PARK USERS TEAR DOWN FENCE

A group of park users calling themselves the Crystal Palace Park Liberation Front (CPPLF) last night uprooted part of the unsightly fence illegally enclosing the top ridge of the park. They left a spray-painted message wishing Crystal Palace a merry Christmas.

A spokesperson for the group said, “We wanted the park to be open for people to enjoy over the holidays, though ultimately it shouldn’t be fenced off at all.”

This is part of a growing campaign against Bromley Council’s unlawful enclosure of the top of Crystal Palace Park. Although allegedly erected to prevent further fly-tipping, there is widespread concern that Bromley once again has other plans for the site including possible development.

Two local residents have launched a court case challenging Bromley’s decision to enclose the land. Bromley’s response has been to open an alternative pathway into the park, thereby failing to consider whether or not the land should have been enclosed in the first place or kept closed to pedestrians.

Background Information:
In 1998 Bromley Council decided that the top ridge of Crystal Palace Park should be home to a multiplex cinema. There was massive opposition to the development both from local people and environmental organisations and finally, after a battle lasting years, the developers backed down.

The land remained fenced off until autumn 2001 when it was finally opened up for public use. In the months that followed there was heavy fly-tipping on parts of the land, which Bromley Council made no attempt to clear up or prevent.

Earlier this year, Bromley Council erected 2.4m high plywood hoardings to enclose the land, thus blocking public access. Their reason for doing this was allegedly to prevent further incursions on to the land by fly-tippers.

The huge local opposition has once again swung into action. There have been meetings with Bromley’s councillors where representatives from local groups have suggested alternative ways to prevent fly-tipping such as bollards or a more aesthetically pleasing fence. Bromley has so far ignored all suggestions. Now that the land looks like a building site, many people believe it is more attractive to potential developers.

After a candle-lit vigil on the 21st September, organised in protest against the fence, people began to kick the fence down and pull off the plywood hoardings. Around 50 people, mostly local residents, joined in to reclaim their park, taking down long stretches of fence.

Bromley recently held a ‘consultation’ regarding the fence, but many people felt that it was flawed as the questions were unfairly biased. On the 19th December about 30 local residents attended a Bromley Council meeting where councillors discussed the outcome of the consultation. Councillors disagreed with the majority view that the fence had failed to solve the problem of the fly-tipping, and said that the consultation was therefore invalid. The decision that advertising boards will not be erected as was previously planned was welcomed, but for the time being the fence is staying put.

For further information and photographs contact:  savecrystalpalacepark@yahoo.co.uk