Bromley Council has sold two housing development sites adjacent to the park and secured £21.8m in funding which will be spent entirely on the regeneration project.
The large-scale project will include the restoration of the 30 famous Grade-1 listed dinosaur sculptures within the park and the creation of a new dinosaur-themed playground, a new visitor centre and a new community centre and café.
As well as resulting in the multi-million pound funding boost for the project, the land sale has unlocked 3.76 acres of previously inaccessible land and brought it back into the park.
Bromley Council announced last week that it had sold two sites, Rockhills and Sydenham Villas, to housing association Clarion Housing Group. It is expected that 210 homes will be built across the sites, with outline planning permission granted for this, as well as the rest of the park project, back in 2023.
The council also secured more money for the two sites than was initially expected, with a council report from last July estimating that they would sell for £19.36m.
Bromley’s Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, Cllr Yvonne Bear, said: “This is another milestone completed in the regeneration of this historic park, securing funding needed to make this comprehensive regeneration plan viable.
“While the land sale for housing has always been planned, I am pleased that we have managed to secure affordable housing from the sale while still maximising value for the works, which means more of the homes we need will be built to help combat the significant housing pressures we are facing.
“Residents will soon see exciting works commencing on restoring the park’s beloved heritage and thanks to the sale more improvements to the park will soon be possible.”
The Sydenham Villas site is located on the east side of the park, next to the cricket pitch. The demolition of the St John’s Ambulance building and the Diddy Dinos nursery along Crystal Palace Park Road and the relocation of a ranger’s maintenance building will make way for the 70-unit residential development.
Rockhills is located at the north west corner of Crystal Palace Park on the former caravan site; 140 residential units will be built here as well as a new community centre, car park and improved entrance for the public in the park.
Provision for a new nursery is included within the community centre plans.
Clarion Housing Group’s Chief Development Officer Richard Cook said: “We are proud to be delivering much-needed affordable homes as part of this transformative project for Crystal Palace Park.
“This development will not only provide high-quality, sustainable homes for local people but also contribute to the regeneration of one of London’s most historic green spaces.
“By working in partnership with Bromley Council and the Crystal Palace Park Trust, we are ensuring that both housing and heritage can thrive together, benefiting the local community for generations to come.”
The £21.8m made from the land sale along with £5m secured by Bromley Council from The National Lottery Heritage Fund last October will make up the bulk of the money used to kick off the regeneration project which, according to the council, is set to commence “in the coming months”.
