Councillors in Bromley have agreed to give developers hoping to rebuild the Crystal Palace an exclusive 16 month window to further develop their plans.
The £500m plan was unveiled earlier this month and includes a full restoration of the park, improved access and new lighting, as well as a new glass covered exhibition and cultural venue built on the site of the original palace.
Speaking at the launch Mr Ni Zhaoxin, Chairman of the ZhongRong Group, described the project as “a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring its spirit back to life by recreating The Crystal Palace and restoring the park to its former glory to create a new and exciting destination for local people and international visitors.”
Bromley’s decision means the developer has until February 2015 to develop its plans and consult with local residents before submitting a planning application.
Council Leader Stephen Carr said: “These complex proposals will transform the park itself and the wider area too and it is right that we give the ZhongRong Group the time to properly work up their proposals.
“An absolutely critical part of this will be talking with and listening to local people and the range of representative groups about their views. This will need to happen before a planning application is submitted and in that sense, these proposals are still at an early stage.”
