(R24) CRYSTAL PALACE CAMPAIGN - IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE - 15 May2000

A new air quality monitoring station on Crystal Palace Parade was inaugurated today (Monday) by Keith Hill, Minister for the Environment and MP for Streatham. He congratulated the mayors of the five boroughs adjoining the site, and said that although overall environmental responsibility now fell to London Mayor Ken Livingstone, the new station would make a

“vital contribution to achieving the government’s air quality targets.”

Welcoming the new anti-pollution unit Crystal Palace Campaign members briefed the Minister on mass local opposition to the proposed mega cine-multiplex at the site, explaining how the unit’s pollution readings were vital in their battle to halt the project.

The automated unit will monitor pollution from power stations to traffic; something which the Environment Department now admits has not been possible in this part of southeast London before.

This being the case, residents are entitled to ask Bromley Council to recalculate the flawed pollution projections it used when it gave outline planning permission for the multiplex development on the pretext that it “is unlikely to have significant environmental effects”.

At the time Bromley used a study of actual pollution levels, but calculated with the wrong traffic assessments.

If the multiplex is built, it could generate up to 16,700 extra car borne journeys to the Park every Saturday. This is the twice the number Bromley calculated, with assumptions that CPC has shown to be erroneous.

Bromley has so far not disputed, nor bothered to respond to, the CPC’s own expert traffic calculations put in an 8-page submission by Philip Kolvin, CPC Chairman, over a year ago.

The CPC will be closely monitoring the pollution caused by existing traffic, and will keep the community – and the authorities – fully informed of the calculations of worsening pollution likely to be caused by the projected traffic for the multiplex.

Those authorities include Mr Darren Johnson, the London Mayor’s Environment Secretary, who stated on appointment last week:

“First on my list is to take the fight for Crystal Palace to Bromley Council. Local people must be heard over this threat to their quality of life and the future of this historic site.”

Attending were Cllr Stephen Bourne mayor LB Lambeth, Cllr Charles Cherrill mayor LB Southwark, Sue Polydorou mayor LB Bromley (which will operate the station) and Cllr Mary Walker, deputy mayor of LB Croydon. Cllr David Sullivan mayor LB Lewisham was in Whitehall on business and was represented by council officers.

15 May 2000 Last updated 15 May 2000