South London's San Fran? New Crystal Palace flats built into a slope have private terraces with dramatic city views

Prime Minister Theresa May’s recent trade mission to China has reignited a Beijing billionaire’s plan to build a new Crystal Palace on the SE19 site where the old one burned to the ground in 1936.

In 2013 Ni Zhaoxing’s ambitious £500 million proposal, backed by then mayor of London Boris Johnson, foundered on planning issues and concerns from local people about how much of Crystal Palace Park would be sacrificed to the project.

However, the ambitious idea may yet see the light of day, with hopes that a sensitive multi-use redevelopment, including new homes, will be acceptable to all parties.

The original palace was first built in Hyde Park to house the Great Exhibition of 1851 before being dismantled and rebuilt in south London.

Meanwhile, buoyed by the Overground link, the high-lying wider district is continuing its rise up the property pecking order, with a steadily gentrifying town centre and a spate of new housing schemes.

“The steep slopes and dramatic views remind me of San Francisco,” says local resident Natasha Ashton, 27, a communications executive working in central London.

“There’s something special about being able to look over the city from a distance. The park is a fantastic amenity space and there are so many beautiful period houses.”

Vista Collection comprises eight upper-floor flats of Alto, a scheme by developer Hill in an attractive woodland setting at the summit of Sylvan Hill. It’s a neat piece of architecture, slotting into a sloping site and cleverly incorporating a car ramp to undercroft parking.

Apartments include penthouses, one with a fabulous domed living space that opens on to a huge private terrace. Prices from £627,500. Call 020 3006 0042.