Crystal Palace is the spiritual home of UK Athletics. A total of 19 world records have been set on the track, while 20 FA Cup Finals have been hosted on the site of the stadium. And the National Sports Centre is where many Team GB stars including Olympic gold medallist and local lad Alex Yee launched their careers.
For people across Beckenham and Penge, and Bromley more widely, the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has long been a place full of memories. Residents speak fondly about using its facilities growing up, or remembering their children and grandchildren learning to swim in the Olympic-sized pool.
But over the years, the site has become run down. The stadium looks tired, the pools and diving boards have been closed for years, and too much of the National Sports Centre remains inaccessible and broken. For a venue of such national importance, that is simply not good enough.
In 2014, the future of the site was placed in real jeopardy when proposals were brought forward by then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to demolish the athletics stadium. This would have meant losing facilities our community cherishes and depends on. Thanks to a determined community campaign including from the Crystal Palace Sports Partnership, that plan was stopped. And now, with the backing of the current Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the £130 million transformation of the site is well underway.
Last month, we reached a major milestone with the submission of the planning application. This is real progress and brings us a step closer to the targeted completion of the project in 2028.
The plans set out a wide range of improvements. These include the reopening of the Olympic-sized pool and diving boards, a revamped athletics stadium, and new facilities such as a padel centre, basketball courts, climbing facilities, five-a-side football pitches and a full-size multi-sports pitch.
The centre will also be fully accessible for the first time – so everyone in our community can benefit from these facilities and so that parasport can be hosted throughout the year.
This investment is not just about restoring a much-loved local facility. It’s about having pride in our area and putting Crystal Palace and Bromley firmly back on the map as a centre of sport.
We are lucky in Bromley to have outstanding facilities for developing athletes such as Norman Park, home to the Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletics Club whose members include Dina Asher-Smith, Britain’s fastest ever female sprinter.
A revitalised National Sports Centre will once again be capable of hosting major sporting events, allowing our world class athletes and clubs across Bromley the opportunity to compete in international events on their doorstep.
This will also attract visitors here from across London and beyond, providing a real boost to local businesses, supporting our high streets, cafés and restaurants.
Alongside this, we are also seeing improvements across Crystal Palace Park, including the restoration of the famous Crystal Palace dinosaurs and Italian terraces.
I was particularly pleased to join pupils from Harris Kent House and James Dixon Primary School to open the new dinosaur-themed playground last month, which is already proving a fantastic addition for families.
Taken together, these changes will ensure that Crystal Palace Park and the National Sports Centre once again become a world-class amenity, not just for one neighbourhood, but for residents right across Beckenham and Penge and Bromley.
This is an exciting moment, with more progress to come, and I will continue working to ensure this once-in-a-generation project is delivered in full for our communities.
Liam Conlon is Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge.