Humphry Repton returns to Wembley Park

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

 

 

I wrote about the work of the landscape gardener Humphry Repton in Part 1 of The Wembley Park Story, as part of “local history in lockdown” in May 2020. He turned farmland at Wembley owned by Richard Page, into a landscaped country estate around a house previously called “Wellers”, in 1793. Repton had firm views on what such estates should be called:

 

‘There is at present no word by which we express that sort of territory adjacent to a country mansion, which being too large for a garden, too wild for pleasure ground, and too neat for a farm, is yet often denied the name of a park, because it is not fed by deer. I generally waive this distinction, and call the wood and lawns, near every house, a park, whether fed by deer, by sheep, or heavy cattle.’

 

That’s how Wembley Park got its name, and it was, as Repton said in a letter to a friend in May 1793, ‘a most beautiful spot near Harrow’. 

 

Extract from a letter written by Humphry Repton on 6 May 1793. (From a copy at Brent Archives)

 

I don’t know how many times, if ever, Humphry Repton came back to Wembley Park after that, before his death in 1818. But a celebration of his career in 2018 by The Gardens Trust has led to his return this week. 

 

As part of their “Sharing Repton” events, a bust of the famous landscape designer, by the sculptor Hannah Northam, was donated to the Trust by Haddonstone. It was decided to award this as a prize in a competition open to places across the country where Repton had worked – and the winner was … Wembley Park!

 

Last Wednesday afternoon, I was one of a small crowd standing at the corner of Elvin Gardens, beside Humphry Repton Lane. Some of the builders working nearby were giving us puzzled looks, but seemed even more puzzled by a cloaked figure, wearing a Quintain hard hat.

 

 

The mystery figure was revealed when we were joined by the (even more beautifully robed) Deputy Mayor of Brent, Cllr. Orleen Hylton, who unveiled the bust of Humphry Repton.

 

 

As an aside, the pendant on the Deputy Mayor’s chain of office bears the date “1937”, another piece of local history. It was part of the Civic Regalia donated by the local benefactor Titus Barham, the Chairman of the Express Dairies company, when Wembley was made a borough in that year. He was chosen to be Wembley’s first Mayor, but he died just before the borough received its Charter. He left his home in Sudbury, and its beautiful grounds, for the enjoyment of the people of Wembley, and they were opened as Barham Park in January 1938.

 

In her short speech at the unveiling, The Garden Trust’s Head of Operations, Linden Groves, noted that all of Repton’s designs for this part of the Wembley Park estate had now gone, to be replaced by Quintain’s ongoing development. However, she was impressed by the modern landscaping of areas like Elvin Gardens. She emphasised how important green spaces were for the wellbeing of residents, as had been clearly shown during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
 

I hope that Cllr. Hylton will take that message back to her fellow councillors, as well as telling them about Humphry Repton, and the bust of him in the gardens just behind the Civic Centre.

 

The location of the Humphry Repton bust – see lime green arrow. (Image from Google Maps)

 

The site across Humphry Repton Lane from the bust has been built on since the aerial image above, and the block of apartments nearing completion is called Repton Gardens. Quintain originally planned to move the bust to Union Park, when work on that is completed, but its present location seems far more appropriate. I hope you will take the opportunity to go and see “Humphry” when you are in the area!

 

 

If you would like to find out more about Humphry Repton and his work, the London Parks & Gardens Trust has recently published “Repton in London – The Gardens and Landscapes of Humphry Repton (1752-1818) in the London Boroughs”. I will be recommending that Brent Libraries gets at least one copy that can be borrowed, but if you would like your own copy, go to: https://www.londongardenstrust.org/publications/repton.php

Philip Grant.

Quintain signs its single-largest construction contract to date at £227m to deliver a further 769 homes at Wembley Park

 Quintain Press Release (needless to say the views expressed are Quintain's)

 

• This fixed cost contract with long term partner John Sisk & Son will deliver two new residential buildings at plots NE02 and NE03 alongside the completion of the first park in Wembley for over 100 years
• The completion of the two buildings, covering 9,593m in total, is expected in early 2025, with 74% of the homes to be Build to Rent alongside over 100 affordable homes of mixed tenure
• This landmark contract signing is testament to Quintain’s success at Wembley Park over the past 20 years and continued momentum at the 85-acre site

 

Quintain, the developer behind Wembley Park, has signed its largest construction contract to date, awarding £227m to John Sisk & Son (Sisk) to deliver two new residential buildings and significant public green space at Wembley Park. 

 

The buildings, currently known as NE02 and NE03, will be the first to be delivered at Wembley Park’s North East Lands development, the latest quarter of the 85-acre site to be transformed by the developer. Quintain broke ground at North East Lands, which will deliver a total 2,000 homes, earlier this year as the developer celebrates its 30^th anniversary and 20 years at Wembley Park. 

 

The £227m contract between Quintain and Sisk has been agreed at a fixed price. Whilst not uncommon, a fixed price contract committed to by both parties, during a period of high inflation and following the impact of Covid and Brexit, is testament to the exceptional working relationship between the two businesses. This outcome was achieved through early engagement with the wider contractor framework, cultivating transparency and a fair allocation of risk.

 

James Saunders, CEO of Quintain, said: “Whilst the wider economic picture may be one of uncertainty, Quintain is committed to delivering hundreds of new homes for London at the right time and cost. This landmark contract signing is testament to our continued momentum at Wembley Park and our unwavering success at the site for the past 20 years. It gives me great pleasure to bring the North East Lands development forward with Sisk, our long-term construction partner and valued member of our contractor framework.”

 

The commitment to building a further 769 homes at Wembley Park in plots NE02 and NE03, during a period of economic uncertainty, demonstrates Quintain’s confidence in the market and in its Build to Rent product so successfully managed by its Quintain Living team, currently at over 3,000 homes.

 

Ajaz Shafi, COO, UK & Civils, John Sisk & Son, said “John Sisk & Son is thrilled to have formally signed contracts with Quintain for both NE02 & NE03 projects. This is the largest contract we have signed to date with Quintain and the first developments at North East lands. Sisk has an 18-year history at Wembley Park with our client, Quintain. Together we have created over 2,000 homes, along with a 365-bed hotel, 660 bed student resident units, 1,000 bay carpark, and over five acres of incredible public realm, with another 817 homes now currently under construction with the signing of this latest contract. This demonstrates our longstanding relationship with Quintain and the dedication of our staff and supply chain partners. We are extremely excited by this next leg of the journey at Wembley with Quintain and look forward to creating this new neighbourhood within Wembley Park.”

 

The homes will be delivered alongside the completion of Union Park, which is to span a full seven acres across Wembley Park, three and a half of which are already complete and open to the public alongside children’s play areas and water features. Union Park is Wembley’s first new significant public green space in over a hundred years and, once complete, will be complemented by community amenities for local residents and the public.

 

This significant construction contract signed between Quintain and Sisk comes after 18 years of successful collaboration between the two businesses at Wembley Park. The commitment to a continued partnership amongst a challenging market is testament to Quintain’s transparent and supportive approach as a client rather than encouraging a race for the lowest price which traditional tendering methods are known to create.

 

Previous projects between Quintain and Sisk have included the site’s flagship Build to Rent development 743-home Canada Gardens, the 472-home Emerald Gardens development, London Designer Outlet, the Hilton London Wembley Hotel and the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed Wembley Arena (now the OVO Arena Wembley).

 

Quintain sells off Wembley Arena

 

From Quintain Ltd

 Quintain, the developer and asset manager behind Wembley Park, confirms that it has completed the sale of the OVO Arena Wembley to Intermediate Capital Group (ICG). This forms part of Quintain’s strategy to focus activities going forward on build to rent residential across development and asset management, neighbourhood retail and placemaking.

Built in 1934, the OVO Arena Wembley (formerly Wembley Arena) has played host to some of the world’s most famous artists, including David Bowie, Queen, Abba, Britney Spears and Beyonce. It is the venue where artists love to stand on stage and shout “Hello, Wembley!”.

Purchased by Quintain in 2002 as part of an initial acquisition of 44 acres of land in Wembley Park, the OVO Arena Wembley was transformed by Quintain in 2006 with a £36m refurbishment which, along with the new stadium, cemented Wembley’s position as one of the premier UK locations for live music and entertainment.

Built as the “Empire Pool” in 1934 to host swimming events for the Empire Games, the Arena has also hosted events for both the 1948 and 2012 Olympics. Today the Arena typically hosts 120 events a year across sport, music, comedy and entertainment.

With a capacity of 12,500, the Arena is the second largest in London and is operated by ASM Global, the leading entertainment venue operator, with a portfolio of over 350 venues worldwide.

James Saunders, CEO of Quintain, said: “As we build out the Wembley Park estate, with 3,000 more homes still to deliver, we continue to focus our efforts on our Build to Rent ambition, neighbourhood retail and placemaking. Naturally, we will work with ICG and ASM to ensure that the world-famous OVO Arena Wembley will remain an important part of this world class destination and neighbourhood.”

Andreas Papadolambakis of ICG Real Estate, said: “We’re delighted to be the new custodians of the iconic OVO Arena and to be partnering with ASM, a globally renowned arena operator. The investment represents ICG Real Estate’s first in the content and live entertainment space, a sector which is benefitting from structural tailwinds. As music consumption has pivoted towards streaming, touring has become increasingly important for artists whilst consumers are dedicating an increasing portion of their disposable income to experiences over material goods. We expect this to be the first of a programme of investments in the European content and live entertainment market.”

Chris Bray, Executive VP Europe of ASM Global, said: “Quintain have been excellent landlords for the OVO Arena for the last 20 years and we thank them for their stewardship. We look forward to working with new owners, ICG, to enhance Britain’s most iconic arena and continue to bring world class acts and artists to this world-famous entertainment district.”

Tory audience at Wembley Arena Leadership Hustings greeted by critical demonstration

Green New Deal Rising

Brent Labour councillors (and Steven Bray)

                                                      Greens say #enoughisenough time to End Tory Rule

Self-employed demonstrate against the retrosprctive loan charge 

NEU, SWP, Stop Rwanda

The NHS - 38 degrees

The venue for the last Tory Leadership hustings was kept under wraps until the last minute so the demonstration to voice our feelings was very hastily organised.  Several groups did manage to turn up to voice their views to the Tory faithful as they queued to get into the Wembley Arena.

The Labour Group on Brent Council had their meeting at 6pm, the  same time as the demonstration, but came out of the Civic Centre, which is opposite the Arena, for a few minutes show of solidarity.

A senior policeman appeared to have decided I was organising things and came over to tell me that the boss of Quintain was okay about us demonstrating but would not be happy at us getting too close to the queueing Conservatives or at us shouting in their faces (we were at least 2 metres away).  He asked me to move 'your' group to 'stand with those ladies over there' (the women from Green New Deal Rising)!

Arena Square was surrounded by Heras fencing so we had to stand on Wembley Boulevard, the private property of Quintain Ltd. His comments were an incidental lesson in the politics of the privatisation of public space. Quintain were doing us a favour by 'allowing' us to demonstrate.

And Steve Bray was very patient with the police...

 

They’re back! – Heritage tile murals in Olympic Way now on permanent display

I am pleased to publish this 'Good News' guest post by Philip Grant and congratulate him and his heritage colleagues for their persistent campaigning to save the historic murals for Brent residents and visitors to Wembley Stadium.

 

Three sporting heritage murals on the east wall of Olympic Way, 23 August 2022.

 

It was April 2018 when Wembley History Society first called on Brent Council and Quintain to put the Bobby Moore Bridge tile murals, celebrating Wembley’s sports and entertainment heritage, back on permanent public display. They’d been covered over with vinyl advertising sheets since 2013, under a secret advertising lease deal between the developer’s Wembley Park subsidiary and Council officers.

 

In August 2017, Brent’s planners finally got round to approving advertisement consent for this “cover-up”. Although Quintain’s application had asked for five years from September 2013, it was given for five years from 27 August 2017!

 

When Council officers extended Quintain’s advertising lease in 2019 (in a very “dodgy deal”), they did get an agreement to have the tile mural scenes on the east wall of Olympic Way “revealed” for 21 days each year. This was first done at the start of Brent’s year as London Borough of Culture in January 2020. 

 

However, local historians and many local residents wanted more than that! We did not want Quintain renewing the advertisement consent for the Olympic Way murals, due to expire on 27 August 2022, so I started the year by sending a letter to their Chief Executive Officer. I asked for Quintain’s agreement to put the murals on the walls of Olympic Way back on permanent public display once the advertisement consent ran out, and in March I received a letter confirming they would do that.

 

On Tuesday I was passing through Wembley Park, so went to take a look. And yes, they are back on display, and will stay that way! Residents, and the tens of thousands of visitors to Wembley every year, can now enjoy the American Football, Rugby League and Ice Hockey mural scenes all year round. That is what they were specially designed for, back in 1993!

 

The drummer mural on the west wall of Olympic Way, awaiting restoration.

On the west wall, the “drummer” tile mural (the last remnant of a scene celebrating the “Live Aid” concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985) is still waiting for new tiles to be added. Most of the original design was lost when steps down from the then bus stop were built for TfL around 2006. Quintain have commissioned an artist to design a suitable “infill” for the triangular section (now just concrete) down to the bottom of the steps, using the same type of tiles as the original. I’ve been told that this should be in place by November 2022.

That just leaves the Bobby Moore Bridge subway. There are colourful tile mural scenes along the walls on both sides of the underpass from Wembley Park Station. In 2019, Brent’s planners persuaded Planning Committee to allow the vinyl adverts to be replaced by light panels, which could be used for advertising, despite strong local opposition. The only concession to Wembley History Society’s call for all the tile murals to be put back on display was the framing and display lighting for one mural, showing England footballers at the “Twin Towers” stadium.

 

The England footballers mural in the Bobby Moore Bridge subway, 23 August 2022.

 

Brent Council’s current advertising lease with Quintain, which includes the right to advertise on the subway walls (except for the footballers mural), expires in August 2024. Perhaps then we can have all of the tile murals put back on permanent public display. The progress we have made so far shows that it is worth standing up for Brent’s heritage!

 

Philip Grant.

Quintain boast of defeating impact of rail strikes as LDO sales soar during Ed Sheeran concert dates

 

In a previous post LINK I asked if the provision of mass car parking on a field in Fryent Country Park by Labour Brent Council had been arranged to defeat the impact of the RMT rail strike during the Ed Sheeran concerts. I suggested Labour councillors might ask the question.

In a press release today Quintain don't mention these alternative arrangements and boast in the face of a cost of living strike that they earned lots of money over the weekend:

Undeterred Ed Sheeran fans triggered a trading surge for stores and restaurants across Wembley Park despite rail strike chaos during the red-headed rocker’s gigs at Wembley Stadium. 

Total sales across the world-famous 15-minute neighbourhood, including London Designer Outlet (LDO), were up by 83% compared to the average performance of each weekend throughout May.   

 

The business boost between Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June came amid the biggest rail strike in a generation, with swathes of determined ‘Sheerios’ causing footfall at LDO to climb by +45% compared to May’s weekend average. 

 

Hospitality businesses were teaming with Sheeran superfans enjoying themselves ahead of the concerts, with sales at LDO up by two-thirds (+64%) compared to the May weekend average.  

 

Sales at sports and athleisure brands at London’s leading fashion and lifestyle outlet climbed by over two-thirds (+68%), accessories and gifts by +61%, mixed fashion by a quarter (+26%) and health and beauty by 15%.

 

Wembley Park and LDO are enjoying a summer trading boom following the return of more large-scale events at the Stadium and Arena. Earlier this month, Harry Styles sparked a sales surge across the 15-minute neighbourhood and LDO – capital’s leading premium fashion and lifestyle outlet destination.

 

The latest trading figures also revealed that the Shape of You star’s sway over shoppers was greater than that of the ex-One Direction heartthrob’s – with sales across the neighbourhood and LDO during Sheeran’s gigs 4% higher than during Styles’.

 

Other upcoming events at Wembley Stadium that are expected to bolster footfall and sales across the neighbourhood include the UEFA Women’s Euro Final on 31 July, Westlife on 6 August, Coldplay between 12 and 20 August and the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert on 3 September.

 

A host of other events and performances are also taking place at OVO Arena Wembley over the coming months, including The Libertines on 23 July and The National Television Awards 2022 on 15 September. 

 

Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, said: “We’ve enjoyed a Perfect Symphony of world-class stars helping to drive footfall and sale across Wembley Park and London Designer Outlet this summer.

 

“Despite the prospect of the most disruptive rail strikes in a generation grinding London to a hault, Sheerios proved themselves to be a determined fanbase – arriving en-masse at Wembley Park and LDO to enjoy a spot of shopping or grabbing a bite to eat while they waited for the concerts to begin.

 

“It really is testament to Wembley Park’s varied and dynamic offer that visitors continue to flock back to in greater numbers than 2019, enjoy our unparalleled combined retail and leisure offer.”

 

Festival of Place at Box Park on July 6th will address key questions on development and equality

 

Wembley Matters likes to keep you informed about what is going on locally and this event at Box Park on Olympic Way may intrigue you. However with  BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) tickets at £474 including VAT you may not be rushing for the special offer. It would be interesting to know if Brent Cabinet housing and regeneration leads will be attending as some of the questions in 'Key Themes' are well worth addressing in terms of development in the borough.

 From the event website LINK. (original punctuation etc)

 

The third annual Festival of Place is back on 6 July at Boxpark Wembley in Wembley Park, London, a stone’s throw from the legendary stadium in Europe’s largest build-to-rent development.

 

Bringing together our community to discern and imagine a positive social, equitable and environmental future for places. Featuring fresh thinking and challenging conversations with a riot of talks and workshops that inspire and connect our creative community of placemakers seeking to renew our cities, designing and developing human networks and habitats.

 

Special offer! Add one ticket in your basket, and your second ticket is free! After checkout please assign both names to your tickets (you can reassign anytime before the event) 

 

Update your thinking. Learn. Get inspired.

 

Break down silos and come together with professionals to tackle the major issues facing urban development in an environment where it is safe to ask questions.

 

Gain frank insight from experts, including authors, scientists, cultural leaders, developers, investors, scientists, designers, community workers and city leaders.

 

Ideal for the whole placemaking team, from developer to designer, investor to local government. 

 

Participate and meet new collaborators seeking to address the biggest challenges facing makers of place, through online masterclasses and workshops, where you will roll your sleeves up around the table.

  

Key themes for 2022

 

how can the design of places support public health and reduce inequalities? 

what are the key ingredients that developers and designers can get right in order to reduce health and social inequalities through their place interventions? we tackle the issue from several angles, inviting economists, researchers and public health professionals to share their insights on meaningful infrastructure and place interventions

 

myth-busting and greenwash: secrets and lies in ESG investment
what are the emerging issues with the growth in investment targeting social and environmental impact? what does good look like, and what are the challenges and opportunities as capital is nudging place and regeneration?

 

regeneration without leaving folks behind
how to ensure inclusive and good growth in rapidly changing places, from manchester to birmingham? what would a truly levelled-up country look like? 

 

feminist urbanism: exploring an equal city
how can the design of places promote gender equality and what research and activism is taking place to create more equal places

 

putting empathy and care at the heart of places
what if we centred empathy and caring? how would our places be designed and developed if they were focussed on nuturing empathy? 

 

radical land reform and renewable design
how are the systems around land ownership and land value limiting our ability to tackle the pressing challenges of our time? what can we do about it and what are the alternatives?

 

Book and Kulture pop-up brings a welcome multi-ethnic dimension to Quintain's Wembley Park - photo review

It is over 10 years since a petition LINK was launched to save the Willesden Bookshop from closure. The much-loved bookshop needed an affordable space in the much vaunted new Willesden Cultural Centre that was to replace the Willesden Green Library. Unfortunately Brent Council was uncooperative and it now only exists on-line.

It's specialism was women's literature ands Black interest with an amazing selection of multi-ethnic children's books.

 The children's section in the Willesden Bookshop

It was a delight then to visit Book and Kulture at their new pop-up shop in the Quintain development at Wembley Park who also want to cater for Brent's diverse culture.  Their offering is not only books but other items with a Black interest aspect.  Local teachers are recommended to visit for the range of children's books - fiction and non-fiction.

I have tried to capture the offer in the following photographs but do pop in. You are sure of a friendly welcome.  The shop is off Olympic way next to Bread Ahead.

OPENING HOURS:

Monday Closed

Tuesday and Wednesday 11am-7pm

Thursday to Saturday 11am - 8pm

Sunday 12pm -6pm