Proposals to regenerate the centre, which has been described as "tired and dated", are set to be approved by Bromley Council this week.

The huge project — spearheaded by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Greater London Authority (GLA) — will be discussed at Bromley’s Development Control Committee on Thursday (July 23) where planning officers have recommended it for approval.

Bromley planners said the proposal would “significantly enhance the quality of the existing sports provision and improve the experience of users across both the borough and London”.

READ MORE: Crystal Palace Dinosaurs removed from Heritage at Risk Register

This is how it could look after the revamp

The full details of the plans for the centre were revealed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) in March, but since then there have been a mixed feelings about the upgrade.

Sports and activities at the new Crystal Palace National Sports Centre include:

• Athletics
• Football
• Hockey
• Running
• Padel
• Swimming
• Diving
• Badminton
• Futsal
• Handball
• Netball
• Tennis
• Basketball
• Gymnastics
• Dry diving
• Volleyball
• Beach volleyball
• Korfball
• Gymnasium
• Boxing
• Yoga
• Weightlifting
• Climbing
• 5-a-side football
• Water polo
• Underwater hockey

The Aquatics Hall could get upgraded under the plans

The planning application has received hundreds of responses from Bromley residents; 390 people wrote in to support the project, while the proposal also garnered 406 objections.

Supporters have praised the sporting opportunities the new centre will bring to all of South London, while objectors are concerned certain sports will be disadvantaged under the new plans.

‘An extremely important development’

Those in support of the sport centre’s regeneration have said the facility is “where athletes are built, communities grow, and futures are shaped” and called the proposal “an extremely important development” for Crystal Palace and South London.

Supporters welcome the chance to bring the dilapidated complex back to life, with one commenting: “It is sad to see how tired and run down it had become. The sports centre is the beating heart of Crystal Palace, much loved and used. It is great to receive the investment needed and I fully support the plans.”

Others felt the centre’s revival would reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the area by giving young people opportunities to partake in a wide variety of sports.

Several sporting communities have thrown their support behind the project. Weightlifters have backed the plans to ensure the continued success of Crystal Palace Weightlifting Club. The club is led by “legend” Keith Morgan, a man who has coached club members who have gone on to become Olympians.

Weightlifters have praised the proposals

Olympians and Paralympians lend support

Swimmers — including one Paralympian who trained for both London 2012 and Rio 2016 in the Crystal Palace pool— have welcomed the return of the 50m pool. The improved accessibility of the changing rooms has also been praised.

Divers are keen to see the diving pools brought back into use, and water polo and underwater hockey players are hopeful the 50m pool could host matches and tournaments. Track runners and badminton and volleyball players have too voiced their support.

Volleyball England “strongly supports” the regeneration due to the improved sports hall and beach volleyball area. England Netball is also happy with the plans, as is England Athletics which said the project would “secure the long-term future of the site and allow it to serve as a modern, inclusive, and sustainable centre for athletics”.

Sport England itself raised no objection to the planning application. A spokesperson said: “The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is tired and dated, and in desperate need of investment and modernisation in order to make it inclusive and accessible to all sections of the local community and to bring it into the 21st century, as well as to set in sound financial footing for the future.

“There is overwhelming support for the scheme by the non-pitch sport national governing bodies which responded to our consultation. The two pitch sports affected, hockey and football, have objected, but we are of the opinion that planning conditions can address their concerns.”

Some concerns have been raised about the plans

Pitch ‘not sufficient’ for demands of football and hockey

England Hockey and the Football Foundation have objected to the plans as they think the proposed shared multi-sport artificial grass pitch would not be sufficient for the demand that both hockey and football have. The proposal would lead to the loss of an artificial pitch at the centre, something both national sporting organisations are concerned about.

The indoor climbing community has voiced several concerns about the provision for a climbing wall within the new sports centre, calling the current plans “undefined” and “unacceptably vague”.

Under the new plans, a climbing wall would be situated in the current 5-a-side building. However, there is significantly less detail provided about what form this will take place compared to the rest of the centre’s facilities.

Planning documents state the climbing facility’s “detailed design, fit-out and operational arrangements” were to be “developed at a later stage by the appointed operator”, with some estimating the full build and fit-out costing £1.5m plus.

Mount Palace, a climbing centre located within the current sports centre, said submitted detail for the new climbing area “does not demonstrate a clearly defined and deliverable climbing facility can be secured”.

Climbing wall ‘commercially unviable’

Mount Palace also said the GLA had confirmed the climbing area would have to close during athletics events to allow “unimpeded athlete movement” through the centre. This could affect 10 weekends of the year, equating to around 20 per cent of peak trading time, which climbers fear could render the commercial project unviable.

There are also fears the climbing space will be repurposed for ‘soft play’ or ‘Ninja Warrior’ style attractions.

Bromley officers noted these concerns, but argued that the space set aside for the climbing facility was nearly three times the size of the current one. They considered the proposal constituted an improvement compared to the current provision because of this.

Motorsport fans want racing to return to Crystal Palace Park, the last official instance of which took place in 1972. The proposal would mean some parts of the track are built on, something objectors said “prevents its use in the future and prevents people walking the historic track”.

Bromley planning officers said the entirety of the racing circuit would be retained and remain “clearly recognisable” despite the changes, stating there would be little harm to the park’s motorsport heritage.

Only some sections of Stadium Straight would be narrowed to enable the inclusion of additional outdoor sporting and recreational facilities, such as 5-a-side football and 3v3 basketball.