Bromley Unitary
Development Plan Proof of Philip
Kolvin Crystal Palace
Park Crystal Palace
Campaign Section
5
"A blazing arch of lucid glass, leaps like a fountain from the grass, to meet the sun."
Thackeray
5 Designations 5.1 The Park itself is listed
as Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and
Gardens.[14] The significance of this should be
underscored. There are some 5,000 public parks in England.
Of that, only 186 are included in the Register. Of those 186
sites, only 9 are Grade I. 28 are Grade II*. The remainder
are Grade II. Only 19 local authority parks in the entire
country are listed Grade II*. The listing points out how
lands on the perimeter of the Park were sold off to defray
the debts incurred by the Park, which of course provided
only a short term fix and was ultimately unsustainable. The
listing provides a certain level of detail regarding the
Park and its history. 5.2 In addition, a variety of
features in and around the Park are
listed[15]: 5.3 The whole Park is listed
as an area of archaeological importance, following Bromley's
reversion to the original boundary in response to local
objection during this current plan process. The
archaeological remains are extensively in evidence in the
Park. In addition, underneath the top site there are the
remains of the vaulted boiler and storage basement of the
Palace, partially filled with bomb rubble. This is an
archaeological resource for the future. 5.4 The Park, with the
exception of the top site, is a Conservation Area.
Supplementary Planning Guidance adopted by Bromley's
Development Control Committee on 15th June 1999 recognised
that the Park itself and the site of the Palace are key to
the character of the area. The guidance itself anticipated
the building out of the multiplex cinema and the Restoring
the Vision scheme, both of which have subsequently failed.
The Guidance accepts that the main body of the Park
"provides a valuable public amenity for the citizens of
Bromley and many other Londoners
." It points out that
the undeveloped area of the Park retains its mid-19th
century character, which should be preserved and enhanced.
5.5 Crystal Palace Park also
forms the beginning of the South East London Green Chain.
This is a chain of nearly 300 parks and open spaces,
connecting Crystal Palace at one end to the River Thames at
the other.[18] Policy G9 of the draft Unitary
Development Plan commits the Council to protecting land
within the Green Chain, and to promote it as a recreational
resource while conserving and, where appropriate, enhancing
the landscape. The policy also states that native vegetation
and wildlife will be encouraged in appropriate areas and
where built development is permitted, suitable screening and
landscaping will be required.
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Notes:
[14] - A copy of the
listing is at Appendix 10.
[15] - Copies of the listings are at Appendix 11.
[16] - The listing erroneously refers to it as the National
Recreation Centre.
[17 ]- See "An Historical Assessment of the Site of the
Former Crystal Palace", Ken Kiss, prepared for London Borough of
Bromley, 1992. I have been unable to confirm the listing of these
structures other than by reference to Mr. Kiss's document.
[18] - See Appendix 12.
©Philip Kolvin