The long 'Swift weekend' will leave many Wembley residents with delays and diversions. Consultation on the application for additional events at the stadium closes on Monday

 

The weekend ahead will see three Taylor Swift Concerts - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Doors open on Friday and Saturday at 4.30pm,.  This means early road closures and bus diversions will affect school children  at home-time on Friday. On previous occasions I have found school children heading north stranded by the 206 bus at Brent Park where it is curtailed on event days. School children heading south towards Harlesden on the 206 bus route from Wembley Park will find the bus does not run pre-event and the 18 and 92 will be diverted.

To add to the difficulties Chiltern trains will not stop at Wembley Stadium station on Saturday and Sunday due to  works on the line. Chiltern have objected to the proposed increase in the number of events at the Stadium as they do not have the staff or rail stock to cope.

This is the announcement from Brent Council

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.

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.

 

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).

 

Despite the announcement made some years ago (see below) on the Brent Council  website the North End Road link, which would enable the 206 bus route to run on event days, has still not been actioned by TfL:

 The 206 bus route serves the Kings Drive/Pilgrims Way Estate at The Paddocks stop. The estate is up a steep hill from Wembley Park so curtailment of the service particularly affects elderly residents with mobility problems. It also affects residents on the Kings Drive Estate who use the 206 bus to travel to work at Tesco/Ikea at Bridge Park or the industrial area south of the stadium.

Taylor Swift's performance coincides with the last few days of a consultation on a planning application made by Wembley Stadium for an increase in the number of events held at the stadium and changes in the sports/concert split. Neighbourhood comments have to be made by Monday June 24th.

Of the 109 comments so far more than 100 are objections to the stadium's proposals. They include objections from long-standing residents who find the gradual increase in the number of events disrupts their lives to an an unreasonable degree as well as residents of the new developments around the stadium who find the noise and disruption more than they bargained for when moving into the area. Questions are asked about access to the new Wembley Park Medical Centre on event days.

Here is a fairly typical objection on the Planning Portal:

Objects

 

I am writing to formally object to the proposed application for increased events at Wembley Stadium, which seeks to remove the swap cap clause and increase the number of live and sporting events from 46 to 54 per annum. As a resident, I am deeply concerned about the significant and detrimental impact this will have on our community.

1. Existing Strain on Community Resources and Wellbeing

The current frequency of events, averaging nearly one per week, already imposes a considerable burden on local residents. Increasing this number to 54 events per year will exacerbate existing issues, including noise pollution, stress, and elevated rental prices. The intensified schedule will disrupt the peace and quality of life for those living in the vicinity, undermining the community's well-being.


2. Overlapping Impact with Neighboring Venues

Wembley Stadium's impact cannot be viewed in isolation. The neighbouring arena also hosts numerous live events, collectively causing significant disruptions on a regular basis. While these venues predate the residential developments, the area was designed to foster a livable and safe environment for residents, particularly young adults. This balance is increasingly at risk with the proposed increase in events.

3. Negative Effects of Live Fan Parks and Anti-Social Behavior

The introduction of Live Fan Parks has further aggravated the situation. Located prominently at the front of the stadium, these parks frequently play loud music and promote an environment conducive to alcohol consumption, hooliganism, and other undesirable behaviours. This has led to numerous instances of anti-social behaviour, property damage, and safety concerns for local residents, who often find unwanted and unsolicited guests entering their buildings.

4. Environmental and Sustainability Concerns

The proposed increase in events is unsustainable from a noise, environmental, social, and resource perspective. The cumulative impact on local infrastructure, waste management, and public transport systems will be profound, straining the borough's resources and compromising its commitment to sustainability.

5. Preservation of Community Livability

As residents, we chose to live in this area to enjoy its amenities and community atmosphere. The relentless increase in events prevents us from doing so, as it disrupts our daily lives and diminishes our quality of living. The local community deserves to enjoy the facilities and environment without the constant disruptions caused by an excessive number of events.


Conclusion

In light of the aforementioned points, I strongly urge the committee to reconsider the proposal to increase the number of events at Wembley Stadium. The long-term negative consequences on the community, environment, and local resources far outweigh any potential benefits. I echo the sentiments of my fellow residents, [ ] and implore the committee to prioritize the well-being and sustainability of our community.

 

This submission takes up the issue of the claimed benefits to the local economy:

Objects

 

I object to the proposed changes to planning permission.

Businesses in the wider vicinity(not adjacent to the stadium or benefitting from increased footfall)are finding that clients are choosing to avoid event days particularly due to a lack of adequate accessible parking and increased delays due to traffic congestion.

Those that do benefit are in a narrow related category only.

There is a noticeable reduction in revenue with clients either avoiding event weekends or not being able to allocate adequate time within retail premises.Many businesses commit additional staff for normal busy weekends and certainly this will have a direct effect on hiring or retaining staff.

Traffic management as proposed in variation 2 will only exarcebate the situation.

 

A supporter of the application wants something in exchange:

 

  I live in Chalkhill and I am in favor of this planning application as it will support the economic activity of the National Stadium and the greater area around it.

However, this has to work both ways and I would like the National Stadium to contribute to 2 things in exchange for getting planning permission:

1. The activity of the National Stadium brings a lot of anti-social behaviour and the National Stadium should be responsible for policing the area during the events, including cleaning up the streets within the entire CPZ area. Enough of the garbage on the streets, people peeing in public, etc.

2. The activity of the National Stadium should bring financial benefits to those who have to endure all the nuisance it brings. Chalkhill is one of the poorest areas in London yet it is located just opposite the National Stadium. There are no sports facilities in Chalkhill yet it is located just opposite of the "Temple of Sports". This is not acceptable. Brent Council is broke so the National Stadium should invest heavily in sports facilities in Chalkhill. The Chalkhill open space by the river Brent is in dire condition and could benefit from a running track, "artificial" football ground, basket ball ground, tennis court, etc. No one uses the BMX and scooter tracks and they should be removed. The upgrading of the Chalkhill open space should be done in tandem with an upgrade of the Poplar Grove Centre (perhaps a swimming pool?) which should become open to the public again. Basically, there is room, with the financial and managerial support of the National Stadium, to make a big impact to one of the poorest communities in London.

 

And another takes up the issue of movement around the Wembley area:

 

In as much as I support this application as it will be useful for the local economy. However, I have reservations around residents' parking access as this may be affected by visiting individuals taking up parking spaces which are already low in number around the area. Will the council offer Event Day Parking Permits to residents and their visitors for free or supply enforcement officers or a system to protect residents parking spaces. Also, I would ask that the Council takes into consideration the local residents who use public transport who will be seriously hampered by the changes in local bus routes being cancelled on event days and how this may impact on them. I'm for the planning permission to go ahead but some level of support around local residents travel needs and requirements would be welcomed.

 

Cllr Paul Lorber has stepped into the debate through a request to Brent Council:

 

This paragraph appears in the document produced for the Stadium in support of their planning application and included in the Brent Council Planning Portal:

 

 

5.12 WNSL has conducted pre-application discussions with the Leader and Chief Executive of Brent Council where the proposals in this application were presented. 

 

Following that meeting it was agreed between the attendees that: 

 

“The proposals presented were positively received and WNSL were commended for their professional delivery of stadium event operations to date. It was recognised that the flexibility built into the application to provide a range of dates to promoters and artists is a necessary requirement for WNSL to continually deliver global event success and retain Wembley Stadium’s world class status as an iconic venue for the delivery of sporting and non-sporting events. The benefits of retaining high quality acts at the stadium also reap great rewards for the borough of Brent through the growth of the local community, businesses, economy and tourism.”

 

The intent for including it by the applicant is clearly to influence others. Personally I do not believe this should have been included.

 

I recall that when previous changes to use of the Stadium was being considered (use by Tottenham for example) the Council organised public information and consultation meetings.

 

The latest proposals will have a major impact on the lives of tens of thousands of residents in the Wembley area.

 

One major impact overlooked is on families with a disabled resident requiring regular care when that care is disrupted because buses are diverted or cancelled and the carer cannot attend or is delayed.

 

I am not sure if Social Care or even NHS providers are consulted to seek their views on the impact of more Large Event days or increasing the capacity of smaller events to 60,000.

 

The Planning Meeting is too restrictive and means that the number of speakers is restricted.

 

The Council should organise a number of public meetings where the Planning Application and its impact can be fully explained and local people have an opportunity to have their say snd their concerns responded to.

 

Please confirm if any Public Meetings will be held in advance of the Planning Meeting.

 

 Make comments  objecting, supporting or neutral on the Brent Council Planning Portal HERE

Unfortunately some residents are having trouble accessing the site. If so search for Reference 24/1329.