B U L L E T I NSummer 2010 Issue Two

This is the age when energy andexperience are said to cometogether. The CPCA has plenty ofeach, and this year the Associationcelebrates its 40th birthday!

It has been, and continues to be,run by volunteers who feel that‘doing’ is better than just worryingor hoping for the best. Working toprotect the local heritage from ill-considered planning applicationsand road schemes, attending policemeetings to help ensure safer homesand streets, and promoting thecultural and trading life of theTriangle makes the CPCA aneffective voice for those who reallycare about Crystal Palace.

There are many achievements tocelebrate, including: the designationof the Triangle as a conservationarea; preventing Bromley Councilfrom removing Metropolitan OpenLand status from the Park’s hilltop;and more recently, getting the LoÕËÖÕDevelopment Agency’s plan to sellparkland for housing called in forlocal public inquiry.

As this is a special year for theCPCA, our AGM will include a

celebration with homemade food,wine and a birthday cake! As well asthe usual business, there will be anaudio-visual presentation by localartist and CPCA President, AudreyHammond. She will describe thefounding of the CPTCA (nowCPCA) in 1970, using her extensivephotographic and artistic records ofthe area to show the changes, bothgood and bad, which have occurredover the years.

The AGM is open to all members.If you are not yet a member, there isstill time to join by completing theform on page 6. This is a goodopportunity to see how theAssociation works, to meet theCommittee, and to ask questions.

We ask people to arrive promptlyfor what promises to be a lively andenjoyable event.

Life begins at 40!

CPCA AGM

Thursday 20 May 2010,

7.30pm

Goodliffe Hall, Christ Church,

Highland Road, off Gipsy Hill,

London SE19

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Dramatic changes may be ahead forthe way our town centre is to bemanaged, following the relocationby Croydon Council of our TownCentre Manager to Purley.

Croydon has decided, through the offices of their controversialCroydon Economic DevelopmentCompany, to provide funding, and pass the role of businessdevelopment in the area, to theCrystal Palace & Upper NorwoodChamber of Commerce. This, theysay, would be achieved through theestablishment of a ‘BusinessImprovement District’ (BID).

Bromley, Lambeth and theLondon Development Agency haveindicated that they would also beprepared to support this conceptwith a degree of funding.

Crystal Palace – a ‘globaldestination’?Despite Croydon’s insistence thatthe new arrangement will beinclusive, and that residents’ groupswill be able to contribute to anydebate, the CPCA no longer receivesinvitations to attend Chamber ofCommerce meetings. This followsour opposition to Chamber Chair,Ray Hall’s proposal for a vast hotel,conference centre and leisuredevelopment complex, occupyingup to 20 acres of Crystal PalacePark, which has been heavilypromoted through the offices of the Chamber.

Mr Hall recently responded onbehalf of the Chamber to Croydon’sdraft ‘Core Strategy’, proposing thatthis area of southeast London betransformed into a ‘globaldestination’, and that this couldonly be achieved by the constructionof his proposed development, and the relocation of Crystal PalaceFootball Club to Crystal Palace Park.

Council leaders support vastdevelopment on the ParkChamber members represent just asmall percentage of traders in theTriangle, let alone the wider area,and it is questionable whether asmall unrepresentative group oftraders and acolytes should receivesubstantial funding from the publicpurse to enable them to pursue theirown commercial speculation.

Despite the absence of a planningapplication, Environmental ImpactAssessment, Traffic ImpactAssessment, or even a basic businessplan, the leaders of Croydon andBromley Councils, Cllrs Mike Fisherand Stephen Carr, fully support

Mr Hall’s scheme. However, suchproposals would be contrary to theMayor’s London Plan and Bromley’sand Croydon’s UDPs, whichmaintain that protection ofMetropolitan Open Land isparamount.

Shouldn’t the community have a say?The CPCA is concerned that theChamber, devoted as it is only tobusiness interests, is being used to lobby politically for hugecommercial development on our

Should publicmoney fund privatespeculation?

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Park. Yet it was not long ago that thecommunity fought hard to preventsuch a development on the hilltop.

Do we want our tiny town tobecome the ‘capital of SouthLondon’ and a ‘global destination’,or would we rather preserve theunique and rich history that makesthe place so special to us? Theeclectic, quirky shops and artisanworkshops tucked away in the heart of the Triangle; the myriadrestaurants; the wonderful viewsand open spaces of Crystal PalacePark – these never cease to amazeand delight, and are why so manyof us choose to live and work here.

CPCA pushes for widerrepresentationThe CPCA will meet shortly withCroydon Enterprise to discuss howother interest groups can have aninput into how their area is to besustained and improved.

New Charter for LibraryIn the year of the Upper NorwoodJoint Library’s (UNJL) 110thanniversary, a new Charter has beenlaunched by the its Joint Committee,recommending a continuation of theunique independence of the Library,with adequate funding for its needsin providing a ‘stand-alone’ andself-sufficient service for the CrystalPalace community.

The UNJL is the most efficientlibrary service in London. Officialfigures show that its running costsare 50% lower than the average forGreater London, and 56% lowerthan those for Inner London.

Crystal Palace residents pay thesame Council Tax for their libraryservices as those in other parts ofLambeth and Croydon, but only see about 65% of it invested in their own local library service.

CPCA calls on its members tosupport the Charter, by attendingUNJL Committee meetings (detailsfrom the Library or CPCA website).

In the 1990s, the community united in itsopposition to development on the Park

Cinema campaignNo news yet whether KICC willappeal against Bromley’s refusal forchange of use of the former bingohall in Church Road to a place ofworship. The campaign to reinstatea cinema will hold a stall at theCrystal Palace Triangle Festival, Sat 29 May. www.picture-palace.org

The new train service is due to startoperating on Saturday 22 May, withfour trains an hour from CrystalPalace to Dalston Junction. It is

understood that existing services willnot be affected, and that the originalbooking hall is being refurbished andwill open later in the year.

East London line update

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Conservation area concernsAt the Norbury & Upper NorwoodNeighbourhood Partnershipmeeting on the 24 March, thoseattending made it very clear thatthey were unhappy with the waythe Triangle Conservation Area wasbeing maintained. There was muchreference to the poor quality andnature of planning applications anda lack of enforcement ofconservation area policy.

Danger on Westow StreetOne of the concerns was theunlawful used car lot at VictoryPlace, Westow Street, which isoperating without planningpermission, and whose operatorsremoved a row of attractivewrought-iron railings. A publicbench, waste bin and large pottedstreet plant have also disappeared.

The CPCA asked CroydonCouncil to impose a ‘Stop Order’ onthe operation as, apart from theunlawful use, there were significantsafety issues, including vehiclesreversing out of the car lot into theone-way traffic on Westow Street.

Croydon refused, saying, “...whilethe application [for temporary use ofthe land as a car lot] is pending, thereis no intention to instigate furtherenforcement action”. They also saythat removal of the railings did notrequire planning permission andthat the street furniture was not oncouncil land. They did not say whathad happened to the items that wereremoved.

Some good news However, there is one bit of goodnews. On 6 April, Simon Bashford,Croydon’s Principal Planner(Business Development & Liaison),conducted a tour of the Trianglewith a number of localrepresentatives, including theCPCA, on a survey of shop fronts.

He said this would feed into astudy to establish the status of theshop fronts of concern (ie whetherthey are lawful, currently the subjectof enforcement action, historic to thepoint where they are beyondenforcement action, etc).

Mr Bashford said: “I think this is a positive step forward and hopefully,although I cannot guarantee it, we’ll beable to find some resources to beproactive about any breaches that cometo light.”

He confirmed that a currentappraisal of the TriangleConservation Area would befollowed shortly by a consultationand adoption process.

Matters

Dangerous manoeuvres: cars reverse out ofVictory Place into Westow Street

TELL US YOUR VIEWS!We want to hear your views on

the issues affecting our area

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Delving into the history of theCPCA was a much harder task thanI could have imagined, involvingmany ascents into my dusty attic toseek out the early records. Havingsorted the heavy tomes, I started togo through them. What a task – andwhat struggles were revealed!

Galvanised into actionIt all began in mid-1969, withdramatic headlines announcing the demolition of the Triangle aspart of Croydon Council’s plans forredevelopment. Many local peoplewere horrified. We lived herebecause we loved the character of the place, with its historicatmosphere, traditional shops andquiet leafy streets. But shopkeeperswere having a hard time andCroydon’s only solution appeared to be to rebuild anew.

As rumours circulated, peoplebegan to formulate counter ideas,such as a Family Arts Centre insidethe Triangle, to revitalise this focalpoint, drawing the community tothe Triangle to enjoy its cultural andcreative activities and its local shops.

The precursor of the CPCAbegins to formA group of interested local peoplemet, discussed and thrashed out aname (the Crystal Palace TriangleCommunity Association) and calleda public meeting in January 1970.Many more came to offer their helpand talents, and we were away.

A certain Jim Ballantine offered hisshop windows in Church Road foradvertising(as above). He also heldweekly chess and music evenings inhis house, and became ourmembership secretary. With his, andeveryone else’s enthusiasm, ourmembership rocketed to over 600 inthe first year.

Confrontation over Park plansThose first few years were fulfilling,but incredibly hard work. We failedto secure funding for the ArtsCentre, but our time was taken uporganising hundreds of activities forthe community, as well as a monthlynewsletter. We were also kept busywriting letters and trying tonegotiate with local councils. By1973 we were in head-on altercationwith the GLC over their suddenlythought-up plans for our Park.

Well – some things never change!

Next instalment in the Autumn issue

40 years of CPCAA personal history told in instalments by Audrey Hammond

The early years: 1969-1973

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CPCA FINAL:BL2 TMP 2 23/04/2010 21:28 Page 6

The 60-secondinterview

Rebecca FragaMember of CPCAEvents Committee

Rebecca has lived in Crystal Palacefor five years. Her work involvessupporting families who havechildren with disabilities.

What brought you to Crystal Palace?I was drawn by the quirky shops, thevillage-like atmosphere, and all theopen spaces. Last year I joined theDulwich Park runners and I haveexplored and appreciated the manygreen spaces, tree-lined roads,interesting gardens and hidden gemsthat this area has to offer.

Why did you join the CPCA?I wanted a sense of belonging, andto get a feel for what was going onin the local community. By joiningthe CPCA I have met so manypeople. It’s nice to bump into peopleI know when I go to Sainsbury’sand, as the members are such a mixof different people, there is always astory to be heard. It has also givenme the opportunity to find outabout local issues, such as thecinema and the library campaigns.

Why did you decide to join theEvents Committee?Events are enjoyable to organise andparticipate in, and a great way tomeet people. Through the guidedwalks I have learnt a lot about thelocal history of the area. Even theAGMs are enjoyable – what otherorganisation can boast a range ofguest speakers from a world-renowned puppeteer performing ashow, to the local fox project givinga talk on the secret lives of foxes?

Volunteering* The Crystal Palace Foundation is avoluntary organisation promotingresearch and education on thehistory of the Palace. It is currentlyinvolved in conservation of theremains of the Park’s aquarium.www.crystalpalacefoundation.org.ukTel: 07889 338 812

* Embrace Woodlands is a one-yearproject based on Dulwich UpperWood that offers exciting workplacements and practical

environmental conservation skills.They are also looking for local

residents to take part in oral historyinterviews about the wood. www.myembrace.org Tel: 020 8670 1221

Farmers’ markets* West Norwood High Street(Lancaster Road end): 1st and 3rdSaturday of the month, 10am-3pm.

* Dulwich College forecourt: 4thSunday of the month, 9am-1pm.

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Good things to do locally

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Crystal Palace Community Associationc/o 10 Jasper Road London SE19 1SJ Tel/fax: 020 8670 4395

email: cpca@onetel.com website: www.cpca.org.ukMember of the London Forum of Amenity & Civic Societies Registered Charity No. 261790

SECRETARY /

ADMInISTRATOR

Donate your skills to a

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Please cut out the form onpage 6 and send it with yoursubscription – or better still,

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bother each year – to theaddress below.

Social EventsLocal history walk‘New Worlds, New Discoveries,New Inventions’Tuesday 1 June, 7pmMeet at Forsyth Crescent, Church Road,by the Croydon transmitter.Due to popular request we arerepeating this guided walk, whichuncovers local memorials, blueplaques and places of interest,revealing the fascinating stories ofpast residents and the legacies theyhave left us. The walk takesapproximately two hours, andfinishes at the Dulwich Wood House pub, where we will takerefreshments (not included). *Cost: £5 per person.

Quiz Night Friday 11 June, 7.30pmGoodliffe Hall, Highland Road, SE19Join a team – or bring your own of upto eight people – to this fun event.The cost includes a fish and chipsupper. Veggie quiche available too –please let us know when you book.

There will be a limited choice ofdrinks available in exchange fordonations, or bring your own.*Cost: £8 members; £9 non-members.

A wander along the WandleSunday 11 July, 10amMeet at Beckenham Road tram stop.We will take the tram to Waddon tostart our walk, which follows theRiver Wandle. Enjoy the variedwildlife as the stream develops intoa river, passing through lovely parks,old mills and Carshalton Ponds.We finish at Morden Hall, for lunch at the National Trust Cafébefore heading back by tram. *Cost of walk: £5 (transport andrefreshments not included).

Dining out Tuesday 20 July, 7.30pmA Torre Restaurant, Westow St, SE19If you’d like to join us for a meal atthis popular Portuguese restaurant,please let us know by July 17.

*All monies go towards CPCA funds

TO bOOk AnY OF ThE AbOVE EVEnTS PLEASE COnTACT US AS bELOW

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