from Crystal Palace Campaign News Oct 1998
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A Commons Committee this week exposed John Prescott for not implementing his own transport planning guidance; "Examples of recent developments where planning guidance has been ignored included... the Crystal Palace Development" - reported the Commons Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs. Further, witnesses stressed that the Government should call in local planning matters where the decision was likely to undermine the aims of PPG13 (Traffic Guidance) and the Transport White Paper. We couldn't have put it better ourselves!
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date added 20/5/99
The Independent on Sunday reported (18 Oct. 1998) that ENGLISH
HERITAGE, the body which advises the Government on the protection of
historic buildings and monuments is to be scrapped. Chris
Smith, the Culture Secretary, has decided that
more decisions should be made at a local
level...
This is a sentiment which our campaign could heartily
endorse......
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On 7th October 1998 Crystal Palace Campaign Chairman Philip Kolvin
stood as Vice Chairman of the Upper Norwood Improvement Team, the
forum for community groups, businesses and local authorities
concerned with our area. He stood against the local Bromley
Councilor, Chris Gaister who has conspicuously avoided saying
anything in support of the Campaign, while helpfully stating that
consultation over the multiplex was inadequate. The vote was
emphatic. Councilor Gaister polled no votes at all and Philip Kolvin
was duly elected. This is a clear vote of no confidence in Bromley
Council, and of local support for the Campaign.
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The public backs the multiplex!!! So trumpeted Bromley Council after a cable TV poll put it to the test. A little research showed that only eleven people had bothered to vote for the multiplex! A clearly embarrassed Bromley said: "It shows there are people out there who support the development." Eleven, to be precise.
Fact: a newspaper poll by the News Shopper showed that 79.5% of local people oppose the multiplex.
"On 7th October 1998 Bromley's planning committee met to consider the application of the Crystal Palace Campaign for an outline planning permission for a small scale model of the Palace to be built on the top site. The application was supported by the London Planning Advisory Committee, the statutory body responsible for advising Councils in planning matters.
The multiplex architect demonstrated his absolute impartiality by suggesting that the model, which is intended to be an exact replica, "cannot adhere to the style and spirit of the original Crystal Palace" (!). Bromley's learned Architectural Panel went still further: "Anything less than the Ian Ritchie proposal would undermine the integrity of Paxton's original". Nice to see architects sticking together.
Amazingly, Bromley resolved to defer the application for want of detail, even though they know what the model is to be made of, how big it is and where it is going to go! Are Bromley running away from making a decision?
We think so.
We did it! On 2nd September three judges of the Court of Appeal
decided unanimously that there should be a full judicial review of
Bromley Council's scheme to put a huge commercial development in
Crystal Palace Park. If Crystal Palace Campaign's challenge succeeds,
the planning permission for the scheme will be declared null and
void. Bromley's officers have publicly stated that the legal
challenge is without foundation. They have been proved wrong. The
Campaign marches on.
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from Crystal Palace Campaign News Oct 1998
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Last update 31/5/99