Planning approval has been granted for a £130m refurbishment of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, a major 25,000-capacity sports venue in south London that has served as a cornerstone of British sport since opening in 1964.

The approved renovation will include a revamped swimming and diving pool, a padel centre, 3x3 basketball courts, five-a-side football pitches, and a full-size artificial multi-sports pitch. The main pool at the Grade II*-listed complex has been closed for several years amid mounting maintenance challenges.

"This historic and much-loved national sports facility has created so many UK sporting stars," said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. "But it needs major investment and refurbishment and I am committed to delivering this."

A full 25,000-seat redevelopment of the athletics arena would make it the 12th largest stadium in London and the second-largest track and field venue in the city after West Ham United's London Stadium, which hosted athletics during the 2012 Olympics.

It would also add to the roster of similarly sized venues operating south of the river. Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park, which is itself slated for renovation, currently holds 26,000, while Millwall's Den has a capacity of 20,000.

There have been reports that Women's Super League side London City Lionesses could relocate to the stadium, a prospect that aligns with the broader growth in attendance and investment across women's football as clubs increasingly seek purpose-built, high-capacity facilities.

A Homecoming for Crystal Palace

Liam Conlon, MP for Beckenham and Penge, called the approval "a major milestone and a massive moment for South London."

"Crystal Palace was once known as the spiritual home of UK Athletics, but the site has become increasingly run down, with the pools closed for years and the stadium looking tired," Conlon said. "This once-in-a-generation project will deliver a revitalised centre, providing opportunities for local people in our area, and inspiring the next generation of Team GB Olympians and Paralympians."

The athletics track at Crystal Palace previously hosted the World Athletics Tour and the Diamond League ahead of the Olympics. Numerous world records were set on the surface, including by Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Cram, and Yelena Isinbaeva, who became the first woman to clear a pole vault height of over five metres. Usain Bolt and Haile Gebrselassie also competed at the venue. The revamp arrives at a time when UK athletics bodies have been pressing for renewed investment in domestic training and competition infrastructure, with many legacy facilities outside London's Olympic Park requiring significant upgrades to remain viable for elite and grassroots use.