The Mayor of London has revealed full details of his £130 million plans to transform the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre after a planning application was submitted.
Developer Morgan Sindell on behalf of the Greater London Authority (GLA) has submitted a full planning application to Bromley Council which outlines the ambitious regeneration project in Crystal Palace Park.
Key aspects of the proposal—which is expected to be complete by 2028—include a full refurbishment of the Grade II listed main sports complex building and the creation of a six-court Padel centre, 3×3 basketball courts, five-a-side football pitches and a full-size artificial multi-sports pitch.
The iconic athletics stadium—built on the site of a football ground that hosted 21 FA Cup finals at the turn of the 20th Century—would have seating surrounding the entire bowl when complete. According to the GLA: “This has been designed in collaboration with athletes to boost the atmosphere at live events.”
The sport centre’s 50m swimming and diving pools will return after five years out of service and the 25m pool currently in use will be relocated into the main pool hall, bringing all three pools into one space on one level for the first time.
The centre’s indoor sports zones will also receive an upgrade which are intended to “elevate elite performance by providing year-round use for clubs, athletes and the community”. These upgrades include a new athletics track, weightlifting room and café.
Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted that the once-in-a-generation redevelopment of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has reached another key milestone with the submission of the planning application for its transformation.
“This is an historic and much-loved national sporting and community facility, where many UK sporting stars have started their careers and trained, but it needs major investment and refurbishment and I am committed to supporting this.
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“I am pleased with the positive progress that has been made so far and we look forward to working closely with partners and the local community to create an outstanding sporting venue as we work together to build a better, fairer London for all.”
Mayor Khan announced the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre redevelopment project in summer 2023. Last year, he appointed Morgan Sindall Construction to deliver the design and build of the centre.
Morgan Sindall’s Area Director for London, Richard Dobson, said: “The ideas that have been laid out in the planning application for Crystal Palace National Sports Centre’s transformative regeneration represent something quite ambitious and different.
“Everyone working on this scheme has pushed hard to make the design a showcase in what a modern, sustainable, inclusive and community-centred leisure centre should look like – all while paying homage to the venue’s inspiring legacy.
“This combination of driving factors means the site will not only reclaim its original vision of being a ‘glass pavilion in the park’ that supports the health and wellbeing of Londoners, but we will have laid the groundwork for a centre of excellence where a new generation of athletes can break and set their own records.”
The 15-hectare sports centre site opened in 1964 and has hosted a whole host of notable sports events. The first final of the modern Women’s FA Cup was held at the athletics stadium in 1971. From 1999 to 2012, the stadium also hosted the London Grand Prix athletics tournament before falling into disrepair in recent years.
This is great news but long overdue. I remember attending a school sports day there in the 1970s (Kingsdale) and thinking even back then the venue was looking a bit tired. This will give our professionals and amateurs a facility, especially in the swimming pool, aworthy of their enthusiasm and effort.