A £130million Crystal Palace sports centre redevelopment has received planning approval from Bromley Council, clearing the way for major work on the historic site.
Councillors unanimously approved the application at a Development Control Committee meeting on 23 July. The decision includes listed-building consent and remains subject to planning conditions and a Section 106 legal agreement with the Greater London Authority.
Bromley Council confirmed that the project will restore the closed 50-metre swimming pool and diving pool. The learner pool will also be expanded into a 25-metre facility, while indoor and outdoor sports areas will be improved.
Crystal Palace sports centre redevelopment moves forward
The wider plan includes work on the athletics stadium, additional seating and better access across the site. New facilities are expected to include padel courts, basketball courts, five-a-side pitches, a full-size artificial pitch and an enlarged gym.
The athletics stadium could eventually accommodate 25,000 spectators and host elite competition again. Crystal Palace was the home of British athletics for several decades and staged numerous major events before its facilities fell into decline.
Work is expected to begin shortly, with Morgan Sindall appointed by the Greater London Authority to deliver the project. The main redevelopment is scheduled for completion in 2028.
The scheme is separate from Crystal Palace Football Club and its own stadium plans. ReadCrystalPalace recently covered the start of demolition work connected to the Selhurst Park Main Stand redevelopment, another significant infrastructure project in the area.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the sports centre work as a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The redevelopment also aims to reduce the site’s carbon emissions through air-source heat pumps, solar panels and the removal of its old gas systems.
The Crystal Palace sports centre redevelopment will restore facilities which have been unavailable for years and provide a modern base for community and elite sport.
