A threat to the patchwork of small green spaces in Metroland?

 

Purple marks the green space. Note greenery opposite 

 Part of the green space and the side wall of 125 Preston Road

 

The proposed house on the corner of Preston Road and Pellatt Road

 

The proposed house from Pellat Road

 Preston is a Wembley area of 1930s semi-detached houses benefitting from many small green spaces: verges, corner plots and roundabouts. This gives the well laid out roads a unique character.

The alarm is being raised by residents that such spaces could be threatened if a planning application to build on one, lodged with Brent Council, succeeds.

The wide grass verge on the corner of Preston Road and Pellat Road has somehow ended up in private hands and the owner wants to build a 3 bedroomed house there.

I am not sure how to interpret the following extract from the deeds of 125 Preston Road and whether it contains any protections for the adjoining land. The residents of 125 Preston Road are opposing the application.

 

Objection from 125 Preston Road:

I write to object in the strongest terms to planning application 25/1246 for the proposed construction of a two-storey, three-bedroom dwelling directly adjoining my house 125 Preston Road. I submit this objection based on the following material planning considerations:

Overdevelopment and Inappropriate Layout

The proposed scheme represents an excessive and over-intensive use of a narrow and constrained wedge-shaped corner plot. It stretches the full depth of the site and includes a 6m rear projection along the boundary with 125 Preston Road-double the allowance permitted under Brent's Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD for semi-detached properties.

This fundamentally alters the spatial relationship of the existing pair of semis by eliminating the gap and unbalancing the pair. It converts No. 125 into an end-of-terrace structure in a location dominated by semi-detached homes with generous spacing. The resulting layout is cramped, disruptive to the established suburban rhythm, and incompatible with the original form and character of Preston Road.

Scale, Height, Visual Intrusion, and Daylight Impact

The scale and bulk of the proposed dwelling-particularly its flat, monolithic two-storey form and oversized rear element-are disproportionate to neighbouring properties. The massing extends beyond typical building lines and introduces visual intrusion from the street and adjacent homes. It severely impacts daylight, sunlight, and the open outlook from No. 125, and would dominate rear garden views.

The proposed development also breaches the 45-degree rule in relation to a ground-floor habitable window on the rear/side elevation of 125 Preston Road, which sits directly adjacent to the boundary where the 6-metre rear extension of the proposed dwelling is planned. Although only a single storey in height, the scale, depth, and proximity of this extension would severely restrict daylight to the affected window and create a pronounced sense of enclosure. The extension falls well within the 45-degree sightline, which is a standard Brent Council uses-under SPD1 and the Residential Extensions & Alterations SPD-to assess daylight and outlook impacts. The lack of a daylight/sunlight assessment to justify this massing is a notable omission and reinforces non-compliance with Policy DMP1, which requires protection of neighbouring amenity. This extension would result in material harm to the light, aspect, and enjoyment of No. 125.

Most of the comments on Brent Planning Portal are against the proposal but one person supports:

I do agree the green is nice but we need more housing in local communities and not high rise buildings taking over. 

There are plenty of parks around to enjoy the green of nature.

It seems to be an East facing house, guessing this wouldn't block the sunlight too much.

Overall I like the front garden proposal and generally the house has a new type of concept which am willing to adapt to.

I would say it is an improvement to seeing just a flat side of a house.

 Another respondent states:

If the land is part of the adjoining house, I have no objection but if the land is an empty green space, I strongly object to all these areas being snapped up for building projects.

Someobe suggests a Council investigation:

I was horrified when I saw this planning application. I know the site and it is no greater than a grass verge, originally the public walkway to some fields and now to some housing. How could one build on a grass verge in a corner as it is not even a real parcel of land? It will restrict access to parents with children and people needing support when disabled. When did this public walkway become a personal property and what due diligence was there for its sale? This beggars belief and the Council should investigate this transaction.

Furthermore, this area of Wembley has a unique character with housing in keeping with its community feel. This uncharacteristic new building will be a carbuncle and completely out of touch with the local aesthetic.

 This contribution sums up the issues:

 

Although I am not a direct neighbour, I am concerned about the broader implications this proposal may have on Brent's townscape, the integrity of local planning policies, and the overall quality of development in such a prominent and visible location. My objections are based on the following points:

1. Prominent and Sensitive Location 

This site occupies a highly visible corner at the intersection of Preston Road and Pellatt Road, a gateway route frequently used by residents, visitors, and tourists heading to Wembley Stadium. The existing green space here provides a valuable visual break in an otherwise densely built environment. Replacing it with a bulky, flat-roofed building would permanently alter the character of this area for the worse.

2. Poor Design and Incongruous Materials 

The proposed design is at odds with the surrounding Metroland-style housing. While neighbouring properties feature red brick, white render, pitched tiled roofs, and traditional detailing, this proposal introduces pale bricks, lime slurry coating, and an angular minimalist design with a flat roof. This stark contrast undermines Brent's design guidance, notably SPD1 and Policy BD1 of the Local Plan, which stress the importance of sensitive, high-quality design that complements its context.

3. Non-compliance with Key Planning Policies 

This application appears to breach several local and regional planning policies:

* Brent Local Plan Policy BD1: The proposal fails to reinforce local character.
* Policy DMP1: The development does not sufficiently protect neighbour amenity or respond appropriately to its setting.
* SPD1: This policy discourages "terracing" on corner plots and calls for new buildings to respect traditional roof forms, materials, and building lines.
* London Plan Policy D4: The design fails to integrate effectively with its surroundings, introducing an out-of-place structure in a highly visible location.

4. Risk of Setting a Harmful Precedent 

If approved, this application could set a disastrous precedent for similar developments on corner plots throughout Brent, particularly those that compromise garden space, architectural harmony, and the overall character of the area.

In conclusion, this proposal represents a poorly conceived design that does not respect the local character of the area, violates several planning policies, and risks undermining the quality of development in Brent. I strongly urge the Council to reject application 25/1246 in the interest of maintaining good design principles and preserving the borough's urban integrity.

The application has not yet been tabled at Planning Committee and could be delegated to a planning officer if there are few objections fom residents or councillors. 

 

 

Residents intervene to stop industrial level flytipping in Preston Road car park

 

 Residents manned the Preston Road car park gates until 2am in the morning at the weekend when they saw  industrial level flytipping taking place. They took prompt action to prevent further rubbish being dumped.

I understand that around 10 vans were involved. One van was captured by police after residents phoned 999 with the number plate details. A resident said that participants pay one person and then others pile in. It is hoped that police have gained enough information to enable Brent Enforcement to follow up.

 

 

FROM BRENT COUNCIL

Selfish industrial scale fly-tippers desecrated Preston Road Car Park on 10pm Wed, 18 Dec We are investigating with the police & have identified a vehicle of interest Those responsible will face the full force of the law🧑‍⚖️ Please contact us with any info, especially any vehicle details 📩dontmesswithbrent@brent.gov.uk Reference SR19618

 

 

Preston Community Library re-opens on Saturday

 

Preston Community Library will re-open in temporary premises in Ashley Gardens on Saturday while redevelopment takes place on its former site. 

 

Further Police Appeal for help after Preston Road murder

Ford Mondeo at the scene

 

Detectives investigating the murder of a teenage boy in Brent are appealing for assistance from the public and in particular want information about a car connected to the killing.

They are also appealing for a van driver who stopped briefly near to the scene to come forward as a potentially vital witness.

Police were called to a boy with stab injuries in Preston Road, Brent shortly after 23:30hrs on Thursday, 18 February. The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Drekwon Patterson from the Wembley area.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died shortly before 09:00hrs on Friday, 19 February.

Specialist officers are supporting Drekwon’s family. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

Homicide detectives from Specialist Crime are investigating, led by Detectives Chief Inspector Richard Leonard.

DCI Leonard said:  

We have been working intensively since Drekwon’s killing to establish what happened on Thursday night and to find the people responsible.

Our investigation has included detailed forensic analysis and an intensive search for, and of, relevant CCTV material. These and other lines of enquiry are continuing, and I can assure Drekwon’s family and the local community of our total commitment to bringing those responsible to justice.

We have been well supported by the public in and around Preston Road and further afield, and I am appealing for their help today. I need to hear from any witnesses or anyone with information about this tragic murder – if you know anything that may be significant, please get in touch.

In particular, I need to find out more information about a car – a black Ford Mondeo, using registration number YR54 NHN – which was seen on CCTV driving away from the scene and found burnt out in Silver Jubilee Park, NW9 on Friday 19 February.

I believe this car was used in an initial attempt to injure Drekwon in a collision on Preston Road. After the Mondeo had been driven at him, Drekwon ran away and was chased by four suspects who had got out of the car, before being caught and fatally stabbed.

We have to yet to establish who was using this Mondeo in the days leading up to the murder, and I am appealing for anyone who may have seen it to get in touch. This is a fairly large vehicle and quite old, so it would have been noticed. It is possible that the car appeared suspicious and wasn’t familiar to local residents in the area where it was parked, or maybe people using the car were seen behaving suspiciously.

This car is clearly a key line of inquiry, and I am asking everyone – in particular people in north-west London – to think carefully about whether they have seen this Ford Mondeo and who may have been using it.

I also want to trace the driver of a van, which was seen on CCCTV to stop briefly near to the scene, who might have witnessed a crucial part of the incident. I am appealing for that driver to please come forward as a witness.

Officers are releasing images of the Ford Mondeo captured on CCTV near to the scene in addition to a stock image of a similar black Mondeo. They are also releasing a CCTV image of the van near to the scene.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8721 4622 or call police on 101 quoting CAD 8167/18Feb. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There has been no arrest at this stage.

Officers from the Met’s North West Command Unit continue to conduct additional patrols in the area. Local residents are urged to speak with these officers if they have any information or concerns.

Police name Preston Road murder victim as Drekwon Patterson

 

Police this evening named the victim of the fatal Preston Road stabbing as 16 year old Drekwon Patterson from the Wembley area.

Police said next of kin have been informed and a  post-mortem examination will take place in due course

They said that homicide detectives from Specialist Crime are leading the investigation and as yet no arrests have been made with enquiries continuing.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, in charge of policing in Brent, said:

It is another tragedy that a boy of just 16 years old has died as the result of a knife crime.

My thoughts are with his family at this time and my officers, alongside homicide detectives, are doing everything they can to identify and arrest those responsible.

There will be enhanced reassurance patrols in the Preston Road area as I know the local community will have been deeply affected by the death of a teenager.

I would urge anyone who witnessed any of the events leading up to the stabbing, or knows anything about who did it, to contact police immediately.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 8167/18Feb, or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Preston Road stabbing victim, aged 16, died this morning - police statement and appeal

 

The Crime Scene

From the Metropolitan Police

A murder investigation has been launched after a fatal stabbing in north London.

Police were called to Preston Road, shortly after 23:30hrs on Thursday, 18 February by the London Ambulance Service to a report of a 16-year-old boy with stab injuries.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died shortly before 09:00hrs on Friday, 19 February.

Next of kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course

A crime scene has been put in place on Preston Road, between the junctions of Logan Road and The Avenue, affecting local bus routes.

Homicide detectives from Specialist Crime have been informed and are leading the investigation. No arrests have been made.

Enquiries continue.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, in charge of policing in Brent, said: 

"It is another tragedy that a boy of just 16 years old has died as the result of a knife crime.

"My thoughts are with his family at this time and my officers, alongside homicide detectives, are doing everything they can to identify and arrest those responsible.

"There will be enhanced reassurance patrols in the Preston Road area as I know the local community will have been deeply affected by the death of a teenager.

"I would urge anyone who witnessed any of the events leading up to the stabbing, or knows anything about who did it, to contact police immediately."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 8167/18Feb, or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The Preston Story – Part 4

We left Part 3 of the Preston Story in the early 60s – just before two major political changes in the area. Firstly, Preston, along with the rest of Wembley, merged with Willesden in 1965 to form the new London Borough of Brent; followed in 1974 with the creation of a new Brent North constituency which has had just two MPs since its creation in 1974: the Conservative Rhodes Boyson until his defeat in the 1997 landslide by Labour’s Barry Gardiner.

1. Preston Road, from the Carlton Avenue East junction, early 1960s. (Brent Archives online image 8620)

Preston’s population in 2001 was 12,844 – scarcely changing from the 1951 figure of 12,408 – but by 2011 it had risen by 20.48% to 15,474. The growth mainly came with the building of the Hirst Crescent estate on a brownfield site (the former GEC Research Centre) on East Lane, plus the new flats around Strathcona Road, bringing much-needed housing into the area. The Council’s analysis of changes between the two censuses can be found here.  There is continuing pressure on housing and consequent concerns over the possible exploitation of tenants in houses of multiple occupation.

2. Hirst Crescent, from East Lane. (Image from Google Maps street view)

To help me look back at the last 50 years and to bring Preston’s history up to date, I decide to canvass my neighbours and ask them what positive things had happened locally and what they saw as the changes to the look or feel of the area since they arrived.

One of the things that everyone mentioned was the increased diversity of the local population - though as we have seen, people have been moving into Preston looking for work since the early 19th century and in the 20^th to find new homes in pleasant suburban surroundings. Brent Council’s 2014 Diversity Profile for Preston is slightly dated  but shows in 2011 that Preston had a 70.1% black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) population. Each of these communities needs a history of its own experience and, as only an outline can be shown here, I hope someone will come forward to do that.

3. A Preston Park Primary School class c.1992, showing the diversity of families in the area.

Many people arriving in Preston from 1970 were of Asian heritage, expelled from East Africa, first Kenya and, after the 1971 Amin coup, from Uganda. Many were middle class families – engineers, officials and shop-owners – starting new lives and businesses, and establishing religious, social and cultural communities in the most difficult of circumstances.

In the late 1980s, Preston had a substantial Japanese population, large enough to warrant a Japanese estate agent on Preston Road. Many worked for Japanese companies in the City. During the 1990s Japanese recession, most were recalled and disappeared quickly over the school holidays, leaving children wondering where their school friends had gone. In more recent years EU citizens, particularly from Poland and Romania, have moved into the area, mainly to find work.

4. Wembley United Synagogue (rebuilt 1956), Forty Lane.  (Image from Brent Council’s heritage Local List)

The Jewish Community was perhaps the first to settle as a distinct group in the 1920s, moving from poor housing in East London to modern homes and green surroundings. A United Synagogue was established in Forty Avenue in the 1930s, followed by the Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue [1948] at 326 Preston Road, on the site of what was then the Preston Lawn Tennis Club. In recent years they moved to Harrow and the site is now Blackberry Court and a Pentecostal Church. A second United Synagogue was opened in Shaftesbury Avenue in 1958. 

In the 1950s, political change in the Middle East decided many Jews in Arab countries to move to the UK. Members of this Sephardi tradition moved to Edinburgh House on Forty Avenue in 1970, while another Sephardi group, the Neveh Shalom Community with members from North Africa, India and the Middle East, moved to 27 Windermere Avenue in 1970 and then to 352 -354 Preston Road in 1983. There is still a strong Jewish presence in Preston today, though the number of active synagogue members is in decline. The Jewish Free School [est. 1732] one of Europe’s largest Jewish secondary schools, moved to new premises in The Mall in 2002.

5. The Grade II listed Church of the Ascension, The Avenue, c.1960. (Brent Archives online image 8641)

Other places of worship in Preston include the Catholic parish hall, built in Carlton Avenue East on land originally belonging to South Forty Farm in 1932. The present church dedicated to St Erconwald, a 7^th century Bishop of London, opened in 1970.  There are also three Anglican churches. St Augustine in Forty Avenue was built as a wooden church in 1913 but suffered damage during the Second World War and was re-built 1953. The 1957 Church of the Ascension [see Part 3] in The Avenue is notable for its stained glass by Carter Shapland. The Church of the Annunciation in Windermere Ave was built in 1938. There are also three more recent Christian Fellowship or Pentecostal Churches.

One of the more dynamic projects to come out of Preston was the Strathcona Theatre Company. Strathcona was set up in the late 1970s as a social education centre for young adults with learning difficulties, with an ethos radically different from the old adult training centres which focussed on preparing people for unskilled industrial work. The young, enthusiastic staff offered courses in drama, art, music, pottery, sports and training for independent living - uncovering talents and discovering skills in a different way.

6. Poster for Strathcona Theatre Company's 1999 production, "Hood".

Its Theatre Company, formed in 1982 and running for over 20 years, staged productions at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, at many other venues in the UK and at international festivals in Europe. In 1983, the Guardian described it as “The UK’s leading disabled theatre company”. The poster above was for their retelling of the Robin Hood legend, where a disparate group of eco-warriors band together to fight for their right to live in a better world. The play was devised and scripted by Ann Cleary and Ian McCurrach (Artistic Directors).

The Strathcona Centre was closed around 2012, and the adults who attended were sent to other services. The building re-opened in 2014 as Roe Green Strathcona School, an offshoot of an existing Junior school in Kingsbury. Despite protests, in October 2019 Brent Council voted to close Strathcona School in 2022 – the future of the building is unknown.

7. Original 1930s decorative tilework, still visible beside a shop between the railway and Elmstead Avenue.

A negative change noticed by my Preston ‘focus group’ was a perceived growing lack of variety in shops on Preston Road since the 1960s – and the untidy frontages, almost destroying the 1930s faience work between each shop. They had nostalgic memories of a specialist cheese shop, Buttons & Bows haberdashers, a drapers’, a [vinyl] record store – and the exciting new technology of Variety Videos which allowed films to be watched in your own home! A few older shops remain: All Seasons greengrocers, Gledhill hardware – and Parkway bakery, the lone survivor of a parade of Jewish shops. The introduction of the 223 bus route has eased access to both Preston and Harrow shops.

8. A parade of shops on Preston Road (east side), between Elmstead Avenue and Carlton Avenue East.

Everybody regretted the loss of the Woolworth store not just as a source of “bits and pieces”, but as a social centre where people bumped into each other. “Woolworths made it a real shopping centre”. But many welcome the new availability of Mediterranean, Indian and Middle Eastern foods in “shops that smelt like holidays” and “cafes with pavement seating - who would have thought!” In a spirit of investigative journalism, I walked the ‘mean street’ that is Preston Road and my main conclusions were that we locals must be very vain – I counted 16 hair / grooming salons [9 specifically for men] AND there must still be a healthy demand to live in Preston as there are nine estate agents. 

9. The Century Tavern, Forty Avenue, demolished for Century House. (From the Closed Pubs website)

Other losses noted were the Century Tavern [1928] named after the Century Sports Ground and built on the site of South Forty Farmhouse on Forty Avenue - and the Wembley Observer, the last really local newspaper. However, there have been some ‘cultural’ gains – The Windermere, The Fleadh and the Music Room offer live music, and the Preston Community Library has author events, a weekly film club and occasional special film seasons.

10. Preston Community Library, 2020.

The campaign to save Preston’s Library was a remarkable display of community solidarity. The area had been served by a fondly remembered mobile library until 1964, when the current library opened in Carlton Avenue East. After the Council’s decision in 2011 to close 6 of its 12 libraries, campaigners in each of the affected areas came together under the banner of Brent S.O.S. [Save our Six] Libraries to fight to save the service.  Public meetings were held, councillors, MPs and the Department of Culture Media & Sport lobbied – over 6,000 people in Preston alone signed a petition opposing the closure. 

11. Poster for the Brent S.O.S. Libraries campaign, 2011.

Brent SOS Libraries took the country’s first legal action to challenge library closures in July 2011. The High Court verdict in October 2011 went against us and the libraries were immediately boarded up. An Appeal against the decision was also rejected in December and the application to take the case to the Supreme Court was denied. A full account of the judicial review and the Appeal can be found here. The boarding around Preston Library became known as the “Wall of Shame” which, with its popular support from local artists and schoolchildren, become a major embarrassment to the Council over the next few weeks, and in January 2012 contractors pulled it down.

12. Two scenes of the Wall of Shame at Preston Library, late 2011.

The building was then restructured internally and used for 4 years as additional classrooms for local schools, who allowed some access for library activities. In 2015, the Council formalised this access with a licence and in 2016 the building was opened fully as a volunteer-run community library. The Library is the only local non-commercial and secular space that is open to all, and it now offers a wide range of classes, events and activities as well as core library services. It was “Highly Commended” in The Bookseller‘s 2019 Library of the Year shortlist. The Library is currently closed due to the pandemic – but will hopefully re-open in the autumn. The Council has plans to re-develop the site, but space for a new library is included.

13. Geraldine Cooke introduces Kamila Shamsie (seated right) at Preston Community Library, June 2018.

In June 2018, at the first public event since she won the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction, author Kamila Shamsie visited Preston Community Library to discuss her new book Home Fire. The event was a full house, and the windows were wide open so people could stand outside and hear her. The novel is set in Preston, and features the library campaign. Ms Shamsie told the Kilburn Times “It feels right to do it here. I want the people of the neighbourhood to feel I’ve done right by them”. 

14. A scene from the 1959 film Too Many Crooks. (Image from the internet)

Allegedly, the Preston area has been used many times for film and TV locations. I have found evidence for Preston being shown in the 1959 film Too Many Crooks – in which incompetent villains use a hearse in a kidnapping. It was filmed in Carlton Avenue East, Forty Avenue and various places on Barn Hill. The photo above shows the junction of Carlton Avenue East and Preston Road. The film starred Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw.  

Preston also ‘stars’ in Gourmet Nights, an episode of Fawlty Towers where Basil collects a takeaway meal from ‘André’s Restaurant’, actually the Wings Restaurant on Preston Road, and then (famously) attacks his car when it breaks down [Mentmore Gardens]. Readers may know of other films? We have had at least one celebrity - the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight boxing champion Sir Henry Cooper lived in Ledway Drive, and had a greengrocer’s shop in Ealing Road, Wembley, in the 1960s.

15. Wrigleys chewing gum factory, now Wembley Commercial Centre, East Lane. (From Brent’s Local List)

Only a few architecturally important buildings have survived in Preston Ward and I have covered them all in these articles. Three buildings have national Grade 2 listing: The Windermere, the Church of the Ascension and the Wembley Park Lodge on Wembley Hill Road, which was severely damaged by fire some years ago. In addition, there are three on Brent’s local list: the Edwardian style houses at 299-313 Preston Road, the 1926 Wrigleys factory and the 1956 Wembley United Synagogue. For some reason, the Victorian villas, now 356-358 Preston Road – the oldest surviving houses in Preston - have not been listed. 

16. ‘The Pearl of Metroland', Forty Avenue, in 2018.

We also have one popular Open House property, the ‘Pearl of Metroland’, a 1924 house in Forty Avenue decorated in the original style, but with a ‘Mondrian’ kitchen in 3 colours. And we have great open spaces – Barn Hill, Preston Park and Tenterden playing fields – secured for public use by Wembley Council and Middlesex County Council.

Go look at all these places – and be ready to protect them if necessary. Even local listing does not ensure survival, as we have seen in the recent decision on 1 Morland Gardens. Not everything can or should be protected – and housing needs, in particular, are pressing - but some buildings do add beauty to our environment, and help to tell the story of where we live.

I hope this series of articles has encouraged people to look about them, at the shops and streets they see every day in this very ordinary suburb, and think about the 1000s of people who were here before them – how they lived and worked and where they came from.

My thanks go to Philip Grant of Wembley History Society, who helped with sourcing images for these articles and making the articles ‘online ready’, to Brent Archives for help with images, and to the PCL volunteers who gave me ideas on what should go into this final Part.

Chris Coates, Preston Community Library

This is the end of one local history series, but there will be another beginning next weekend. Will it be about an area in the north of the borough or in the south, or perhaps somewhere in the middle?