FOI - Crystal Palace public engagement sessions [Jul 2023]

Your request

In response to the Freedom of Information request (reference MGLA141122-3237) in December 2022, your response was that you had started the survey work and procurement of a consultancy team and that 'Our development and testing of the programme will continue over the coming weeks alongside the formulation of a series of public engagement sessions in the new year to support the development of the proposals.'

• Did the public engagement sessions happen? If so, what was the result?
• If they didn’t happen, why not?
• Do you have a date on when the works on the swimming pool will start?

Our response

Public Engagement Sessions

The public engagement sessions have not yet taken place. The project team have been working to review and validate the previous design concept design proposals which were completed in 2019.

Much of the work remains valid and the right approach, however a lot has changed since the work was completed, especially in the leisure sector and through the impact of Covid-19.

New policy and legislation has been adopted, sporting need and strategy has evolved, and the park regeneration plan has progressed through outline planning. Therefore it is right to review the assumptions that were previously made which informed some of the earlier design decisions.

This is what the team are doing currently - the purpose is to review, validate, or amend the 
previous work, to develop a viable business plan and a deliverable phased scheme within a developing wider masterplan.

This work will be complete by September 2023, at which point we will have an agreed scheme or brief to develop to planning stage and beyond. At the same time, intrusive surveys are being planned for and scheduled to better inform the design development.

These surveys will build on the visual condition surveys which have already taken place. 
We’re planning an event at the centre to share the details of what we think the first phase 
scope could be.

We are hoping to confirm this will be at the end of September 2023.

We will be updating the london.gov.uk webpage as a source of information, and will also be launching a newsletter to communicate regular updates.

Works to the Swimming Pools

We can share that we’re targeting Spring 2024 for the submission of a planning application and that the project will start on site in 2025, following the procurement of a contractor. We 
estimate an approximate 2 year construction period for the initial phase of work, which includes the 50m and diving pools. 

The reopening of the 50m and diving pools remain the key priority for the Mayor, which is why the effective rebuild of the pools, such is the extent of the work required, is being prioritised to be delivered in the first phase of a major phased development.

This work will not only enable the pools to be safely reopened, it will modernise the pools, improving access and energy efficiency.

In the meantime, we’re delivering some early improvements in the next year, including repairs to the athletics tracks - both stadium and indoor, changing rooms and gym improvements, and the reinstatement of floodlights.

Large parts of the centre, including the 25m and teaching swimming pools, the athletics 
facilities, the indoor sports hall and gym and the outside courts are still available for use and it is intended that they will remain open for as long as possible during the longer term 
redevelopment.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting
reference MGLA170723-2030.