Tibbalds joins project team for major Crystal Palace National Sports Centre transformation

Working as part of the project team led by Morgan Sindall – who have been appointed by the Greater London Authority (GLA) – Tibbalds will lead on the planning strategy, pre-application engagement with the London Borough of Bromley and other stakeholders and will be responsible for navigating the proposals through the planning process.

The proposals include a full rebuild of the 50m competition pool, dive pool and 25m pool, including reinstating the iconic diving tower. The indoor sports hall will be improved, and the existing athletics track and stadium refurbished, with plans for a new 200m outdoor track and a 100m indoor sprint facility. An upgraded gym, new café and soft-play facilities, plus improved public realm linking the Centre to Crystal Palace station, complete the extensive plans.

Crystal Palace Sports Centre’s revival has been led by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Tibbalds is working alongside the project architects: Faulkner Browns, who are leading on the Sports Centre refurbishment, sports specialists WOO Architects and Turkington Martin on landscaping. The team also includes Max Fordham leading on decarbonisation and sustainability, Turley on heritage matters and Alan Baxter Associates, whose focus is on conserving the site's impressive structural heritage. Sustainability is also at the heart of the redevelopment; powered by all-electric energy and supported using Morgan Sindall’s CarboniCa tool, aligning with London’s Green Finance goals.

Social value initiatives on the project will include a brand-new Knowledge Quad, which will open towards the end of 2025; a cash investment from its newly established ‘Just Transition Fund’; a wide range of career opportunities – from paid work experience and apprenticeships to full-time employment and training courses; and a series of careers events and engagement sessions with schools across the five boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.

Rob Moorhouse, Associate Director, Tibbalds: “Crystal Palace plays a unique part of London’s sporting history and cultural fabric. These new plans will bring it back to life as a leading national sports centre, restoring and enhancing the famous heritage and architecture of the heritage assets, most notably the Sports Centre building which was completed in 1964. This will be done alongside introducing modern performance, accessibility and sustainability standards. We are now focussed on securing planning permission for the proposals to bring them forward as quickly as possible, creating a welcoming, sustainable and inclusive place for athletes, families and the local community.”

Tibbalds has a strong track record in securing planning permission for sport and leisure centre schemes. It led the planning strategy as part of the award-winning Britannia Project in Hackney, which included a state-of-the-art leisure centre which opened in 2021, as well as a new secondary school and 481 mixed-tenure homes.

Tibbalds was the lead planning consultant for the redevelopment of the Woolwich Leisure Centre, which was granted full planning permission in December 2022 and was shortlisted for the 2024 Planning Awards in the Fostering a Healthy Town Centre category. The Centre is due to open later this year.

In January 2025, Tibbalds also helped secure the future of the Gurnell Leisure Centre, which was given the go ahead by Ealing Council’s planning committee providing a new leisure centre, 50m pool, 300 new homes and other facilities.