One of London's finest green spaces is under threat, but you wouldn't know it. A Chinese billionaire has already been handed exclusive rights to develop Crystal Palace Park.

You read that right - building a commercial development on green space in Crystal Palace Park. Where are the voices raised in furious opposition? Where is the Save Crystal Palace Park campaign, heckling the mayor and representing park-lovers at council meetings and in the media?

The reason for their absence is that this has been cleverly spun as a "rebuilding" project, the restoring of our palace, so cruelly destroyed all those years ago.

History experts are cynically brought along to give presentations at the consultation events, which are sufficiently vague to give opponents nothing to get their teeth into. But as each one finishes, the project inches ever closer and the prospect of bulldozers tearing up our park becomes starker.

Many influential parties are sceptical, but are choosing to "help shape" the proposals rather than fight it now. But the bigger picture remains - whoever designs it, whatever goes inside (and don't believe for one moment this will not be built to make money) our park is getting built on.

Boris wants it, the council want it, and the Government wants it. Who is fighting on the other side?

Crystal Palace Park is a joy, and it has grown that way organically over many years. It has no need for ZhongRong Group's millions and deserves to be left alone for future generations and not to become a vanity project for the mayor.

But that is what's happening, and in years to come, we will regret having the wool pulled over our eyes in this way.

ROB HAWKINS

Anerley Park

 

 


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