Desire to keep sport at heart of stadium’s future

BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

Athletes are resigned to a world famous stadium never being used to host global events again – but they want to ensure it continues to be used by the cream of South London’s sporting talent

On Monday, users of the National Sports Centre (NSC) at Crystal Palace heard any money spent on it would not enable it to host events like the Diamond League.

Global track and field events have instead been moved to the former Olympic Stadium in Stratford East London.

The NSC is likely to become a regional centre.

Up to 50 organisations and residents were represented at a meeting in nearby The Lodge, Ledrington Road, on Monday, with former 5,000 metres world record holder David Moorcroft presenting the findings of consultants Neil Allen Associates.

People present included triathletes, track and field competitors, parkrunners, strength and conditioning patients and gymnasts.

They agreed unanimously that there should be the following facilities at the centre:

• an indoor area which can be used by track athletes but has a pit for jumpers, is essential
• it should have a high quality track with spectator stands
• there should be a joined-up approach with the rest of the park, which is run by
  Bromley council
• poor parking, access and lighting all need to be addressed

John Powell, chairman of the alliance of users – Crystal Palace Sports Partnership – said: “I was really pleased with the turnout.

“I am incandescent with anger that I put up scores of posters publicising the consultation meeting but every time, they were taken down. With a proper publicity drive on this, many more people would have known about it and made their views clear.

“Crystal Palace serves one of the most densely populated areas in the country, with hundreds of schools but it has never been properly managed.

“It could be viable if people could train there for just a few pounds. It is a travesty that has never been done.

“Every time I have been there recently, there has been pigeon droppings and leaks if it has been raining. Sometimes it is unusable.

“And yet some users are paying £4.50 every time they go – which could be £100 a month for a serious athlete.

“Is it surprising that our best athletes end up going elsewhere?

“Sandbags to stop the water coming in were taken away because foxes tore them apart. This is the lengths we have been driven to.”

But formal proposals about any revamp are unlikely to be forthcoming from the GLA before the spring.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace is a much-loved sporting venue and an important community asset in South London, which the Mayor wants to ensure has a long-term future.

“City Hall officers have begun a review of the centre and will consult a range of sporting stakeholders over the next month.

“The public will then be consulted on more detailed options later in the year.”

Bromley Councillor Peter Morgan, executive councillor for renewal and recreation said, “We have been working to improve the park for some years now, with our regeneration plans in place since last year and continuing to move forwards.

“Any plan for the National Sports Centre will be made by the GLA and the Mayor of London.  The council has been waiting for a decision for some time and we continue to wait.

Hopefully this latest consultation will enable a decision to be taken in the near future.

“Anything the GLA does decide will need to complement and support our regeneration plans and hopefully this consultation will allow for clarity going forwards.

“Whatever the final outcome of all of this, we are clear that sport is an intrinsic part of the park’s heritage and remains highly important to its future.

“We will be considering the detail carefully before responding and we would encourage local people to make their views to the Mayor known too.”