Uncertainty still there for residents affected by Crystal Palace FC development
By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter
Crystal Palace’s plans to develop their 100-year-old Selhurst Park stadium have led to the rehousing of families forced to move because of demolition – but more are waiting to hear their fate.
The club’s plans will see the stadium’s current 25,486 capacity boosted to more than 34,000, along with a range of other improvements made to the main stand.
Palace purchased a parcel of land from the large Sainsbury’s that dominates the western end of the historic stadium to make space for the redevelopment. Planning permission was given for that redevelopment six years ago.
However, for these plans to be realised, a small number of council-owned properties that back on to the current main stand would have to be demolished. These properties, at 22-32 Wooderson Close, sit in the shadow of the towering Holmesdale Road stand just over the fence.
Residents of Wooderson Close first discovered the fate of their homes as news of the planned redevelopment broke at the end of 2017. Soon after this, residents were delivered a promise by the then Labour-led Croydon council that they would be rehoused before the demolition of their properties took place.
According to former Wooderson Close resident and social housing expert Les Parry, early communication from the council was not forthcoming, and from 2018 to 2022, neither the club nor the council had spoken to any of these families that had to vacate their property.
Parry, on behalf of the residents, met with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish in October 2021 to discuss the housing saga. He told Parish and his finance director of the way that residents had been ignored during the process and got both the club and the council to up their game.
All affected families have now been rehoused within the borough in a home of their choosing. While some believe the rehousing of the residents ‘took longer than was necessary,’ its completion means that one of the last barriers to redevelopment has been overcome.
This, according to Parry, is a marked improvement from the ‘horror story’ that residents had to face when they first heard of the plans.
However, he believes questions remain for the residents who will not be moving out of Wooderson Close and will have to live next to the bigger and busier main stand.
Parry said that unlike those at 22-32, the remaining residents have so far not been properly consulted. In particular, he says there has been a noticeable silence from the club when it has come to providing details about the possible start dates for construction and how the remaining residents will be affected.
He said: “So far they’ve absolutely refused to produce or participate in a newsletter to those affected residents, which just gave a summary of the building phases that were due to commence in 2025.
“I can understand the importance of commercial discretion but they could give a summary at least. They are being starved of information and it’s a repeat of our earlier situation.”
A spokesman from Croydon council said: “We continue to work with the club to help them deliver their scheme and encourage them to communicate regularly with immediate neighbours and the wider Croydon community.”
A spokesman from Crystal Palace said: “The club is committed to keeping residents fully informed as the Main Stand development project gets underway and we will shortly begin publishing a monthly newsletter, as well as providing regular updates on our website. We will also have a dedicated email address where residents can address any queries.”
Pictured top: Les Parry, who was one of the residents rehoused by Croydon council ahead of the Selhurst Park redevelopment (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)