On Sunday, 5 August at 4.45pm the London Programme, ITV Channel 3, will tell the story of Crystal Palace – “The People’s Palace”. From its beginning in 1851 with the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, to its relocation at Sydenham in 1854 and then its fiery demise in 1936. The local community brings the story up to date with the remarkable fight over the future of the site on the highest tree-lined ridge in London.

The programme uses film footage to be shown for the first time on television. It will include rare correspondence from the creator of the Crystal Palace, Sir Joseph Paxton.

The events of the past few years will be featured when thousands of protesters, from all walks of life within the surrounding community, fought Bromley Council and the developers, London & Regional Properties, to prevent the building of a twenty-screen cinema and fast food multiplex development on this great historic site. The story culminates in the surrender by Bromley Council, who were forced to terminate the development agreement, producing a unique victory for a local community dedicated to its cause against considerable odds.

The programme uses interviews from Britain’s best-known and most respected historians and cultural commentators and analyses how the events that have taken place at Crystal Palace will change the lives of people across the southeast.

Crystal Palace Campaign Hon Secretary, Vivien Day, said: