Wembley Park 1895
Artist's impression of the hoped for Wembley Park from the station
If you are a Wembley Park resident you may have been stopped by a visitor asking for directions to the park. One Wembley resident got so fed up with such requests and what appeared to be the vanishing prospects of a new park in the quintain development that she took to calling it Wembley-No Park.
Now a pair of planning applications (21/2517 Plot NE02) and 21/2424 (Plot NE03) give some clues to the future shape of the park on the former Yellow car park (North East Lands).
The relatively new Chalkhill Park is a testimony to how parks can help transform an area: aesthetically, environmentally and socially. Chalkhill is open to the railway on one side and bordered mainly 2-4 storey homes on the other sides. The 'Northern Park' will be surrounded by tower blocks of various sizes. These applications include for NE02 two block of 10-27 storeys comprising 487 residential uits, and for NE03 two blocks of 10-21 storeys comrising 282 units. There are more blocks in the surrounding developments.
This image gives a view of the proposed park between the blocks:
The proposed park from above Wembley Park station
It is interesting in the above image to see the green space around Danes Court and Empire Court between the Jubilee and Metropolitan line and North End Road - the architects of the time knew their stuff. These residents are now concerned about their loss of light from the nearby towers and one concern will be how much shadow will be cast over the Northern Park by tower blocks.
Some of the artist's impressions make the tower blocks look like a mirage rather than the pretty hefty buildings that they are:
The Park will be divided into 2 sections - separated by Engineers Way and there will be a fairly narrow entrance between blocks on Rutherford Way:
This image gives some context but show the blocks only on one side of the park (well you can catch a glimpse of balconies on the far right).
The entrance to the park from Rutherford Way:
Rutherford Way/Engineers Way where the two parts of the park are separated:
It is clear that a great deal of work has gone into the planning of the park and I embed the relevant document below. It must be a wonderful relief to design a beautiful park with pleasure people's pleasure in mind rather than yet another human rabbit hutch!
Attention has been given to bio-diversity and different habitats as well as play areas for children. Clearly maintenenace of the park is a key issue and lack of clarity h over this has been the downfall of many a similar project elsewhere.
Users would include residents of the surrounding flats as well as visitors although again there has been local concern about what was advertised as accessible public space becoming private. The plans envisage that the park could be used for outdoor concerts, firework displays and New Year celebrations. After the recent Euro2020 disturbances and earlier problems on the green at Wembley Hill Road near Wembley Stadium Station, consideration will need to be given to how the park will be used on event days.
The Neighbourhood Consultation on the building and park plans for these 2 Reserved Matters Applications closes on Thursday 5th August 2021.
To comment got to LINK and search for references 21/2517 and 21/2424
DETAILS OF THE PARK PLANS ARE MAINLY IN THIS DOCUMENT (CLICK BOTTOM RIGHT SQUARE FOR FULL SIZE)
THIS DOCUMENT GIVES FURTHER DETAILS LINK
