Bromley Unitary
Development Plan Proof of Philip
Kolvin Crystal Palace
Park Crystal Palace
Campaign Section
3
"Urban parks and green spaces are an essential part of the urban heritage and infrastructure."
Committee of Ministers States on Urban Open Space, Council of Europe.
3 Formal
Consultation 3.1 It is easy to have
preconceptions about the community's wishes, depending on
one's political standpoint. We considered that it was very
important to carry out some objective research into the true
position. Accordingly, shortly after defeating the multiplex
proposals, we created a questionnaire for distribution to
40,000 households. We also took the questionnaire into
schools, and spoke to a variety of organisations (amenity
societies, housing associations etc.) to ensure widespread
dissemination. The questionnaire is at Appendix
1. 3.2 It will be seen that the
questionnaire divided the Park into four areas and offered a
series of options for each part of the Park, from parkland
to commercial options. The questionnaire was validated by
professional polling organisations, and the results
scientifically appraised. There were over 2,000 responses.
This was, to our knowledge, the only attempt to conduct
proper, objective, consultation of the local community in
the 150 years of the Park's history. 3.3 The results were
published, together with the supporting data, in a report
called Consultation Starts Here, the foreword to which was
composed by the Mayor of London. A copy is at Appendix 2.
The results are quite unequivocal. 83% of respondents
supported a parkland option for the top site. The commercial
leisure option was the least popular proposal in the whole
study, polling 16% support. We tested for regional
variations, but found broad correlations between residents
on all sides of the Park. 3.4 The results demonstrate
with perfect clarity that a commercial leisure option for
the top site is completely anathema to the local community,
which supports the notion that the site should remain a
park. Thus, the proposed removal of the MOL designation of
the top site and its replacement by a commercial leisure
designation is likely to perpetuate the many years of
conflict which have sadly beset this Park and arrested its
proper, sustainable regeneration. 3.5 In the foreword, the Mayor
of London recognised the significance of Crystal Palace Park
as a regional park, and also as a place with a world-famous
heritage. He called for its protection and enhancement. He
expressed a desire to protect and improve parks of local and
regional significance. He eschewed developments of a scale
best suited to an urban town centre, and commended the
Campaign's efforts at consultation. 3.6 Ken Livingstone
specifically complimented the Campaign for trying to consult
children. The youngest consultees were a class of 6 year
olds, who felt very strongly about preserving our public
spaces and felt they were an essential part of city life.
While the results were not included in the data for the
formal report, they clearly articulated the reasons why it
is an adult responsibility to maintain parkland for their
benefit.[9] 3.7 I do not take up further
space here dealing with Consultation Starts Here, but I do
invite the Inspector to consider its contents and
findings.
Top of
Section; Previous
Section (2);
Next
Section (4);
Contents
Notes:
[9] - See Appendix 9
©Philip Kolvin