The regeneration plan for the historic Crystal Palace Park gains further momentum following the confirmation of a £5 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The £5 million grant has now been confirmed to support a wide-ranging programme of improvements in the next phase of the historic park’s regeneration plan. This phase recently received planning approval and works can now commence in Spring 2025 thanks to this grant and the generous support of further match funders. This £17.75m phase will restore the glory to historic monuments and treasures like the iconic dinosaurs and Italian terraces.
The Heritage Fund grant will particularly support the restoration of the internationally significant dinosaurs and their landscape, guided by the specialist advice provided by Historic England over a number of years. Home to the iconic dinosaurs, the Geological Court will be restored and Paxton’s Grand Centre Walk will also be rejuvenated with new planting, reinstated historic views and enhanced biodiversity to help revitalise this beautiful green space.
A brand-new dinosaur themed playground is being created with support from this funding, which is being designed in collaboration with local residents and groups, who provided important feedback earlier this year. The dinosaur restoration has also been supported by the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs over a number of years.
Funding for this phase of the regeneration plan has come from a number of sources in addition to the grant awarded from The National Lottery Heritage fund. Thanks is also extended to the Wolfson Foundation, the London Marathon Foundation and the Pilgrim Trust for their generous match funding contributions.
Visitors to the park will also be able to enjoy improved accessibility with reinforced pathways and wayfinding and new lighting in a key pedestrian route, including in these upcoming works. The bust of Joseph Paxton will also be restored, with this being relocated to the centre of the park, just as Paxton’s vision is central to the Bromley Council’s regeneration plan for the park.
News of the delivery grant funding, follows the recent unveiling of the Grade II* listed Crystal Palace Subway, which saw over 2,200 visitors when it was opened as part of Open House Festival in September 2024 by Crystal Palace Park Trust.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Bromley’s Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, said: “This very welcome funding elevates our vision to regenerate this magnificent 200-acre park to the next level. As we restore the park’s extraordinary history we are, at the same time, creating a sustainable model for its future which boosts the local economy while supporting the wellbeing of local residents enjoying its beautiful spaces.
“The recent reopening of the park’s Victorian subway shows what we can achieve through partnership working, which we will now look to replicate as we turn our attention to heritage like the much-loved dinosaurs. We are enormously grateful to have this support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as we enter a new chapter in the park’s history.”
Crystal Palace Park Trust are the new community-led custodians of the park, who will manage the park’s historic sites following restoration, under a new sustainable business and governance model created as part of the regeneration plan.
Victoria Pinnington, Chief Executive Officer, Crystal Palace Park Trust said: “This grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside all the other generous awards from our funding partners, is a major milestone for both the park and the Trust as we celebrate the first anniversary of our custodianship of this incredible historic landscape. We couldn’t be more grateful and thrilled at the vote of confidence it represents in the regeneration plans, which will see some much-loved areas of the park restored and enhanced for future generations to enjoy.
We’re also delighted to be using this funding to launch a major heritage engagement programme that will bring the 170-year story of this park to life for many more people. From 2025, Crystal Palace Park Trust will be able to offer our community a fascinating mix of nature-based, creative and sporting activities alongside a wide range of training, volunteering and employment opportunities. We cannot wait to get started.”
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“Crystal Palace Park is one of London’s great green spaces. It’s a wonderful project that demonstrates the breadth of heritage that people value and want to pass onto future generations - from its nature walks, music, sporting and cultural events to the iconic dinosaurs and Paxton Grand Central Walk. We’re delighted that thanks to money raised by National Lottery players over the last 30 years, we’ve been able to work in partnership with those who care for heritage and create benefits for people, places, and our natural environment.”
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For media enquiries please contact:
James George in Public Affairs, Bromley Council on 020 8313 4565 or email james.george@bromley.gov.uk
About Crystal Palace Park Trust
Crystal Palace Park Trust is the new, community-led custodian of the 200-acre, Grade II* listed historic landscape and its many unique buildings and attractions, in south London. The Trust’s vision is for Crystal Palace Park to be an outstanding park for London. Our mission is to protect, manage and improve Crystal Palace Park as a green, open, historic, ecological, recreational, sporting, cultural and educational resource in the interests of the community and other park users.
Follow @crystalpalaceparktrust on LinkedIn, and Instagram, Facebook.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.
Over the next ten years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.
We help protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.
We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund.
About the Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.
Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.
X: @wolfsonfdn
About the London Marathon Foundation
The London Marathon Foundation is the parent charity of London Marathon Events (LME), organisers of world leading mass participation sporting events including the TCS London Marathon. Every year, after costs, the income generated by LME is passed as corporate Gift Aid to the London Marathon Foundation.
London Marathon Foundation’s mission is to fund initiatives that inspire, encourage and champion participation and diversity in sports and physical activity.
Since 1981, the London Marathon Foundation has awarded £110 million to more than 1,700 projects that inspire activity in London, Essex and across the UK.
London Marathon Foundation is the operating name of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, a registered charity (283813) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (01550741). Registered office: 190 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YB.
About the Pilgrim Trust
The Pilgrim Trust is an independent charitable trust that was set up in 1930 to support the urgent and future needs of the UK. Over the decades, we’ve supported a wide range of causes, adapting to the changing circumstances and needs in the UK.
We give around £3 million in grants each year to charities and other public bodies that focus on preserving the UK’s heritage or bringing about social change. Our aims are to improve the life chances of the most vulnerable and preserve the best of our past for the public to enjoy.