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:

 

 

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...

 

 

 

 

The curtain comes down for the very last time at the Wembley Majestic Cinema - the final part of the local history series

This the last of the local history series on the Wembley Majestic by Tony Royden and Philip Grant. I would like to thank them for the guest  articles that are clearly the result of a great deal of research and preserve another piece of Wembley history.

 

1.The Majestic Cinema from Park Lane, early 1950s, with a carnival procession passing by.

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed the two previous instalments of our story, taking us up to the cinema’s opening night on 11 January 1929. If you missed them, “click” on these “links” for Part 1 and Part 2. 

 

After all the hype and publicity behind Wembley’s new ‘super cinema’, the Majestic finally opened its doors to the public on Saturday 12 January 1929 and the audience were treated to a one-day special programme: On the bill were variety acts and two black-and-white, silent movies, with the headline feature film, “Across the Atlantic”, starring Monty Blue and Edna Murphy - a 1928 US, hour-long, romantic drama. With its first takings at the box office, the Majestic was now up and running as a business.

 

2.The Majestic’s advertisement from the “Wembley News”, 25 January 1929.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

From that day, the Majestic adopted a regular pattern of screening two films a week: Monday to Wednesday (the first film) and Thursday to Saturday (the second film), with Sunday being a day of rest, until the law was changed in 1932. Often billed alongside the movies would be live variety acts, performed on the Majestic’s stage and music played on the cinema’s Kinestra organ (sometimes to accompany silent movies and other times solo pieces would be performed in the interludes).

 

3.The Majestic’s projection room and its equipment.
(“Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929 – image courtesy of the British Library)

 

An article published in the “Kinematograph Weekly”, 17 January 1929, stated: 'The Majestic embodies every principle of the best West End practice and there can be few similar halls which will bear comparison with the building, especially as regards the equipment of the projection box, which should serve as an example of modern installation of this nature.' The projection room was indeed something to be proud of, but no sooner had the Majestic opened, a major transition in cinematic history was taking place.

 

In October 1927 the very first “part-talkie” movie “The Jazz Singer” premiered in America – and it was an instant hit. The film screened at London’s Piccadilly Theatre in September 1928 and in the same month, British Talking Pictures Ltd (a newly formed company), had acquired a former British Empire Exhibition building at Wembley Park, to open a film studio – later claiming it to be the first fully equipped talking-picture studio in Europe. A new era of ‘talking movies’ had arrived and although the Majestic had top class film projectors, it would soon have to change and move with the times – an added expense they didn’t see coming.

 

4.One of W.E. Greenwood’s interior designs, in the Majestic Cinema’s auditorium, colourised.
(From the “Wembley News” supplement, 18 January 1929)

 

Other changes were also on the horizon: By the end of 1929, Wembley’s Majestic Cinema had changed ownership from the original company of local businessmen, led by R.H. Powis (a County Councillor and public works contractor), to the ‘Majestic Theatres Corporation Ltd’, headed and chaired by W.E. Greenwood – the highly acclaimed atmospheric interior designer of Wembley’s Majestic cinema. The new company seemed to have legs and in December 1929, “The Bioscope” reported that a second “Majestic” cinema had opened in Staines and that there would be a third “Majestic” opening in High Wycombe (both with interior décor designed by Mr Greenwood) to add to the Wembley “Majestic” which the new company now owned.

 

How did the two rival cinemas in Wembley respond to competition from the new Majestic ‘super cinema’? The change in the style of the Majestic’s weekly programme advertisements in 1933 was a sign that something was going on!

 

5.Majestic Cinema programme adverts from the “Wembley News”, April and December 1933.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

The Elite Cinema (with 1500 seats) located in Raglan Gardens (now Empire Way), closed in March 1930 and, after internal reconstruction, reopened in May 1930 as the Capitol Cinema, increasing its capacity to 1637 seats. It was refurbished again in 1933 and it was around this time that the Capitol and the Majestic decided the best way forward for both businesses to prosper would be to operate under one umbrella. It turned out that they were now both ultimately owned by County Cinemas Ltd (though operated through a local subsidiary company). The ownership change was publicly confirmed from July 1934, when their weekly programmes were displayed in joint advertisements.

 

6.Majestic and Capitol Cinema programme advert from the “Wembley News”, 5 July 1934.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

The Majestic’s other, and nearest, rival (as you can tell from the aerial photograph below) was the smaller, privately-owned, Wembley Hall Cinema – located at the corner of the High Road and Cecil Avenue. It was 1935 before its proprietor, Miss Nora Thomson, decided to rebuild and modernise her cinema, increasing the seating capacity from 560 to 1050. This may have been in response to competition from the Majestic, or even from the rapidly-growing Odeon chain that had opened cinemas in Kingsbury and Kenton in 1934, and had plans to open another cinema even closer, in Allandale Avenue, Sudbury, in 1935. But with the film industry growing at an exponential rate, and on the cusp of what was considered to be the ‘Golden Age of Cinema’ (with people flocking to see their favourite movie stars and latest film releases), Miss Thomson’s decision to expand may have simply been to reap the rewards of that.

 

7.Aerial photograph showing part of Wembley High Road in 1938, with arrows showing the two cinemas.
(Britain from Above, image EPW056263 – courtesy of Historic England)

 

The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 may have had a profound impact on County Cinemas Ltd as (in the same month) it was sold to Oscar Deutsch’s Odeon Cinema chain. The Majestic managed to keep its name, and both its cinema and ballroom played their part in helping to keep up the morale of local civilians during the dark wartime years.  But more changes were afoot, when the Rank Organisation bought control of Odeon Cinemas following Deutsch’s death in 1941. As for the Capitol Cinema in Empire Way, that too played its part in the war effort when, in 1943, it was requisitioned to use as a shelter for people displaced from their bomb-damaged homes – it was never to reopen as a cinema again.

 

8.Two adverts for events at the Majestic in May 1943. (Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

From the end of the war through to the mid-1950s, the film industry experienced a period of prosperity, marked by a series of box office hits shown at the Majestic from Paramount Pictures, whose Academy Award winning films included "Sunset Boulevard", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "Shane" and Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments".

 

9.Wembley High Road in the early 1950s, with the Majestic Cinema on the right. (Colourised photograph)

 

In January 1956, after it was decided that the Majestic needed a more modern feel, applications were submitted for new signage for the front of the building: The café was to become the “STARS espresso bar and restaurant”, and a large vertical illuminated “ODEON” sign was to be placed above the entrance door. The Majestic’s name was formally changed to the Odeon in March 1956 (although local residents still referred to it as The Majestic!). 

 

Meanwhile, the Wembley Hall Cinema, which had operated independently for 25 years under the ownership of Miss Nora Thomson, came to an end when Miss Thomson retired and sold her cinema in February 1956. The cinema closed for two weeks for rebranding and reopened on 25 March under the new name of “Gaumont”. This should have rung alarm bells, as both the Odeon and Gaumont cinema chains were owned by the Rank Organisation.

 

At that time, the Majestic’s future may have still looked bright, especially when more illuminated signs appeared on the front of the building in 1957, advertising the “Victor Silvester Dance Studio” – this would have been a huge draw. The famous Wembley-born ballroom dancer and band leader ran a chain of schools teaching ballroom dancing, and one of these opened in the Majestic’s ballroom. 

 

10.The Odeon (former Majestic) Wembley, with signs for the Victor Silverster dance studio, around 1960.
(Brent Archives – Wembley History Society Collection – colourised version)

 

However, television had arrived and its popularity was rapidly growing. By 1960, box office takings were on the decline and ‘The Golden Age of Cinema’ was coming to an end. During this period, Wembley had three cinemas, all in close proximity to each other – the Majestic, the Gaumont and the Regal/ABC (which had opened on Ealing Road, 8 February 1937). The market share wasn’t enough to go around and so something had to give.  

 

The Rank Organisation had probably been considering getting rid of one of their two Wembley High Road cinemas for some time (especially as they had already closed their Odeon cinema on Allandale Avenue, Sudbury, in October 1956). When a potential buyer came knocking with an offer for the much larger of the two cinemas, located in a more desirable position for shopping, the writing was on the wall for the Majestic.    

 

On Thursday, May 25 1961, Wembley residents awoke to read a front-page headline in the “Wembley Observer” that must have shaken them to the core. It read: “Former Majestic closes on Saturday. WEMBLEY LOSES ITS ODEON CINEMA.” Inside, instead of the usual programme advertisement, was an announcement from the cinema itself stating: ’The management regret that this Theatre will be closed as from Sunday, May 28th’.

 

11.The front-page story in the “Wembley Observer”, 25 May 1961.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

12.The Odeon programme advert from the “Wembley Observer”, 25 May 1961.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

If the news wasn’t shocking enough, it was also announced that the dance studio and restaurant had been told they must close on the same day. The Observer further reported that the Rank Organisation had, that week, submitted an outline planning application to build a supermarket on the cinema’s site. It was the end of an era – Wembley’s beloved Majestic/Odeon was to be no more. Its wonderful stage curtain had fallen for the last time. 

 

13.The Majestic Cinema’s safety curtain - colourised.
(From the “Wembley News” supplement, 18 January 1929)

 

Out of the two cinemas on Wembley High Road, it was the Gaumont that went on to fight another day. When the Majestic closed, the Rank Organisation simultaneously rebranded the Gaumont to their more popularly known Odeon name, and there it continued as the Wembley Odeon until it closed in January 1975. (The building was used again from 1976 to 1981, as the Liberty Cinema, showing Bollywood films, before it was finally demolished.)

 

14.The former Wembley Hall Cinema, as the Gaumont (1956) and Wembley Odeon (1962).
(Images from the internet)

 

Only a third of a century after it was built, Wembley’s Majestic Cinema was demolished. The building which replaced it opened as a C&A Modes clothing shop in 1962. More recently, readers may also remember this as a Wilkinson’s “Wilko” store, but that too has gone. 

 

15.The 1960s building on the former Majestic Cinema site, from Park Lane, June 2025.

 

Sadly, the Majestic Cinema and its name have long disappeared from our High Road, but we hope that this short series of articles has helped you to visualise the grandeur of Wembley’s own “super cinema” and in some way, helped to preserve its memory. R.H. Powis, whose dream it was for local men to build the Majestic for the enjoyment of local people, is also long gone. But in his capacity as a public works contractor, his name has not entirely disappeared from our local streets – if you keep your eyes peeled, you may just see it as you stroll through the area!

 

16.An “R.H. Powis – Wembley” manhole cover. (This one is in Slough Lane, Kingsbury)

Tony Royden and Philip Grant.