Two years ago a video explained how young people created the meanwhile Samovar Space at Wembley Park - soon to be redeveloped

 

Quintain statement on the future of Samovar Space at the foot of the Stadium Steps - hotel or offices planned plus creation of two new public spaces

 

 The current layout - the removed Soundshell in the foreground

 

Quintain have replied this afternoon to my request for information regarding the future of the Samovar Space at the foot of the Wembley Stadium steps. Apparently my earier communication to them went astray.

 

Over the last couple of weeks we have been in contact with Brent Councillors, Planning team, Landsby Residents and our Resident's Team at Quintain Living relating to Plot NW04 and the existing meanwhile uses of Market Square and Samovar Space clarifying the following:

 

To the Landsby Resident's Team:

Together with Brent Council we have a vision for the transformation of Wembley Park that will be delivered in phases. The later plots to be developed have been enlivened in the interim as 'meanwhile uses' with Brent Council's full support. The Samovar Space is a brilliant example of this. Designed with input from local young people and enjoyed by many. 

 

The removal of the soundshell does not signify the closure of any part of Market Square or Samovar Space that will remain for at least the next 12 months. The Soundshell was moved to due to the need to undergo significant repairs and to allow space for upcoming Coldplay concert activations.

 

The 'NW04' site next to Landsby was granted outline planning approval in 2011 and was revised in 2018, and has formed one of our meanwhile plots for development later in the masterplan. 

 

To Brent Council:

 

Samovar Space and Market Square form part of plot NW04 in the Wembley Masterplan.  They are both meantime (temporary) uses of the plot until the building development is brought forward.  Market Square and “Wembley Splay” were primarily built to facilitate a more direct pedestrian connection between Olympic Way and Wembley Park Boulevard around the old Pedway.  Samovar Space was part of a project co-curated with young people in Brent.

 

NW04 has outline planning approval for either a Hotel or Office use and the form and position of the building on the site were approved in 2018*.

 

Designs are currently being prepared by Quintain for a Hotel on the site and it is intended that the Reserved Matters Application (RMA) will be submitted in early 2026.  Engagement with residents and other stakeholders will take place as part of the process before the application is submitted.

 

Recent “construction” activity on site has been related to the various site surveys – topographical, ground investigation etc – that are necessary to inform the design.

 

There have also been quite a few event activities on the site, sometimes related to the various concerts and other events happening in the stadium this summer.

 

It is important to note that The Soundshell, which formed an integral part of Samovar Space, was removed due to the need to undergo significant repairs and to allow space for the upcoming Coldplay concert activations. The removal of the soundshell does not signify the closure of any part of Market Square or Samovar Space which will remain for at least the next calendar year.

 

The approved parameter plans for the NW04 site allow for the creation of two new public spaces.  A combined space that fulfils the functions of Market Square and Samovar Space is created – effectively rotating the space through 90 degrees to sit along the Engineers Way frontage, linking Olympic Way to the Civic Centre and Wembley Park Boulevard.  A second space is created as a “pocket space” that will sit as a terraced area roughly where Wembley Splay is located at present.

 

The Cherry Trees in the southern part of Market Square will be retained and reconfigured as part of the design.  The various elements within Samovar Space were designed to be relocated and we will be reusing the structures where possible or donating them to local community groups, charities etc where this isn't feasible?

 

The overall construction process will be described in the construction method statement.  There will be further liaison over the construction arrangements as has been the case for all of the plots constructed at Wembley Park.

*Planning reference 2018/0968 LINK

Former Palace of Arts and Industry, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9
Proposal	Minor Material Amendment to vary Condition 4 (Approved Drawings) of planning permission reference 14/3054 (dated 21 October 2014) for an outline application for the demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of the site to provide up to 160,000sqm of mixed use floorspace. (See previous application record for full description of development). The minor material changes sought are to create a new south facing public square fronting Engineers Way, to increase the height of the previously approved main building from 88.5m to 100m AOD, the reduction of the length of the previously approved block plan, changes to the massing of the previously approved building form, the creation of a collonaded single storey pavillion building along Olympic Way, increased basement level, and the provision of pedestrian and public realm improvements, and a bridge link to Brent Civic Centre.
Status	Approved.

 Images from that application:

 

The alternatives from an early PowerPoint presentation:

 

 

Wembley Park residents encounter wall of silence over plans for the Samovar Space following sound shell removal and surveyor activity

 

Wembley Park visitors and residents of Wembley Park will be familiar with the Samovar Open Space with its concert shell and play area at the foor of the stadium steps. This is what Brent Council wrote about it:

Seen & Heard and the Apprenticeship gave young people aged 16-24 a voice in the design and management of their local public spaces at Wembley Park.The outcome includes Samovar Space, a purpose-built area at the foot of the Olympic Steps and Wembley Stadium, designed for and by young people as part of the Apprenticeship in City Design.

Samovar Space is an inclusive space designed for and by young. The aim was to design a place to ‘just be’. It features dining, shelter and collaborative areas, including a purpose-built platform that will play host to events for young people throughout the year.

The engagement with young people sustained over four years and sees young adults aged 16-24, who are often overlooked by conventional development and planning, working with architects and developers to co-create spaces and places that are welcoming for them. 

 This is the space now following removal of the concert shell;

 

Now Wembley Park residents are protesting that they have neither been seen nor heard over potential redevelopment of the site butare suspicious after seeing surveying work in progress:

It seems as though Quintain have decided that they are going to exercise their old planning permission for the NW04 site right next to Wembley Library, which will result in the destruction of the Market Square and Samovar Space community spaces.

The sound shell bandstand was removed from the Samovar Space, ironically during the night after Wembley Park’s recent Coldplay community event, held in the sound shell. Wembley Park and Quintain celebrated the event and the community space on social media that evening, though didn’t mention in those posts that right after the event they were dismantling the sound shell.

They aren’t being open with the local community or with existing or new renters in their Landsby East building (which is directly next to the construction) as to what their plans are, or that a major construction site will be appearing next door.

The planning permission was granted many years ago, before there was anything in the area, but now there is a significant local population with large residential buildings all-around, plus the space between Wembley Library and Olympic Way has become a vibrant and much used community space that is also useful for Wembley Stadium events (the old Silver Car Park space is often used for merch areas or fan zones).

It sounds as though they are planning to construct a mixed-use office or hotel in the space, with a small and uninspiring paved square as a concession to Brent Council. This in no way replaces the trees in Market Square or the multifunctional space that exists currently.

It’s hugely disappointing that local residents are a) not being given any sort of consultation opportunity and b) Quintain are not being transparent and pro-active about informing the community of what is going on.

 A resident spotted the sound shell dumped in the nearby Union Park:

 The public space was the result of Brent Council reaching an agreement with Quintain not to build on NW04 in order to provide a public space beside the Civic Centre. This was part  of the £17.8m CIL money that Brent Council paid Quintain for Olympic Way improvements, including the demolition of the pedway and installation of the stadium steps.

 

 The NW04 site in context

Extract from Cabinet Report 24th July 2017:

Cabinet approve a contribution of up to £17.8 million towards the delivery of the Olympic Way Zones B and C.

2.2 That such a contribution would be contingent on Quintain:

a) Not pursuing development of site NW04 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 heads of terms, between Quintain and the council, for the future sharing and reinvestment of net income generated through assets on Olympic Way.

 Apart from the Samovar Open Space, trees and the orange seating area the space outside the Civic Centre has also been used for market stalls:

 Interestingly what appeared to be future plans for the space appeared on the website of Flanagan Lawrence, leading Wembley Park architects,   https://www.flanaganlawrence.com/nw04   but the page was taken down, perhaps as a result of residents asking questions.

I am still waiting for answers to my enquiries of a week ago about future use of the site from Quintain and Brent Planning and have tried again today. Residents also report a wall of silence:

Several residents have shared that they've since also reached-out to Brent Council (the two Wembley Park Councillors and also Cllr. Butt) and have equally had radio silence. One said they asked Wembley Park's event manager, who also evaded answering the question. 

 

Another said they had reached-out to Quintain Living's head of operations for clarity seeing as they had just signed a 12 month contract in the Landsby East building and no-one mentioned anything about future construction work, again, radio silence.

 

It seems as though they are trying to do 'something' with the site, but for whatever reason do not want the community to know any details...

 

 

 

 

Brent youngsters' design project wins major award

 Edited Press Release

Seen & Heard and its legacy project the Apprenticeship in City Design, a collaboration between the London School of Economic (LSE), Wembley Park developers, Quintain, and the London Borough of Brent, has won the ‘Young people co-creating public spaces’ award at the annual Eurocities Awards.

 

The annual Eurocities Awards recognise cities’ outstanding achievements in improving quality of life for local people, addressing Europe’s challenges at every level.

 

Seen & Heard and the Apprenticeship gave young people aged 16-24 a voice in the design and management of their local public spaces at Wembley Park.The outcome includes Samovar Space, a purpose-built area at the foot of the Olympic Steps and Wembley Stadium, designed for and by young people as part of the Apprenticeship in City Design.

 

The young people in Samovar Space

 

Samovar Space is an inclusive space designed for and by young. The aim was to design a place to ‘just be’. It features dining, shelter and collaborative areas, including a purpose-built platform that will play host to events for young people throughout the year.

 

The engagement with young people sustained over four years and sees young adults aged 16-24, who are often overlooked by conventional development and planning, working with architects and developers to co-create spaces and places that are welcoming for them. 

 

Ricky Burdett, Director, LSE Cities, said:  

It’s rare that the Mayor, a local authority, a developer, a university and a youth group get together to develop a long-term project to engage young people in shaping their environment and to raise the level of understanding of what it means to design and make a public space that really works. This initiative has set new standards for public realm in London. The LSE has been delighted to be involved.

 

Quintain funded the project as part of Brent’s year as the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture 2020, including six paid opportunities to learn through practice at the LSE. Participants worked with experts on processes and policies for the management of public spaces and are also worked on real-life examples of truly inclusive spaces across Wembley Park. The first of these, Samovar Space, was completed last year, with another, White Horse Square, due to open in 2024.

 

Julian Tollast, Head of Masterplanning and Design, Quintain, added:

 

It is a sad fact that young people are often overlooked when it comes to the built environment. With this in mind, we are extremely proud of the work we have done, and are continuing to do, via Seen & Heard to make Wembley Park and the wider area a more welcoming place for all. To succeed at these awards and represent not only the Borough of Brent but London as well was an honour for all involved.

 

Seen & Heard competed against projects from across Europe for the prize category, including the Overlooked exhibition at Leeds City Museum and Hej! an open and inclusive youth space co-create in Lublin, Poland.

 

About Seen & Heard

Seen and Heard was a Brent 2020, London Borough of Culture project commissioned by Metroland Cultures, delivered by The Blueprint Collective