TRUST PLAN FOR CRYSTAL PALACE PARK
MOVES TO establish a trust for Crystal Palace park are to be considered by Bromley council’s executive at their meeting on Tuesday (March 24th).
The move follows the collapse of the ZhongRong exclusivity agreement for the park.
Reports to the executive – which have only come online in the last 24 hours – include a bombshell letter from Bromley’s director of regeneration and transformation Marc Hume to a Zhong Rong representative revealing that the Chinese wanted the top half of the park – literally. (see separate story).
A separate document reveals what is described as a ‘preliminary proposal’ to establish a trust for the park which has been initially prepared and agreed by the following groups:
Crystal Palace Park Community Stakeholder Group
Crystal Palace Sports Partnership
Friends of Crystal Palace Park
Friends of Crystal Palace Subway
Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
Crystal Palace Transition Town
Crystal Palace Park Heritage and Environment Group
Crystal Palace Campaign
Crystal Palace Overground Festival
Crystal Palace Chamber of Commerce
The statement says: “We wish to establish a body which will work with Bromley council and other stakeholders to explore the opportunities to establish a trust or other community body to undertake the sustainable operation and management of Crystal Palace park.
“Our starting point is the vision statement for the 2007 Masterplan for Crystal Palace park.”
At their meeting on Tuesday night Bromley council’s executive are being asked to:
Note the expiry of the exclusivity agreement with ZRG.
2.2 Approve the exploration and development of a sustainable business plan for the establishment of an alternative management option for Crystal Palace park. The progress made on this business planning work will be reported back to members in autumn 2015, with an expected request to members to proceed with the formation of a trust or other not-for-profit management option.
2.3 Agree to contribute up to £495k capital receipts and to add to the capital programme for the development of an alternative management option and a capital scheme for the improvement of the park in line with the Masterplan, as set out in section 3.
2.4 Approve in principal that capital receipts generated through the implementation of the Masterplan will be reinvested in the park, contributing to the development of a sustainable business plan for the park.
2.5 Approve the delivery of the six Crystal Palace Park Improvement scheme projects at a total cost of £2.16m, subject to any necessary statutory consents, as set out in section 4.
2.6 Note the confirmation of the £1.84m from the GLA (subject to formal confirmation on the 10th March).
2.7 Agree that the £1.84m balance of funding from the GLA will not directly lead to a reduction in revenue funding for the park, and that additional income from the café will be ring fenced for the park, as set out in section 4.
2.8 Approve the marketing of a new café lease. The lease for the new premises will be tendered on the open market.
EDITOR’S NOTE To access the documents go to Bromley.gov meetings March 24th 7pm executive. The main report to members is included as an agenda item; the letter from Marc Hume and the trust proposal are under ‘attachments’.
