in relation to the restoration of the park outweighed the affordable housing benefit in this instance.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted and Member comments be provided to the meeting of the Executive on 12 February 2020.