Proposed Stopping-up Order near Olympic Steps – here we go again, and why this reflects what is wrong with Brent Council decision-making.

  Guest post by Philip Grant in a personal capacity 

Legal Notice from the “Brent & Kilburn Times”, 19 March 2026.

 

My guest post on 1 January opened with an image like this one, giving notice of a Magistrates’ Court hearing on 22 January at which Brent Council would be applying to stop-up (that is, to extinguish the right of pedestrians and vehicles to pass across) two areas of highway near Engineers Way, and close to the Olympic Steps at Wembley Park. An update to a subsequent article, Does Brent Council really want to embarrass itself in Court?, reported that the Council had asked for that hearing to be adjourned. 

 

Hopes that common sense would prevail were dashed when a Council Officer informed me, a couple of weeks ago, of a new hearing date on 16 April. I waited until the formal notice (above) had appeared in our local newspaper, before responding to it:

 

‘I have seen the Notice in yesterday's "Brent & Kilburn Times" about the new hearing date of 16 April at 2pm for the Council's Section 116 application. As requested in the Notice, I am writing to formally advise you that I intend to appear at this Willesden Magistrates' Court hearing, to object to the application for a stopping-up Order.

 

The grounds for my objection are that the application under Section 116 is wrong in law, because the two areas of highway shown on the Plan are not "unnecessary".

 

I will use the illustrations in the document "Brent Council’s proposed Engineers Way S.116 Stopping-up Order areas in pictures", which I supplied you with a copy of on 12 January 2026, as evidence that it is necessary for pedestrians and vehicles to pass across the areas of highway which the Council seeks to stop-up. You should ensure that whoever will be representing Brent Council at the hearing has a copy of that document.

 

Even at this late stage, it would be possible for the Council to withdraw its application, as you must realise that it has little hope of success, on the basis of the facts and law. Please let me know, as soon as possible, if the application is withdrawn. Thank you.’

 

I received two brief responses from Council Officers:

 

‘Thank you for letting me know of your intention to attend the stopping up order court hearing. I can confirm, as explained in our previous correspondences, the Council is intending to request the magistrate to approve this order under section 116 of the Highways Act 1980.’

 

‘I can confirm that we have a copy of your submission from 12th January "Brent Council’s proposed Engineers Way S.116 Stopping-up Order areas in pictures" and will ensure our barrister has sight of the document prior to the hearing.’

 

So not only are the Council going ahead with the application, they will be represented in Court by a barrister (I will be representing myself!). Hopefully, Quintain Ltd will be paying the barrister’s fee, as apparently, they were the ones who asked Brent to make the application in the first place. 

 

View from the Olympic Steps, showing that one of the areas Brent seeks to stop-up (in red)  would block the entrance to Olympic Way East, and impede pedestrians from using the Engineers Way crossing between Olympic Way and the Olympic Steps.

 

You only need to look at the areas the proposed stopping-up order would apply to, as shown by even one of the images (above) in the evidence document I supplied in January, to see that it is necessary for pedestrians and/or vehicles to pass across them. Yet Council Officers and an important Council committee are supposed to have considered the details before agreeing that an application for a Section 116 Order should be made to the Court.

 

The committee involved was Brent’s General Purposes Committee, at a meeting as long ago as 7 March 2022. This is one example, of many possibles, which illustrates how the decision-making processes at Brent Council have deteriorated over the past decade or so. This can lead to ill-considered decisions, which often end up wasting money (sometimes £millions) and to poor services. In this case, it was obvious to me as soon as I saw the plan showing the areas involved that they were not “unnecessary”, so why was it not obvious to the decision-makers?

 

I wrote in October 2016 about the way in which Brent’s General Purposes Committee, which used to be a strong group of senior “backbench” councillors, had been “hijacked”. The title of that article was: Does Councillor Butt have too much power?. Here is an extract from it:

 

‘[Brent’s] Constitution (in its own words) ‘…sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that decision making is efficient, transparent and accountable to local people. Some of the procedures are required by law, while others are a matter for the Council.’

 

“Responsibility for Functions” is an important area, which should mean that there are “checks and balances” to ensure that power is shared across the Council, so that no single person or group within it has too much (to guard against that power being abused). The Constitution gives the Leader, or the Leader together with the Cabinet, considerable powers, but there are also ‘functions which cannot be exercised by the Cabinet’, ‘functions not to be the sole responsibility of the Cabinet’ and ‘functions that may only be exercised by Full Council’.

 

One area of particular concern is the General Purposes Committee, which ‘carries out a number of functions on which the Cabinet cannot take decisions, including public rights of way, setting the Council Tax base and approving staffing matters’.  The committee has eight members, and the Constitution used to say that at least one of these must be a member of the Executive (the previous title for the Cabinet). That proviso, which gave a very strong hint that most of the committee should be made up of back-bench councillors, has been removed, and for the past few years seven of the eight members have been Cabinet members, with the official Opposition Leader as the eighth.

 

Cllr. Butt is Chair of the General Purposes Committee, and of its Senior Staff Appointments Sub-Committee. This has given him considerable influence over the Council’s senior staffing structure, who is appointed to the Senior Officer posts, and the terms on which they are appointed.’

 

Whereas the General Purposes Committee used to hold “full length” meetings, when councillors would discus and decide matters publicly and transparently, they now start just half an hour before the Monday morning Cabinet meetings.  There were six substantive items on its agenda for the meeting on 22 March 2022. The minutes show that it began at 9.30am, and record that ‘the meeting closed at 9.49am’! 

 

 

I did follow-up my October 2016 guest post with an email to Brent’s then Chief Executive, who chaired the Council’s Constitutional Working Group (of which the Council Leader is also a member), suggesting that it:

 

‘should consider ways to ensure that the functions of the General Purposes Committee and its sub-committees are carried out independently of the Council Leader and the Cabinet. This is not just something which affects the present personnel, or situation on Brent Council, but a question of good governance.

 

The Leader and Cabinet already have considerable powers in those roles, and yet there are more than fifty other elected councillors whose knowledge and experience could contribute to the functions carried out by General Purposes Committee, if the majority of seats on that committee, and its Chair, were to be reserved under the Constitution for members who are not in the Cabinet. I believe that this would also ensure a better balance of power within the Council as a whole.’

 

The reply I received to my detailed email was short:

 

'Dear Mr Grant

 

Thank you for your email. The Chief Executive notes your concerns about the constitution of the General Purposes Committee. The Chief Executive and I consider that the composition of the Committee is satisfactory from both a legal and operational perspective.

 

Best wishes,

 

Chief Legal Officer'

 

Both the Chief Executive and Chief Legal Officer at that time had been chosen by the Senior Staff Appointments Sub-Committee, chaired by ………. you’ve guessed who.

 

Would a properly (in my view) constituted General Purposes Committee, which could spend more time considering reports presented to them by Officers, and would have had time to look at the plan which was one of the appendices to the Stopping-up Order Report, have agreed the recommendation ‘to approve the submission of an application to the Magistrate Court’? I can’t be sure, but I believe it was an avoidable error, which has wasted a lot of Council Officer time.

 

Willesden Magistrates’ Court. (Image from the Courts Service website)

 

We will find out whether it really was a bad decision when I see Brent Council in Court, on the afternoon of Thursday 16 April!

 

Philip Grant.

Wembley Park Green Party Councillor backs locals in opposing the building of a hotel on the Market Square-Samovar Public Space close to Wembley Stadium

 The petition LINK against building on the Savovar-Market Square Open Space currently has 314 signatures

 Quintain's Proposed hotel

   

Brent Green Party councillor Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam has come out strongly in support of Wembley Park residents who are campaigning for the retention of the Samovar Space and Market Square in the heart of the Wembley Park Quintain development.

  

He said:

 

I join with Wembley Park residents in opposing the building of a hotel on the site of the Samovar Space and Market Square beside the Brent Civic Centre and in front of the Wembley Stadium steps.

 

The space has become an integral part of Wembley Park. Residents, visitors, shoppers, concert goers and sports fans have all made it their own and it has become an organic part of the Wembley Park experience.

 

As densification of the area becomes more intense it is important to keep a breathing space at its centre, it is as important for safety during events as it is for leisure, entertainment, and its markets,

 

I believe the original reasons that Brent Council gave in 2020 for reaching a deal with Quintain on maintaining a public space on NW04 are stronger than ever. Quintain and Wembley Stadium got the stadium steps out of the deal and the steps of course remain – so should the Samovar Space and the Market Square.

 

Too often, residents are left with the impression that decisions have already been made, which is deeply frustrating. Both the council and developers must do far more to listen to residents, engage transparently, and treat public space as something to be protected, not traded away.

 

Quintain submit meanwhile sports application for large area of their Wembley Park estate

 

NE04, 05 and 06 in context

 

 The application boundary

 

The proposed 'meanwhile' uses

 

Next week's Brent Planning Committee will consider an application from Quintain for meanwhile use of a large site in their Wembley Park estate.  Existing permission dating from 2015 for development of sites NE04, 5 and 6 is now not expected to be delivered until 2028/29. The application is for sports facilities and public realm to be on place for 3 years.

The large area next to Union Park North on Engineers Way is currently surrounded by hoarding.

Quintain's agent explains:

To make use of this vacant and underutilised space in the interim, two meanwhile uses are proposed for outdoor sports (5 aside football) and an indoor leisure, events and entertainment venue both of which will complement and operate alongside the existing meanwhile events and entertainment venue (Bubble Planet). To ensure the successful operation of these meanwhile uses, and their integration, a comprehensive approach has been taken to the layout of the application site which will allow Quintain to maintain and manage areas of shared infrastructure, whilst the operators themselves will be responsible for the direct management of their respective meanwhile uses. Further information on the layout and operation of the application site is provided in the Design and Access Statement submitted with the application.

 

Proposals

The application site takes in land made up of former hardstanding from the site’s previous use as Yellow Car Park (and then later as a site compound for contractors). The application seeks permission for the interim use of this land for two meanwhile uses, each of which is to be located on a defined plot, which will have an allocated back of house area. Supporting these uses will be an internal one way access road which will make use of two existing site accesses on Fulton Road which will be configured to be entrance and exit only. The new access road will include provision for 6 no. drop off spaces and will also allow access to an internal car park that is to provide 6 No. parking spaces for accessible parking only. A shared area of public realm will sit between the plots providing space for pedestrian access, visitor cycle parking, seating and space to allow for transition of visitors in terms of arrival, rendezvous and departure. An external hoarding line will be maintained on the site’s boundary with Union Park North, and to Tippatone Walk. There is a small section of existing timber fence defining the edge of the Site as it abuts Fulton Road, this is to be replaced with palisade fencing to match that already existing in this area (and which is to be repaired).

 

Time for residents and visitors, and especially young people, to be seen and heard over hotel plans for Wembley Park public space

 Proposed hotel development from the stadium steps side of Engineers Way

I had heard that Quintain had advertised their plans to build a new hotel in the Samovar Space/Market Square at the site so I popped down on a very chilly afternoon to see for myself.

I searched around Market Square and found nothing, then spied this,  in the distance on the edge of  the Samovar Space:

 

 

Close up it was a rather tatty notice with a QR code to Quintain's presentation:

 

 

 

And that was it - there were no other notices or indications of the plans that Quintain expect to submit to Brent Council planners in February or March. No wonder Wembley Park residents are protesting and launched a petition which so far has over 200 signatures. (SEE THE PETITION HERE).

 

I talked to the few people who had braved the cold (although more young people would be there after school) and despite sitting close to the notice while supervising their children had no idea about what was planned and were quite shocked to find out.

 

The Samovar Space is past its best as Quintain took down the Shell Performance Stage and other bits and pieces and the play area has not been repainted, but the potential for a space in the centre of Wembley Park can still be seen.  Only a much smaller area will be left if the hotel is built. All photographs were taken about 3pm this afternoon.

 

 

When the Samovar Space was installed great play was made of the involvement of young people inits design when their voices are often not heard in major developments.

 

Julian Tollast, Head of Masterplanning and Design, Quintain, welcoming an Award for the Samovar Project, said: 

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.

In this case it  seems it is not just young people who are not being 'Seen and Heard' but Wembley Park residents and  visitors.

What a contrast to the optimism of just over 2 years ago as demonstrated by this video:

     

• Date of planning submission February/March 2026.

• Planning determination will take around 3 - 4 months and if approved construction will not commence until end of 2026 at the earliest.

• Construction likely to take 2 - 3 years.

• If you wish to make any comments or have any questions on these proposals, please  send them to :

Development@wembleypark.com

https://www.quintain.co.uk/site-services/nw04

 

 IF YOU AGREE WITH THE OBJECTORS SIGN THE PETITION HERE

 

Petition to Halt the Proposed Hotel Development at Samovar Space and Wembley Park Market Square (Plot NW04)

 

A Wembley Matters reader  in Wembley Park writes:

Quintain's 'pro-active' 'consultation' with the Wembley Park (and wider Wembley) community still seems limited to the couple of A5 posters they've put-up at random points around the development (they're really "blink and you'd miss them", it's almost like they're hoping no-one notices them!). No attempts what-so-ever at truly engaging directly with the community they profess to care so much about.

Now a petition has been launched against the hotel development on what is currently a lively open space - a break from the surrounding high rise where people can meet and childen play.

Yoga in the threatened Samovar Open Space  (Picture from wembleypark.com)

 

The Petition (SIGN HERE)

We grew up surrounded by the vibrant energy of Wembley Park Market Square, a place where families gather, children play, communities connect, and traditions flourish. This is not merely a physical space, it is the heartbeat of our local culture. People from all walks of life come together here, united by a rich tapestry of diverse stalls, warm interactions, and a deep sense of belonging. Sadly, this cherished community space is now under threat.

A proposal has been put forward and discussed with the council to construct a hotel on Olympic Way, directly opposite the Civic Centre, on the site of Wembley Park Market Square and Samovar Space without any meaningful consultation with local residents or their elected representatives. Residents should have been informed by email and a proper consultation should have been held for all neighbouring residents, rather than limiting consultation to only those living at Landsby East.

If approved, this development would have far reaching consequences for both residents and the environment, while permanently eliminating a valued open space that is central to our community life.

The construction of a hotel in this location would not only overshadow and diminish this much loved public space, but would also likely result in increased traffic congestion, noise pollution, environmental damage, and additional strain on already pressured local infrastructure. The character and charm of the neighbourhood could be irreversibly altered, depriving future generations of the cultural, social, and communal experiences that have long defined Wembley Park.

Beyond the environmental and infrastructural concerns, such a large scale development would significantly impact residents’ quality of life. Increased footfall from hotel guests could lead to overcrowding, parking difficulties, and the erosion of the peaceful atmosphere that the community currently enjoys.

We firmly believe that alternative locations exist which are far more suitable for a development of this nature, locations that do not require the sacrifice of an invaluable community space. We therefore urge Brent Council, Quintain, and all relevant stakeholders to reconsider this proposal and take meaningful action to ensure that Wembley Park retains its unique cultural identity and heritage.

Please stand with us in preserving the vibrancy and spirit of Wembley by opposing the proposed hotel development at Wembley Park Market Square and Samovar Space. Sign this petition to protect the heart of our community and help secure a future in which local culture and shared spaces are safeguarded for the benefit of all.

 

 

The Farmers' Market in Market Square - the hotel will overshadow the Civic Centre Library and replace much of the Square (picture from Wembley Park Com) 

 

Comments on the Petition site:

To Brent Council and Quintain, Wembley Park is being shaped by decisions that prioritise profit over people. Both Brent Council and Quintain should seriously consider the principles outlined in Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise, which argues that buildings and neighbourhoods must be designed around human health and wellbeing — not maximum financial return. More buildings may generate revenue for developers, but the long-term impact on residents will be far greater. Increased strain on the NHS, social services, and housing support is inevitable when overcrowding and poor living conditions are normalised. These costs will be paid by the public, not by the developers who benefit today. What drives this approach is simple: greed. And it is telling that no one making these decisions would realistically choose to live at Wembley Park under the conditions being created for others. Development should serve the people who live there — not just the financial interests of a few. The right thing to do is to stop, reassess, and place human lives, health, and dignity ahead of profit. 

This square is one of the few genuinely shared community spaces we have - it’s where local markets run, kids play, and people actually spend time together. Building a hotel here would permanently take that away. On a practical level, the area already struggles with infrastructure: the local Sainsbury’s regularly has long queues and stock shortages, and transport and foot traffic are already stretched, especially when concerts or events finish. Adding a hotel would significantly increase congestion, confusion for visitors, delivery traffic, waste, noise, and pressure on services that clearly aren’t equipped to handle it. With limited open space, crowd flow would become a real safety concern during busy periods. This development doesn’t improve the area - it removes a vital community space and creates ongoing problems for residents, families, and local businesses. The construction period alone would last years, bringing constant noise, dust, visual blight, and disruption that would make events difficult or impossible to run and harm local traders. Environmentally, losing open space will worsen air quality, increase noise and light pollution, and contribute to urban overheating and drainage issues. The area already lacks the infrastructure to support additional pressure, and increased traffic, deliveries, and visitor congestion would create ongoing safety and accessibility problems. This proposal prioritises developer profit over long-term community wellbeing and the character of the area.

I previously challenged the relationship between the construction and hotel industries whilst working in the Far East. Now, back in my own country, I see the same murky processes taking place. The apparent lack of consultation in this case with the local community is truly disturbing and it is essential that we challenge this at an early stage in the proceedings by demanding the necessary and promised levels of transparency before any decision is made. Please sign the petition at your earliest convenience

Note: I understand that the well-used Children's Playground opposite the entrance to the London Designer Outlet from the Boulevard is also subject to development in the future.

 

 

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: