Historic dinosaur models part of £22m park upgrade

Funding for the regeneration of Crystal Palace Park, which includes the revamp of its Grade-I listed dinosaur sculptures, will be paid for from the sale of land adjacent to the park for affordable housing.

Almost £22m from the sale has been ring-fenced by Bromley Council to pay for the dinosaurs' restoration as well as the creation of a dinosaur-themed playground, a visitor centre, community centre and café.

Purchaser Clarion Housing Group is set to build approximately 120 houses on the land bought, which will be a mix of social rent and shared-ownership homes.

Yvonne Bear, from the council, said this was "another milestone completed in the regeneration of this historic park".

The 29 Grade I-listed dinosaur sculptures were created between 1853 and 1855 by artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and sit on an island in the park.

The creatures are thought to be the world's first attempt to model extinct animals at life-size, based on fossil remains as evidence.

While commonly known as the Crystal Palace dinosaurs, only four of the sculptures are technically dinosaurs with the others being ancient mammals, amphibians, and marine and flying reptiles.

The sale of the land consists of two housing development sites, Rockhills and Sydenham Villas.

Outline planning permission was granted for the housing as part of a wider regeneration plan in 2021, which is being co-delivered by Bromley Council and the Crystal Palace Park Trust.

Ms Bear said: “While the land sale for housing has always been planned, I am pleased that we have managed to secure affordable housing from the sale.”

Richard Cook, chief development officer at Clarion Housing Group, said it was "ensuring that both housing and heritage can thrive together, benefiting the local community for generations to come".

Victoria Pinnington, chief executive of Crystal Palace Park Trust, said the sale was a “fantastic investment in the park”.

“As well as returning more park land to public enjoyment, it allows us to move forward in earnest with the regeneration of the park,” she said.

Funding from the sale comes following a number of grants being secured to support the upcoming works, including £5m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

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