In the summer I got wind of plans to build a hotel on the Samovar Space adjacent to Brent Council's Civic Centre. I asked Quintain what was planned and they responded with a statement published here in August 2025 LINK.
Cherries in blossom outside the side entrance to Brent Civic Centre (Photo: Wembley Park)
The Samovar shell had been removed without any notice and was later found in a corner of Union Park. Locals, shoppers and fans, will be familiar with the orange benches and cherry trees presently occupying the open space (above) and the markets held opposite the Civic Centre and Sainsbury. Quintain said that this space was always meant to be temporary.
Revised plans to go to Brent Council in February or March 2026 lower the proposed building slightly and is less dense that originally proposed. It could be either office space or a hotel. As Brent Council has had little success in letting its own surplus office space a hotel sounds more likely.
The 'public' space (owned by Quintain), renamed Samovar Square, will be smaller than at present and images indicate that the Civic Centre will be hidden from some perspectives. Residents of the nearby Landsby East building may fear they will be overlooked by hotel bedrooms. The pedestrian route will lose some of its current unique quality.
Quintain have put up an A5 notice on the site with a link to their plans but clearly the proposals need wider publicity and I hope this post will help.
Quintain announcement on their wesbitesite LINK where a presentation can be found.
• Date of planning submission February/March 2026.
• Planning determination will take around 3 - 4 months and if approved construction will not commence until end of 2026 at the earliest.
• Construction likely to take 2 - 3 years.
• If you wish to make any comments or have any questions on these proposals, please
send them to :
Here are some extracts from the presentation:
You will need to look carefully but on the above the thin blue dotted line shows the original proposal for height and density. The grey is the current proposal.
The current space with Engineer's Way at the top and market stalls at the bottom.
In an attempt at reassurance over the loss of the larger space Quintain puts forward three examples of how the smaller space could be used.
In the proposal, what was the 'every day' route to Sainsbury's and the Civic Centre is re-routed via the front of the hotel. Other routes go across Samovar Square which raises questions about congestion when events take place in the square.
19 comments:
well I’m sure Brent would welcome a hotel considering they want to add a visitor levy
Why not just give Quintain the Brent Civic Centre for a hotel instead? Hardly anyone working there now.
Developer 'mining the gaps' at Wembley Park- permanent development zoned. London needs a Space Agency to protect rights of way, sunlight and public realm especially in such car-free tower zones. Major events and highest density, how are people safeguarded in case of emergencies? What good are tower canyon alleyways in the next 'stay local' pandemic?
'Mining the gaps' needs to be Labour questioned as its the road to a nowhere rather than a place.
A building here would be overdevelopment.
The existing Wembley Splay route between Olympic Way and the Civic Centre, Wembley Arena and the LDO is heavily used, and forcing pedestrians to use the proposed alternative would cause congestion, especially if there are events taking place in front of the hotel, or a coach load of guests arriving or leaving via Engineers Way.
On big event days at the stadium, the proposed new building would add to the hemmed-in atmosphere, raising increased safety concerns.
Quintain will.claim that they have outline planning consent to build here, but what about their promise (so the Council claimed) to leave the open space beside the Civic Centre undeveloped, in return for other planning concessions the developer was given?
The proposed new replacement ‘community space’ is, once you take the portion of it featuring the cherry trees into account, significantly smaller and less flexible than the current space. Currently three separate events can easily be held across the three distinct spaces. That flexibility will be gone (including the multiple years where we will have no space at all whilst construction is going on).
I know Quintain will no doubt point to the new Union Park as an alternative but they seem to be missing the point of the importance of these open, much used community spaces.
And what about the £17.8million of our CIL money Quintain were given towards the steps outside Wembley Stadium - wasn't that given in some kinda compensation deal to stop them building on this site next to the Civic Centre???
From what I’ve heard, the US owners of Quintain are going to be activating all their dormant planning permissions across the Ward, to maximise their return-on-investment. They don’t care about the community, they just want to make their money at this stage.
This comment keeps popping up and it seems the writer is never sure - why can’t you find out once and for all rather than repeating this?
These spaces are 'outdoor rooms', think Turin but with towers.
This proposed tower on public square means no lessons learned from the England-Italy Euro final disturbances, no lessons learned from Grenfell, no lessons learned from Covid pandemic.
It also demonstrates very clearly what no transparent final plan permanent development zones mean in developer money making practices.
Hi 23 Nov 15.52 and 16.19/ Here is an extract from the Cabinet Agenda when the stadium steps and restrictions on development outside the Civic Centre were discussed: Cabinet were asked to:
Confirm or otherwise the contribution of up to £12.1 million +VAT towards Zone C improvements, such contribution being contingent on Quintain:
a. Not pursuing development of site NW04 (see plan above) adjacent to the Civic Centre to the extent currently permitted in the parameters plans associated with outline planning permission 10/3032
b. Working with the Council to deliver a development that better complements the role and setting of the Civic Centre, in particular creating a significant new square outside the Civic Centre Library
c. Agreeing a business plan and agreement, between Quintain and the council, for the future sharing and reinvestment of the net income generated through assets on Olympic Way in Zones A, B and C.
d. Securing up to one third funding contribution from Wembley Stadium owners.
https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2020/07/theres-more-to-quintains-steps-than.html
Once again, planning conditions to the benefit of the community mean nothing what short memories they have.
I guess that means no where to sit for a coffee and a sandwich. no market, nowhere to sit and wait in fresh air.
This exercise by Quintain is only their "community engagement", which we can respond to.
When they submit their planning application, residents can object. If there are enough objections (at least eight), it will have to be considered by Planning Committee.
And remember, there are local elections on 7 May, so it will be a new committee when the application is considered. The more councillors from parties other than Labour who are elected, the better chance of decisions that are more sympathetic to genuine planning policy objections by the local community!
When there is no final plan, this is what will always happen. Whereas in conservation areas all is static/fixed with the typically C19 neighbourhoods design complete, perfect and fiercely protected by todays C21 politicians of all colours.
This is where you will find the cradle to grave welfare state being enhanced and upgraded.
The tenanted towers 8 growth zones clearly need agreed and fully transparent final plans. Noticeable how more tightly packed than WP the towers in South Kilburn Wall are, the former borough of Willesden having no protected public rights of way map or legal statement, unlike former borough of Wembley that fortunately has both.
The plain trees look great outside the mall at Wembley Park. Otherwise, its a very corporatist environment outside your unit for this new car-free not-and never will be- England. Park could be so much better ditto South Kilburn's 2ha park. Can't nature access invest/won't nature access invest for car-free tower sky housed Brent families.
From the above descriptions, whilst we may not like the proposals, Quintain are doing what the cabinet paper says. They arent building the old permission, which had no public square, and are delivering a public square outside of the library.
When you look at the Hong Kong packed-in towers burning today. Wonder if councillors, decision makers and LFB ever look at such common place images. Towers need space/outdoor rooms for safeguarding of lives in such awful events.
No-plan space invaders is not the safest game to play.
At least people seem to be being held accountable immediately in Hong Kong. In the UK its large panel system towers with gas supply and many AB&B key safes at the main entrance door.
Public squares and parks in tenanted towers population growth zones of permanent development need strongest protection. Emergencies can and do happen, towers do burn and tower scale safe spaces are needed even more so than that in conservation areas of family houses. Corporate subjects zoned true, but do government really want emergency services saying that burning towers due to their packed-in bad growth design are too unsafe to approach.
Mega City planning required in the 8 growth zones of Brent.
Closer and closer the towers grow
Towers ever closer packed. Mining all gaps.
You clearly no very little about thr civic centre staffing levels.
Post a Comment