Major plans to create a management board for Crystal Palace park are being drawn up by Bromley council.

If the plans are approved then the board, which would include representatives of Capel Manor College, the Eden Project and the Crystal Palace community, would be asked to make recommendations to Bromley council’s executive  which will determine the future management of Crystal Palace Park.

The group would be asked to make recommendations which would place an emphasis on:
●    Restoring and protecting the park’s heritage and infrastructure
●    Improving and developing community use and investment in the park
●    Recognising the park’s local, regional and national significance
●    Determining and securing the park’s importance for the future.

“The Board will be established to explore opportunities for the management, restoration, development and protection of Crystal Palace Park; recognising the site’s multi-faceted historical significance and creating an environment which is valued and admired by local people and visitors alike” says a report to committees.

The report says members of the proposed board should all work towards a variety of aims including:

• examining and agreeing a legal structure for the future management of the park .
• approving and championing capital and revenue projects that improve the park’s usage and visitor experience at the park.
• examining and pioneering different opportunities for investment in the park.
• working closely with the Mayor of London to:
• explore a regional status for the park and
• enter into discussions with the National Trust, English Heritage and other industry sectors about the future governance of the
  park developing employment and skills opportunities in the park.
• Investigating alternative options for the future governance of the park
• Exploring a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation governance option for the park
• Pursuing discussions with established organisations who have the experience and capability of managing green spaces, such as the National Trust and English Heritage.

The report is being considered at Bromley council’s environment PDS* committee on October 4th; its renewal and recreation PDS* on October 11th and Executive committee on October 19th.
*PDS: pre-decision scrutiny
The total cost of implementing the controversial Masterplan for Crystal Palace park could be nearly TWICE the £68 million figure originally quoted, Bromley council have admitted.

It was estimated that the receipts from the sale of the two planned residential sites would be in the region of £12.8M, but this estimate was prior to the recession.

Bromley has not been able to guarantee the level of investment required given the park’s status as a national asset.  In the current economic climate where there are competing priorities on local authority funding, this is unlikely to improve, the report admits.

This report recognises that Crystal Palace Park requires significant financial investment to its infrastructure to ensure that it can be enjoyed by generations to come.

A new community stakeholder group would be formed with appointed community representatives – who would be interviewed for the positions.

The officers’ report says it is suggested “that all community representatives including a newly recruited community stakeholder group be recruited through advertisements placed in local and national newspapers and a formal interview process to ensure that the community is fairly and appropriately represented.

“These opportunities will be proactively promoted to all existing community interest groups and to all other local residents in and around the area.”

It suggests Community Links, an east London-based charity which runs a wide range of community projects involving around 30,000 people every year,  could be involved in the recruitment process “to demonstrate transparency”.

The report says officers have met with a number of community groups to discuss the Crystal Palace park management board and future management options for the park.
The majority of those consulted have been in favour of exploring next steps. One group would like to increase the community representation on the Crystal Palace park executive board from two members to four.
The existing Community Stakeholders are: Friends of Crystal Palace Park; Crystal Palace Working Party; Crystal Palace Triangle Planning Group; Crystal Palace Foundation;

Crystal Palace Community Association; Crystal Palace Campaign; Crystal Palace Museum Trust;  Norwood Society;

Sydenham Society; Dulwich Society; Crystal Palace Chamber of Commerce; Lambethans’ Society; West Beckenham Residents Association and Friends of Penge Parks

“Another insult to the people of Crystal Palace and an affront to local democracy” – CPCA.

The annual meeting of Upper Norwood library’s joint committee takes place Thursday -14 months after the same meeting ended in complete chaos.

Last year’s chaos was triggered by Croydon’ Conservative councillors’ insistence in trying to install four cabinet chairmen on the committee – a move Lambeth councillors and library campaigners said Croydon had no right to do so.

This year Croydon’s Conservative councillors have again nominated four cabinet chairmen for the committee – and this year’s nominations include Cllr Steve O’Connell, Greater London Authority member for Croydon and Sutton.

The row centres on two sets of decisions taken by the library joint committee.

The first was back in 2006 when the library committee agreed a resolution that local councillors – two from Lambeth and two from Croydon – should sit on the eight-strong committee of what is the UK’s only independent library, run jointly by Croydon and Lambeth councils.

The resolution, taken by a committee chaired by Lambeth Conservative Cllr Russell A’Court, said that a report would be presented to Lambeth’s executive committee on February 13th and then to its full council on February 22nd and to Croydon’s cabinet on March 13th 2006. The moves were made in accordance with section 15 and 16 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1969.

At the following month’s meeting it was reported that Lambeth had agreed to change the joint agreement at their executive meeting on March 13th with the item being reported to full council on February 22nd. Croydon – at that time in Labour hands – had agreed to amend the joint agreement under delegated powers.

The second decision came in June 2007 when the committee agreed to recommend to both Croydon and Lambeth that: “executive / cabinet members from each council, to avoid a conflict of interest, should no longer occupy the role of chairman of the library joint committee.”

By then the committee membership had changed completely. It was Croydon’s turn to chair the committee and the new chairman was Cllr Steve Hollands – Croydon’s very own cabinet chairman for culture and sport.

The 2006 council elections had seen the Conservatives retake control of Croydon council from Labour in which they regained two of three council seats in Upper Norwood ward and two of three council seats in South Norwood ward.

Three of those newly-elected Conservative councillors – George Filbey (Upper Norwood) along with Robert Askey and Luke Clancy (both South Norwood) duly took their places on the library committee along with a fourth Conservative from outside the area .

In last year’s council elections Labour took every council seat in the Croydon North constituency including Upper Norwood and South Norwood wards- and the Conservatives threw their toys out of the pram.

In theory, giving Labour councillors two seats on the committee would give Labour a six-two majority in any vote taken, Labour having gained all three Gipsy Hill ward seats on Lambeth council from the Conservatives.

In practice – certainly over the past few years – the library has, on the vast majority of occasions involving committee decisions, taken precedence over political differences.

In a stinging attack on Croydon’s Conservatives the Crystal Palace Community Association, in a joint statement with the Upper Norwood Library Campaign, said: “Croydon Council in a clear breach of Croydon and Lambeth’s joint agreement have, for the second year running, nominated four cabinet councillors from the far south of the borough to serve on the joint library committee.

“This is a blatant breach in that the agreement is clear that at least two nominated councillors from each borough must be from the Upper Norwood area.

“Given the cabinet members’ wide range of commitments, how plausible is it that these councillors will have the slightest interest, local knowledge or time for the Upper Norwood library? “Croydon’s behaviour is yet another insult to the people of Crystal Palace and an affront to local democracy.

“We ask all those who care about the future of our Library to attend the AGM.”

The meeting, being held in the library at 39-41 Westow Hill, SE19 starts at 6.30pm.

“BASIC MATTER OF LAW” -

‘BOOK TOKEN’ BASHFORD

CROYDON’S CONSERVATIVES see things  differently.

Cllr Sarah Bashford, Croydon’s  cabinet member for customer services, culture and sport, acquired the nickname ‘Book Token’ after reportedly suggesting it would be cheaper to hand out book tokens than it would to lend books from six of the borough’s branch libraries which are threatened with closure.

“By regulations made under the Local Government Act 2000 library functions are

functions of the cabinet, in other words ‘executive functions’.

“It follows that if either party (borough) wished to amend the agreement it would have

to seek the agreement of the other party (borough). “The functions of the committee

(terms of reference) do not include the ability to change the agreement itself, although

the joint committee can make lawful recommendations to cabinets of both boroughs.

“The contention that ‘the recommendation to amend the joint library agreement had

The Pentecostal church which purchased the former cinema at 25 Church Road, Crystal Palace looks set to move in and open up – using the name ‘The Open Door’

Three new planning applications submitted by KICC – Kingsway International Christian Centre – to Bromley council for consideration state they are for a new canopy ‘and alterations to the front elevation’; a non-illuminated wall mounted advertisement display board; and one for bicycle racks and benches where the advertising hoardings stood.

The words ‘The Open Door’ would appear above the canopy.

But a closer examination of detailed drawings which accompany the three applications show that:

• KICC plan to remove the existing doors replacing them with higher, wider doors – demolishing some of the original facade of the building in the process.
• The canopy would be about one metre (three ft) higher than the remnants of the existing canopy.
• The proposed advertisement board – which would be sitred above the benched area – is a 30 sheet size – 6578.6mm x 2921 m
• Drawings which accompany the application include a bookshop with feature ladder on sliding track and what is listed as a ‘security room (ticketing)’ with clerk’s window at ticketing booth.
• A cafe is also featured in a separate drawing.

The applicant’s email is given as KICCSW@KICC.org.uk – and it was their South West branch covering Wimbledon which KICC originally intended using the building as a church for. The project name and address is given as KI9CC SOUTHWEST 25 Church Road.

Charity Commission records accessed online show that KICC Open Door was registered in July this year.

Its objectives state that they are for the benefit of the public; the advancement of the Christian religion and the furtherance of the charitable work of the church by the advancement of such other charitable purposes as the trustees shall from time to time decide.

One of the trustees is The Rev. Andrew Eshun Yawson who is also listed as a trustee of the newly-registered KICC National Forum UK which ‘provides services’ but it does not state what type of services these are.

“We want this to remain non-contentious. “We think we have the framework of a proposal here that might be just that.”

His face appeared all over national TV, newspapers and websites in the wake of the widespread looting which occurred across London late on Monday night and early on Tuesday morning after the Metropolitan Police issued a photograph of him.

On Wednesday Karim Chaoui found even greater infamy on the front page of The Sun – Britain’s biggest selling newspaper – under the headline ‘Shop a Moron’ showing very clear pictures of looters.

There was just one minor problem – Karim had been an innocent bystander as looters hit Crystal Palace Jewellers in Church Road. And the video police initially used to add him to their first ‘wanted’ list of looters eventually helped prove his innocence.

For Karim, who runs a web design and computer and satellite repairs business in the basement of the jewellery shop,  had driven to the shop after being alerted by owner Darryll Norwood that the alarm had gone off.

Karim told this website: “I drove up here and saw the shop had been broken into. “There were about three there. “I said the police were here and they ran away. “I went into the shop and turned off the electric socket for the lights. “When I came back upstairs there were probably about 16 of them.”
Karim, who called police at 2.26am, said he was devastated – and frightened in case the looters thought he was an undercover police officer.

“People were coming from everywhere. Cars were passing and when they saw the shop had been broken into they stopped and got involved as well.
Luckily a police van from Charing Cross was passing on its way to Croydon, saw the shop had been broken into and stopped. The people ran away and the police chased them. Once the neighbours saw the police they came out and gave information such as number plates and descriptions of the looters. They were all helpful.”

Karim was at the shop until 7am when he went home. At midday he went back to the shop – to be told by Darryll he was on the Internet. ”When I looked it was everywhere. When the police came back I thought it would be all right – but it went from bad to worse. I was frightened how people would react. I had to convince the police first. When they saw the video footage they realised I was here all night”.

“The police said they would sort it as soon as possible (and they have). “It’s easy to change photographs and pictures on the Internet.”
But on Wednesday Karim found himself on the front page of The Sun.

“A Detective Chief Inspector came to apologise. I know it was done very very fast but isn’t it best to see the whole video?” he asks.
Today’s Sun has printed a paragraph pointing out that Karin (sic) Chaoui was not one of the looters – but without any picture alongside.
“I’d like an apology from The Sun. “For me what’s very silly is they had 20 pictures on the front page – one of the people in the photos was wrongly accused – but which one?”

The Sun has realised its mistake and on its website has now branded Karim a hero.

The annual Crystal Palace Overground Festival starts at 5 pm today (Wednesday, 10 August) at Westow House, Westow Hill in Crystal Palace with market stalls and entertainers and a fully interactive Rocky Horror Picture Show screening and fancy dress.

Now in its 5th year, the Crystal Palace Overground Festival is run over 4 days (10-13 August) to showcase the best local live music, poetry, theatre, comedy, film, food and fashion with the main festival hub and opening with well-known comedian Mark Steel at Westow Park on Saturday, 13 August at 11.45 am.

Festival highlights include arts, crafts, sports and kids’ activities, food and drink stalls and the best local bands and DJs on the Antenna music stage in Westow Park.

Around the Crystal Palace Triangle, local bars will host gigs and DJs, and there will be a ceramic workshop for children, a silent auction, painting and tailoring demonstrations, a steel band, an open air cinema and a Haynes Layne courtyard vintage market with DJs and acoustic sets.

The Crystal Palace Overground Festival promises something for everyone, and what’s more, it’s absolutely free!

When: Wednesday 10 – Saturday 13 August, 2011
Where: Westow Park & Crystal Palace Triangle, Crystal Palace, LONDON SE19 3AN
Getting there by tube/train/bus: Crystal Palace, Gypsy Hill www.tfl.gov.uk
For the full programme of events, visit the Crystal Palace Festival website

Comedian and Crystal Palace resident Mark Steel will open the 5th Crystal Palace Overground Festival on Saturday, August 13 at Westow Park, Crystal Palace.

The well-known comedian, author and broadcaster will officially open the main day of the festival, 13 August, at 11.45 am from the Antenna stage in Westow Park (the festival starts at 11 am).

Mark’s support comes from a deep love for all things Crystal Palace – “Put simply, the Crystal Palace Overground Festival is certain to be a greater event than the Edinburgh Festival, any carnival in Brazil or the moon landing. And definitely better than anything they do in north London!” said the comedian and political activist.

Noreen Meehan, lead festival organiser, said: “We are thrilled to have Mark open the festival for us – he’s a well-known and loved figure around the area and has always shown great support for his community – and he will definitely make you laugh!”

The free 4-day festival (10-13 August) will feature the best local live music, poetry, theatre, comedy, film, food and fashion with the main festival hub and opening at Westow Park on Saturday, 13 August featuring arts and crafts activities including Westow Park’s very own recycled dinosaur, sports and kids’ activities, food and drink stalls, the best local bands and DJs on the Antenna music stage, and even a good old fashioned tug of war!

Around the Crystal Palace Triangle, local bars will host gigs and DJs, and there will be a ceramic workshop for children, a silent auction, painting and tailoring demonstrations, a steel band, an open air cinema and a Haynes Layne courtyard vintage market with DJs and acoustic sets.

“The buzz is definitely building and everyone is looking forward to a great day out on 13 August,” said Noreen. “We have received lots of feedback already from people who are coming out with their friends and family to enjoy the fruits of this amazingly creative area.”

For the full programme of events, visit the Crystal Palace Festival website

What is The Crystal Palace parkrun?

It’s a 5km run against the clock. It is held every Saturday at 09:00 in Crystal Palace Park. See Course page for more details. It’s free! but please register in advance. All abilities welcome. For further information go to the Crystal Palace parkrun website.

Crystal Palace parkrun needs you!

As the Crystal Palace parkrun is entirely organised by volunteers they always need people who can dedicate one or two Saturday morning every two months. The idea is to build a number of teams, each self-sufficient that will be able to start and end the run safely and produce the results. Some of these roles allow you to volunteer and run. i.e. a runner could easily do the post run results processing.

Crystal Palace parkrun is a warm, friendly event and the volunteers are invaluable in helping the event run as smoothly as possible.

New and old parkrunners are encouraged to join the list of volunteers. Without our volunteers on Saturday mornings Crystal Palace parkrun could not happen and I certainly could not do everything on my own!

There are lots of roles available on Saturday mornings, from setting up the event to registration, and timing to course marshals. Everyone is welcome to help out and volunteers are able to choose the role that they would like to do, training is given as and where necessary. During the event itself, there will always be people, including myself, around so if you ever had a problem you can call on them to help.

When you volunteer at Crystal Palace parkrun, you are rewarded for your efforts through points on the league tables, acknowledgements on the website and through emails. It is also very rewarding to help out too.

Volunteering on a Saturday morning only takes about an hour so you have the rest of the day to do as you wish. Some people help with set up and then run the 5k course, others run the course and then help pack the bits and pieces away so that they do not miss out on their weekend run.

All volunteers can help out as often or as little as they wish and there is no pressure whatsoever.

If you are interested in being put onto the volunteer list for the Crystal Palace parkrun please contact  CrystalPalaceHelpers@parkrun.com

The Crystal Palace Overground Festival (10-13 August, 2011) is going from strength to strength with over 30 acts and 50 attractions planned for this year’s event!

Now in its 5th year, the Crystal Palace Overground Festival is expanding to Westow Park on Saturday, August 13 to host an outdoor live music stage, a food and crafts village, kids and sports activities and arts workshops, from 11am onwards.

The expansion is largely down to new Crystal Palace festival honcho Noreen Meehan from Gipsy Hill, SE London who joined the 11-strong organising team in April 2011 as lead festival organiser. ”I really couldn’t resist getting involved,” said Noreen. “Crystal Palace is such a vibrant town, full of unexpected surprises, quirky little shops, bars and restaurants, and the area is steeped in history and culture. The aim of our festival is to celebrate all that is great about Crystal Palace and its people.”

Festival founder Andy Stem said: “I love it when the festival comes to Crystal Palace. The town comes alive. Crystal Palace works especially well when folk promenade around the Triangle. Past festivals have enabled this to happen and I’m delighted to have been a part of it.”

Last year, the festival attracted 2,500 people to Crystal Palace but Noreen and her team of volunteers are anticipating an increase in number for the 2011 event.
The free 4-day festival will feature the best local live music, poetry, theatre, comedy, film, food and fashion around the Crystal Palace Triangle, with events running in the week leading up to and during the main event itself. Local bars will host gigs and DJs, and there will be a ceramic workshop for children, a silent auction, painting and tailoring demonstrations, an open air cinema and shopping, including vintage and antiques.

The festival costs £15,000 to run and relies on the sponsorship, goodwill and support of the local community, including in 2011, a grant from Croydon Voluntary Action, marketing support from London Overground, organisational support from the Crystal Palace Chamber of Commerce and sponsorship from local businesses.
Local people can support the festival by volunteering their time to the event. volunteer@crystalpalacefestival.org

For the full line up and/or to donate online, visit the crystal palace festival website

Find Crystal Palace Festival on Facebook

Follow Crystal Palace Festival on Twitter