(L.51) Master Plan/Inquiry time-line/APPROVAL

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Right Hon. Eric Pickles, has fully approved:

Application A - the Master Plan for Crystal Palace Park
Application B - conservation area consent
Application C - listed building consent.

A large number of people and organisations have worked towards the regeneration of Crystal Palace Park; this is a real 'holiday season' gift to them as well as to local residents, park users, the local economy and others. The huge amount of work put into the Master Plan by its many contributors, financed by the LDA and supported by a majority of local people, now has to be put into practice. Everyone faces the challenge in the new year of implementing the plan - a complicated but satisfying task. (Rt Hon Eric Pickles)

The approval of the Master Plan has taken a long time; here are some key dates:

May 2001	Cancellation of cinema multiplex (after a four-year campaign)
March 2002	Publication of Crystal Palace Campaign questionnaire results “Consultation Starts Here”
July 2002	Consultation/conciliation (first) meeting at Battersea Park initiated by the Crystal Palace Campaign
November 2002	Formal beginning of consultation process - Facilitator, Nigel Westaway
March 2004	LDA; NSC rescue, involvement in consultation process
July 2006	Appointment of Master Planners, Latz and Partner (appointees include local people)
November 2007	Submission of Master Plan to Bromley Council – for outline planning permission
December 2008	Master Plan approved by Bromley Council (votes 11 – 4)
January 2009	Call in of Master Plan
August 2009	Public Inquiry (about a month long)
July 2010	Letter indicating that the Secretary of State was minded to concur – signature date set back to 6 October 2010
September 2010	CPF letter – delay to 22 November 2010
October 2010	CPCA letter – delay to 13 December 2010
December 2010	Approval by the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles
January 2011	Challenge to the Secretary of State's decision by Elliott & Payne
7 & 8th March 2012	Hearing in Court 28, Administrative Court, Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London before Mr Justice Keith
10 April 2012	Decision from hearing expected...

 

• LINK - Letter regarding points raised by the CPF and CPCA - Crystal Palace Campaign Chair, Ray Sacks 30 October 2010 [.pdf file, 4.3 Mb large file)
• LINK - Challenge document: Elliott & Payne; 21 January 2011
• LINK - Town and Country Planning Act 1990 - Section 288 (legal basis for challenge)

Note: [correction to previous notes] January 2011 - the Secretary of State's decision to approve the Master Plan, after he had received a recommendation from the Inquiry Inspector, was challenged under Section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; see link above for full text of Section 288. Essentially any "aggrieved person" "may make an application to the High Court under this section" on the grounds that the Secretary of State's action is not within the powers of the act or that the "relevant requirements" have not been complied with in relation to that action.

Five grounds were set out in the Claim Form (see link to challenge document above) and were presented at the court hearing by Robert McCracken QC (with Annabel Graham Paul). The case for the defendants was put by Rupert Warren (Landmark Chambers) and Richard Ground (Cornerstone Barristers).

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