(P.123) Mayor
vows to push for Palace centre funding
- Croydon Advertiser, 12 September
2003
LONDON'S Mayor Ken Livingstone
is promising to apply pressure to secure the future of the National
Sports Centre in Crystal Palace.
During a visit to the centre last
Thursday he said the athletics and swimming complex did have a role
to play in a successful 2012 Olympic bid and as an important regional
and local facility. But fulfilling that role will depend on a massive
cash injection to get the centre up to a quality standard.
The key problem is finding a
financial sponsor.
Sport England's lease on the centre
runs out in March next year and it is surrendering it to Bromley
Council, saying it can no longer be the sole provider of funds for
Crystal Palace [sports centre], which it describes as
an "essentially community-based facility".
Bromley, which made an unsuccessful
£40m lottery bid for refurbishing the centre five years ago, is
unwilling to inherit the costs.
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Mr Livingstone, now the
centre's most enthusiastic supporter, wants to persuade
people to come round to his way of thinking.
He said last Thursday he
saw the centre in the future providing southeast London with
a great sporting venue. In addition to athletics facilities,
Mr Livingstone suggested its reputation could be enhanced by
having a football or rugby club based there.
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It would also benefit from moves to bring the East London tube line
to Crystal Palace and a possible extension of Tramlink.
He said: 'With the tube and
Tramlink coming it would be madness not to keep it going. Half of
London would be able to get here very quickly."
Combined funding through the
Greater London Authority, London councils and Sport England would be
one way of meeting the bill, he added.
Mr Livingstone made it plain: "I've
got to bang a lot of heads together to make sure it
happens."
But John Payne, chairman of the
Crystal Palace Community Association, said people living in the area
would be concerned about the prospects of a football or rugby club
moving into the centre.
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14/9/03 Last updated 14/9/03
Ed. Note: The Crystal Palace Community Association (also know as
the CPCA and formerly the CPTCA) should not be confused with the
Crystal Palace Campaign - they are entirely different organisations.
The Crystal Palace Campaign led the successful fight to stop
the multiplex planned for the top site of the park. It promoted the
stakeholders dialogue process which is ongoing and which recognises
the fate of the Sports Centre as key to what happens in the park.
Interest has been, of course, heightened since the government
announced its intention to bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. In
conversations [this Ed. has had] with athletes who use
the stadium facility, they see it as an important training ground not
only for the local area but for athletes who come from a very wide
catchment area. They expressed great concern at the prospect of its
loss. Ken Livingstone's enthusiastic support is to be
welcomed.