Open Letter to the GLA regarding the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace Park
Here is a copy of the letter submitted in response to the consultation that the Greater London Authority's consultation regarding the future of the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace Park. The proposal options include a number of significant and far-reaching changes, including the possible demolition of the stadium, removal of the Athletic Track, the building of a two-form primary school and the relocation of Capel Manor.
The closing date of the consultation was 16th November 2014 and you can find out more on GLA Site
To Malcolm Beadle (Housing and Land Manager G.L.A)
An Open Letter To The Greater London Assembly and Mayor
From The Steering Group of Crystal Palace Transition Town
cc: Local Councillors and Interested Parties
Thank you for the invitation to participate and promote the consultation regarding the National Sports Centre, The Arena and Crystal Palace Park.
However, we wish to express at our concern at a number of issues raised by the ongoing process:
For the above reasons, we feel the consultation period needs to become longer, give the opportunity for a greater range of options, and publicized much more widely throughout the surrounding areas.
We call on the GLA to extend the period of consultation by at least another six weeks from today.
We call on them to hold public meetings, publicise it widely around the area, and to publicise the consultation door-to-door in all the residential areas surrounding the park.
We call on them to re-word the survey to invite other ideas, and to leave the final question more open. We also ask them to make it explicit that other options than those offered are on the table.
We hope you can take on board our concerns and like us, you aspire to a full and inclusive, informed consultation that will involve as many members of the public as possible.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Yours,
Joe Duggan and Mehul Damani
Co-Chairs of Crystal Palace Transition Town
(On behalf of The Steering Group)
The closing date of the consultation was 16th November 2014 and you can find out more on GLA Site
To Malcolm Beadle (Housing and Land Manager G.L.A)
An Open Letter To The Greater London Assembly and Mayor
From The Steering Group of Crystal Palace Transition Town
cc: Local Councillors and Interested Parties
Thank you for the invitation to participate and promote the consultation regarding the National Sports Centre, The Arena and Crystal Palace Park.
However, we wish to express at our concern at a number of issues raised by the ongoing process:
- We thank you for listening to local concerns about the short timeframe and extending the period for the consultation but feel the period is still much too short, especially considering the long-term consequences of the proposals.
- We do not feel the consultation has been marketed or publicized widely enough, with no posters visible in any of the shopping areas, train stations nor even throughout much of the park. Around Crystal Palace, we have met many people who are not aware of the process.
- We feel it lacks a lot of important information required to make an informed decision but rather presents a small number of options with little explanation or detail. For example, access roads are illustrated on one of the maps but no detail is given in the text.
- There is no option for members of the public to present their own ideas or expression of needs for the spaces concerned.
- The consultation presents and highlights 4 options for the Stadium, all including the building of a school in the park. There is no option that does not include the introduction of a school, which seems strange to us in a democratic consultation. Bringing a two-form entry school into the park will have a number of wide-ranging impacts and is likely to be a very long-term change to the nature of the park. We feel this needs further discussion and assessment of impact.
- The final, and only, open question in the consultation asks for feedback on the development proposals but does not invite any other proposals for usage of this space, including non-demolition of the stadium, returning the space to parkland, and all possibilities in between.
- No time-line has been published for the consultation and a number of parties have indicated the decision-making process is in its “early stages”. However the “Frequently Asked Questions” section in the survey states:
Q: What happens after the consultation period?
A: All feedback will be reviewed and considered in producing a recommended way forward. The GLA will make a decision on the preferred solution early in 2015.
This, alongside the short consultation window, presents as an unclear timeframe and has given rise to fears of “a done deal being rushed through”. - The Transition Town also acknowledges the strong feelings within the sporting community, as demonstrated by the petition to save the stadium and athletic track which has quickly collected over 3000 signatures to date.
For the above reasons, we feel the consultation period needs to become longer, give the opportunity for a greater range of options, and publicized much more widely throughout the surrounding areas.
We call on the GLA to extend the period of consultation by at least another six weeks from today.
We call on them to hold public meetings, publicise it widely around the area, and to publicise the consultation door-to-door in all the residential areas surrounding the park.
We call on them to re-word the survey to invite other ideas, and to leave the final question more open. We also ask them to make it explicit that other options than those offered are on the table.
We hope you can take on board our concerns and like us, you aspire to a full and inclusive, informed consultation that will involve as many members of the public as possible.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Yours,
Joe Duggan and Mehul Damani
Co-Chairs of Crystal Palace Transition Town
(On behalf of The Steering Group)