In October 2013, London Mayor Boris Johnson announced proposals for development by the Chinese group Zhong Rong International Group Ltd of a new 900,000 sq ft plus ‘Crystal Palace’ on the hill-top of the park, which would also require acquisition of further large areas of precious parkland.
At totally inadequate ‘public consultation’, ARUP, representing the Chinese interests, were unable to provide even fundamental information, and at disastrous meetings in the Paxton Suite, where hundreds were excluded from admission, ARUP conceded, under heavy questioning, that the large ‘glossy pictures’ of the proposed development were no more that artist’s impressions, which might not resemble the final building.
In desperation, ARUP said that in mid July 2014, announcements would be made on the finalisation of selection of the architects for the development, together with further information on the nature of the Chinese development, together with the time-scale.
That undertaking was not met, and since that date, absolutely nothing further has been heard whatsoever, and it was hoped by many that this threat to the park had passed, only to find that it had been added to by announcement by Boris Johnson of new proposals to demolish the NSC running-track and the stands, including the famous Jubilee Stand, the 100-metre indoor track, and relocation of the existing tennis-courts to an area of parkland between the NSC Building and the area of the former cricket field.
Although proposed improvements to the NSC Building may be of some benefit, the cost will be the loss of many mature trees and of any future athletic events, which it appears will now be transferred to the new Olympic Stadium at Stratford.
These radical proposals include construction of an access road from Sydenham Gate serving the new educational establishments, seemingly now favoured by the GLA in providing land for a second Capel Manor building, a Paxton Free School, and possible establishment of an ‘Academy’, all in supposedly protected Metropolitan Open Land.
Most controversially, CSM Strategic, the company introducing these proposals is headed by former London Olympic Organising Committee Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe, better known as Seb Coe, one of the greatest athletes ever produced by this country, an association that greatly concerns the many athletes, other sportsmen and sportswomen who use this important training facility, who fear this loss will be critical.
Public consultation on these important changes has been afforded low priority limited to emails to those able to receive them, conflicting reports in the press, small laminated notices in the park (see photos) or reference to the obscure website containing a survey at:
http://survey.euro.confirmit.com/wix/p1838870106.aspx.
Plans for these proposals are on view in the NSC until the end of October 2014, which due to strong public concern has now been extended to the end of November 2014.