Dear Editor,
Our family has lived near Wembley Stadium since the late 1950s and it's now unbearable compared to how it used to be!!!
Wembley residents are now treated like second class citizens!!!
We
can't get home from work on event days because trains are packed and
buses are diverted or don't run at all or are stuck in endless traffic
jams - how do the elderly, the disabled or those visiting relatives in
local hospitals cope???
We can't have visitors on event days
because the trains are packed, buses are diverted or don't run at all or
are stuck in endless traffic jams and local pubs and restaurants are
full or charging more for limited option event day menus. Some of the
pubs near the stadium now even charge you £20 entry fee on event days.
We can't even sit in our gardens in the summer because we have helicopters circling overhead for HOURS on event days!!!
Also
we volunteer with lots of local groups and you can't plan vital fund
raising events, many of which need major advance organisation and
publicity, because of late notice of event days and the parking
restrictions and bus diversions.
The current cap on the number of major Wembley Stadium events should not be increased!!!
We
used to be proud to live near 'Wembley Stadium' but this new Wembley
Stadium is just a money grabbing monster sucking the life out of our
community here in Wembley.
Anon.
Note: This letter was first submitted as a comment on the previous article about the proposal and is reproduced as a letter with the permission of the author. As with all letters publication does not indicate agreement with its content but for discussion of the issues raised.
23 comments:
Event days at weekends also affects local non restaurant and bar businesses as shoppers stay away for fear of getting stuck in traffic. I know this affects the Ealing Road traders.
And Wembley High Road is degrading to just restaurants, bars and betting shops/gaming centres - it used to be a show piece local shopping centre.
Talk about exaggeration!
Most residents over the past 30 years have learnt to adapt their behaviour so as to minimise the disruption to their lifestyle when major events are staged at Wembley.
Helicopters hovering for "Hours" is nonsense, they hover 3 or 4 times for about 5-10 minutes before the event starts to look at crowd/traffic etc.
Complaining about limited menu's and pub's charging £20, this is down to choice, anyone not wishing to accept this can choose to go elsewhere.
AS for overcrowded Public Transport, Parking, and Gridlock/Traffic Jams, are a regular occurrence in Wembley irrespective if there is a major event and this is down to the sheer increase in density of the population of the wards surrounding Wembley Stadium.... massive explosion of building Blocks of Flats and Student Accommodation, bogus "Car-Free" regulations and general roadworks.
If life is that intolerable it's best you move, surprised you've lasted this long
What drama. The community exists because of Wembley stadium
Don't know which Wembley you live in? The one in USA or the one in Australia? I can tell you that in Wembley here in Brent on Champions League Final day the helicopters were hovering from before 4pm until 8pm - that's over 4 HOURS!!!
No, you are wrong Wembley Stadium exists here because of the on-going support of local residents - we treasure it but more large scale major events will seriously impact on our lives. The current cap of 46 'major' events to needs stay as it is.
Re the helicopters why are they needed here - we are season ticket holders at a major London football club, they use drones to scan the crowds and manage traffic.
The author should’ve been named.
There should be no cap.
Check your facts, the maximum a helicopter can stay in the air is 2.5 hours when fully fuelled with reserve tank.
At one point there were 2 helicopters circling so assume one took over from the other?
Just like you've named yourself?
Addressing the contents of this letter. Do not say "Can't host" like Wembley Events are stopping you. Like you we have lived in the shadow over the stadium for over 40 years.
On Sunday 16th major event 77k people will descend on Wembley for the "Capital Radio Summertime Ball" this coincides with a family members birthday, fathers day, and our BBQ to celebrate. We are expecting 30+ people of family and friends all who have RSVP'd. The ones coming by car will pay £25 to park on our neighbours drives, the rest will slog it on Tube,Train and Bus knowing that it will take a little longer, one or two may even use Uber. We all know it's an event day, the kids will enjoy spotting the Helicopters hovering about, even if the noise drowns out our music for a short time, and a good time will be had by all, they will all leave come night fall before the concert ends to ensure no delay in getting home. Our lives are not governed by what's on at Wembley. No matter how many events they have.
Wembley Stadium was opened in 1923 as a football stadium and is our show piece national football stadium.
If the increase in the number of major events was to allow more women's football matches to be played there, for true equality in the sport, we might support the proposal but sadly no they want to limit the number of association football games to 25 including women's matches so the extra events will be concerts.
With Manchester United's new owners wanting to redevelop their stadium to be the "Wembley of the North" it looks like Wembley Stadium are hedging their bets.
The owners of this historic football stadium should instead be supporting mens and women's football at all levels.
Lucky they can afford £25 to park!
Hope your neighbours are declaring their 'park on my drive' income for tax? If they were true 'neighbours' though they wouldn't charge your family visitors for parking!
Anonymous12 June 2024 at 11:23 says "If life is that intolerable it's best you move, surprised you've lasted this long" - why should long term residents be forced to move??? The stadium was always a joyful neighbour, all residents want is some understanding of the issues they face.
For example on event days why do parking restrictions need to be in place from 10.00am for an event starting at 8pm??? Why do buses need to be diverted. It's supposed to be a public transport destination. The old Wembley regularly held bigger capacity events without such rigorous parking restrictions and without these bus diversions.
I agree, they should just suck it up like the rest of us, I also agree that we should not have the buses on diversion or not at all. As for parking this will always be an issue, as there is very little for the residents in the first instance.
If the area has become unliveable due to problems in the area then the solution is to address the problem or asking people to move from the area?
Looks like Wembley stadium management is paying someone to trash talk to the genuine complaints of the residents.
Due to parking restrictions and traffic on event days, no friends and family is ready to visit us during busy time. The public transport is packed with crowrd and not friendly enough for kids and elderly. Now they want 54 events in 52 weeks of the years means most of the weekend residents will feel trapped. If they want more event make some improvements for parking and flyover for crowd to get in and out without disturbing local residents life. Residents cant even go out for shppoing or near by with fear of getting stuck in traffic for hours. There are not wnough loo or toilet facilities to accommodate such hude crowds and most of the near by area smells like a piss. Residents cant even buy booze for themselves or guests on event days due to restrictions. Local council need to think more on locals before prioritising money making machins.
The reason why there's very little parking is coz Brent Council have given planning permission for thousands of homes in new 'car free' developments but of course the residents of these new developments will never accept that they can't have a car despite Wembley being so well blessed with public transport options.
Just received Brent Council’s email about the event days this Friday, Saturday and Sunday coming…
“Wembley Stadium will be hosting Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour on the following dates in June:
- Friday 21 June
- Saturday 22 June
- Sunday 23 June
Please read below to see how this might affect you…
“Timings
- Friday 21 June: Doors open at 4.30pm and road closures will be in place from 12.30pm.
- Saturday 22 June: Doors open at 4.30pm and road closures will be in place from 12.30pm.
- Sunday 23 June: Doors open at 3.45pm and road closures will be in place from 11.45am.
We expect the area around Wembley Stadium to be very busy before and after these events so please avoid the area if you can unless you have a ticket.”
Why EXACTLY are there road closures from 12.30pm/11.45am??? The doors might open at 4.30pm but not everyone will arrive by then and these road closures will affect public transport for everyone including commuters getting home from work on Friday. 😡
“Event day parking
Event day parking restrictions will be in place from 8am to midnight on main roads and from 10am to midnight on residential roads on 21, 22 and 23 June.
If you have a paper permit, please make sure you clearly display it in your vehicle. If you have an electronic permit, you do not need to display this.”
Why EXACTLY do parking restrictions need to apply from 8.00am/10.00am until midnight for these concerts when the doors do not open until 4.30pm and the curfew for concerts to finish is 10.30pm??? These ridiculously long parking restrictions affect us residents unfairly and they impact on local shops, businesses and places of worship. What about carers visiting vulnerable people or even those having builders working on their homes???😡
“Drink-free zone
We want to create a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors.
To crack down on anti-social behaviour, we will be enforcing a ban on street drinking in the streets around Wembley Stadium before these events, as part of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
If we find anyone drinking on Olympic Way or in the surrounding streets, they will be asked to hand over their alcohol and enforcement action may be considered.”
What about the street drinking and littering of alcohol bottles and cans in the same paces everyday throughout the whole of Wembley including in our parks??? Will Brent Council be enforcing their Public Space Protection Order in these places too on event days??? I guess not as they don’t even enforce them on non event days!!! 😡.
Road closures on Friday will also affect people trying to get their kids home from school or nursery.
And it will affect people trying get assistance from Brent Council staff at the Brent Civic Centre.
What about the super dooper new GP surgery that's opened right next the stadium - how are you supposed to get there on an event day, particularly if you are not feeling well???
Ludicrous that residents are affected like this.
There's no getting away from it; Wembley events disrupt life for residents and for most there is no benefit. We have to pay for parking permits so that our streets don't become flooded with visitors. That's the opposite of a benefit. My family no longer go out on event days. Previously, when I tried to take my daughter home to her flat on the Wembley Stadium site I found the roads blocked. They even stop you getting home unless you can walk. More events will mean more restrictions for us. If I could I would move.
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