The South Norwood Country Park visitor centre has been closed since it was damaged by a fire in Spring of 2020. Despite persistent engagement by the local community, Croydon Council have not begun work to restore the centre, set out a plan for doing so, or explained why nothing has happened in three years since the fire.

South Norwood Country Park is an important designated local nature reserve and provides easy access to a variety of natural habitats that would otherwise be largely inaccessible for many residents in the area. The visitor centre provided a vital venue for school children to learn about and experience wildlife up close, an office for a park warden and was a base for volunteers. The visitor centre provided the only toilets in the park which means the park is now inaccessible for many people and is unsuitable for large groups of volunteers. 

Since the visitor centre closed, other facilities in the park have begun to decline - the environment garden behind the centre is overgrown and its pond is empty, paths throughout the park have deteriorated, and the viewing platforms at the lake have become increasingly dangerous to use. The longer the centre remains closed, the more damage will be done and the more it will cost to repair.

The visitor centre is the first of many areas of South Norwood Country Park and its management that require commitment and leadership from the Council. An area the size of South Norwood Country Park requires a full-time warden with experience in conservation and a fully operational visitor centre. Reopening the visitor centre is an important first step that would not only restore the facilities it provides but act as a focal point for future work in the park and a clear sign of the Council's commitment to the people of South Norwood.

We call on the Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, to commit to reopening the visitor centre, to set out a timeline for doing so, and to consulting the local community about the centre's future.