Sydenham Freeserve as it appeared in 1998
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Sydenham
Crystal Palace Partnership

Facts not Fiction

Putting the record straight

The Council will receive £6million from the sale of the site
Bromley Council is contributing approximately £12 million towards the regenerotion of the area, £6million of which is the premium from the 125 year lease of the site.

The development will have amusement arcades and fast-food restaurants
Final uses of the building have yet to be agreed. Nine restaurants are proposed which will be carefully selected to avoid conflict with existing outlets

The Council has ignored Government planning policy that Metropolitan Open Land should not be used for developments which compromise its open character and value to London’s green setting
The Secretory of State was satisfied that the development did not contravene the MOL policy. The Court of Appeal did not uphold the Crystal Palace Campaign’s challenge on any of the grounds of planning policy

A working party involving Bromley and the developer will decide how to develop the park. It deliberately excludes anyone from the local community
Firstly, the Council is not developing the Park - it is restoring it. The working party is an informal group which will discuss funding. There will be full public consultations on all proposals which will be advertised locally

Bromley Council has refused to show the Crystal Palace Campaign research into traffic generation
The Crystal Palace Campaign has received copies of all traffic studies

Bromley Council has refused to give any assurance that it will not cut down 150 trees on the site
It is true that some trees will be felled as part of the new Crystal Palace development but an additional 800 trees will be planted in the Park. The Council has stated its clear intention not to remove any of the trees in advance of implementing planning permission except for reasons of health and safety. This would include health and safety issues associated with any eviction of the illegal squatters

Some facts about the eco-warriors

“The Site attracts a lot of fruitcakes who can become aggressive”.

South London Press: 25 September 1998

A drunken campaigner had to be thrown off the site after threatening to kill a fellow Eco- Warrior.

South London Press: 25 September 1998

“It’s a sad fact that alcohol is an issue here"

South London Press: 25 September 1998

“I have had complaints about the campaigners begging outside Safeway and the flyposters on walls make the place look tatty”.

South London Press: 25 September 1998

“Sometimes it feels more like a mental home”.

South London Press: 25 September 1998

Eco-Warriors have been warned to keep quiet by Council noise watchdogs. The Council was inundated with calls from disgruntled residents as music boomed from the site throughout Saturday night. The Council has also complained about fires lit on the site and broken sections of fencing.

Kentish Times: 10 September 1998

Residents flooded Bromley Council and park rangers with calls to complain of noise from an all-night party at the Eco-village.

News Shopper: 9 September 1998

Eco-Warriors were asked to turn down their loud music or face prosecution by environmental officers. Residents began ringing Bromley Council at 7.30am on August 9 to complain about music coming from two huge amplifiers on the site.

Kentish Times: 20 August 1998

“We’ve got a lot of young lads between the ages of nine and 15 who come here and they love to chop wood or they carve bits of wood and we talk about elves and what we think about elves. That’s the main thing”.

Eco-Warrior talking on Radio 5 Live: 26 July 1998

For further information on Crystal Palace Partnership contact Barbara Thompson on 0181 313 4303

These are excerpts from the Partnership's newsletter and represent the views of the Crystal Palace Partnership and not Sydenham Freeserve. We report them in the interest of informing the community about local activities. An opposing point of view from the Crystal Palace Campaign can be found here.

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