Wembley's 'Helter Skelter' surrounded by scaffolding as remedial works get underway

 

With lockdown impacting on student numbers cladding remedial work is going on at the Victoria Hall stduent accommodation in North End Road.  Victoria Hall was one of the first new buildings, not quite 10 years ago, in the area and its design made quite an impact and earned the name 'the helter skelter.'

It is 19 storeys at the highest point, with 3 modular wings.  The modules were installed at the rate of 7 a day providing 435 bedrooms.  It was designed by Peter Dann and constructed by John Doyle Construction. They boasted that it took only 16 months to build.

Victoria Hall under construction (from the Bridge Road ramp)

North End Road is currently cut off from the ramp and stairs that descend from Bridge Road as the road is being reconnected with Bridge Road.  There were complaints from students on a now defunct Facebook site 'The Truth About Victoria Hall, Wembley' about the  4am to 1am noise from the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines - now there will be a through road at the front of the building.

 There are currently several thousand student beds in the Wembley Park area.  They were seen as achieving a better rate of return on the investment than family accommodation:

 The remedial work must be costings thousands so perhaps not a great investment.

 

More student tower blocks for North End Road, Wembley

Residents of North End Road, and especially those in  Danes Court, will have a new towering neighbour if plans for Karma House are approved by Brent Planning Committee on August 21st.

The three storey office block will be replaced by a building of part 9, 14, 17 and 19 storeys comprising 450 private student rooms. The development is very close to the existing 17 storey Victoria Hall student block and the 20 storey mixed hotel/residential development on the former Shubette House site.

The site was subject to a previous planning application in which on the 28th July 2005 Brent's planning committee resolved to grant outline planning permission for the demolition of the existing Karma House  building and the erection of a building ranging in height for 8 to 17 storeyscomprising a 120-bedroom hotel on the 1st -  5th floors, 108 timeshare or apartment hotel lets on 6th - 15th floors (84 studios, 24 one-bedroom), a public viewing gallery and restaurant on the 16th floor, one basementlevel of 40 parking spaces and associated facilities. The s106 agreement was signed and outline permission formally granted on the 17th April 2008. The application reference was 05/0626.

The report notes that an application was made to extend the time frame for the earlier application in June and it was hoped to consider both the applications at the same time. However, 'as further information is required' this will now not be considered until September.

The report does not say why, in this case, the student block application was not considered until then, One local resident's consultation comment on the current plan said:

Any further proposed development via increased density should positively impact the lives of existing residents and empower them.The previous scheme (hotel,restaurant, viewing gallery) would invite and attract residents and the public and would be useful to them while another exclusive student development would not. These student developments only serve to make money for their developers at a complete loss of amenity to existing residents.

Some of the residents say that the construction of what in effect is a 'student village' close to their homes will change the nature of a quiet family residential area while others claim that the Victoria Hall development has resulted in  no tangible benefits for local people.

Officers recommending approval of the scheme note that the development, coming on top of the 2,600 plus student rooms  completed or in process, will nonetheless not breach the 20% limit the Council put on the student proportion of new residents. However, they insert the caveat that it may be breached in the short-term if this accommodation comes on stream before other developments are completed.

The report claims that the protected views of Wembley Stadium from Barn Hill will not be detrimentally affected by the development and say that 'natural surveillance'  makes 24 hour security on the block unnecessary.

Full report HERE

How will students change the face of Wembley?

Victoria Hall opposite Wembley Park station, opening September 2011

Wembley Park will soon have more than 2,500 units of private student accommodation.  Some of the accommodation replaces plans for  family housing that has become less viable in the current recession.

Under Construction:
Victoria Hall (Wembley Park) - opening September 2011 436 beds
Quintain iQ (Planning area W05) - under construction, opening 2012 660 beds
Planning granted:
Dexion House, Empire Way - 661 beds
Yet to be finally approved:
Quintain NW Lands- up to 880 beds

Total beds:  2,636

The accommodation, run by private companies, will be aimed at students attending the University of Westminster's Harrow Campus and the central London universities such as Imperial College, Kings, SOAS and the LSE.  The Council argues that it will still be able to meet its housing targets.

The Dexion House scheme also  involves the construction of a community swimming pool on the site - a welcome addition to Wembley amenities.

The Council suggests that the presence of students will boost the local economy and put a figure of £4m on annual living costs and spending of Dexion House students.   Much will depend on whether the students use the accommodation as dormitories and socialise around their college or whether they do that around Wembley. If the latter  there could be considerable changes in terms of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bookshops. The council also argues that the students will contribute by volunteering in the community and will enhance the image of the area as a safe investment.

Politically they could make a considerable difference. Tokygnton ward in which all the accommodation so far will be situated only has a population of 11,800.