Wembley Triangle works catch-up plus Cecil Avenue development progress

 

Wembley Hill Road

Wembley High Road looking south

 

High Road looking north

 

 

The core of new flats on the Copland/Cecil Avenue site
 

 

Brent Council issue pictures of Wembley High Road restructure works progress

 From Facebook

 They say:

 

Wembley High Road progress💪 We have exposed the following so we can check & repair👇 🚿Water 🔌Electrics ⛽️Gas 📞Telecommunications 🔴The running lane, between Oakington Park Manor & St Joseph’s Church is for the sole use of buses and emergency service vehicles only

 

Certainly residents report fewer private vehicles trying to get through the portion of road reserved for buses and emergency vehicle since the Council publicly announced they would be fined. 

A burst water main in the High Road main this morning added to the problems.

 

Brent Council reviews the first week of the Wembley Triangle/High Road closure

 

A Brent Council briefing on the first week of road reconstruction at Wembley Triangle gives a overview of progress and some of the problems they faced. A particular issue was the number of utility closures or restrictions on nearby roads

UPDATE: Drivers ignoring Wembley High Road ban WILL be fined, Brent Council confirms. Fine £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days.

 

Following rumours that the cameras on the closed section of Wembley High Road are not being used to catch drivers ignoring the 'Buses and Emergency Vehicles Only' restriction, a reliable source at Brent Council has said that the cameras are working and are catching unauthorised vehicles. The motorists will all receive a fine.

UPDATE:

 Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: 

People using the emergency/bus lane without authorisation will receive a fine of £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days. We've communicated the closure widely, officers have been on site to speak with motorists, and we've also increased signage around the area to make the situation crystal clear.

 

The first day of the 18 week Wembley Triangle/part High Road closure. How was it for you?

From a Wembley Central resident

You would not believe the number of drivers that cannot read "Road Closure except buses" the camera sign, camera on posts at  both ends of the closure.  I  questioned one of the workmen who said unless you live in Elizabeth House or Wembley Place apartments and you have submitted your registration all other vehicles will be ticketed and fined.

At Ecclestone Place the sign on Wembley Hill Road just says Access Only Road Closed Two Way street.  This morning the amount of vehicles trying to access the High Road despiet th ban was unbelievable.

 

 I did witness Council Officers around 11.00 am checking the roads etc and looked like they were on their way to Park Lane earlier today. 

 

 

 

Northbound and Souhbound diversion routes for drivers during Wembley High Road 5 month closure

 From Brent Council website

NORTHBOUND

NORTH CIRCULAR, HANGER LANE, EALING ROAD, BRIDGEWATER ROAD, HARROW ROAD, HIGH ROAD

SOUTHBOUND

PARK LANE, WEMBLEY PARK DRIVE, BRIDGE ROAD, FORTY LANE, BLACKBIRD HILL, NEASDEN LANE, NORTH CIRCULAR

Details of bus route changes in Wembley High Road/Wembley Hill January 13th to May 19th following part closure of the High Road

 Transport for London has released details of bus route changes in the Wembley Central area due to the reconstruction of part of the Wembley High Road. 

Most  High Road buses will be diverted along Park Lane and Wembley Hill Road which are already congested at peak times.

The 18 and N18 and emergency vehicles will still be able to use a lane on the closed section.

During the closure period there are 8 major Wembley Stadium events LINK and 40 Wembley Arena events LINK.

Brent Council publishes further information on 18 week New Year closure of Wembley High Road. Impact drop-ins on December 16th and 17th.

From Brent Council website

Major improvements are planned for Wembley High Road. Starting on 13 January 2025, we will begin essential road reconstruction work on all sides of Wembley Triangle.

After discussions with local traders, TfL, and other stakeholders, the council decided to delay the start date to avoid clashing with the busy Diwali and Christmas periods.

 

Map showing closure of Wembley Triangle and parts of Wembley Hill Road, Harrow Road and Wembley High Road. 

 

These works are expected to last for 18 weeks. During this period, extensive traffic management will be necessary, allowing access only for buses and emergency service vehicles.

The road is expected to reopen around mid-May 2025.

Phased Traffic Management Plan

Please refer to the phased Traffic Management Plans for more details of the closure:

·       Phase 1 - view the Phase 1 Traffic Management Plan - approximately 14 weeks

·       Phase 2 - view the Phase 2 Traffic Management Plan - approximately 4 weeks

Advance signing to inform of the works will be installed widely from 9 December.

Diversions

A signed diversion route along classified roads will be provided for all other traffic.

·       View the southbound diversion routes

·       View the northbound diversion routes

Drop-in sessions

We will  be holding two drop-in sessions where residents and businesses can speak with officers and the contractor about the works and any concerns they may have.

·       Monday 16 December 2024, 3.30 – 6.30pm at St Joseph's Infant and Junior Schools, Chatsworth Ave, HA9 6BE

·       Tuesday 17 December 2024, 3.30 – 6.30pm at Brent Civic Centre, Conference Hall, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ

We acknowledge the disruption and inconvenience this will cause and will do everything we can to minimise disruption and complete the upgrades as quickly as possible. For further information please read our FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will the upgrades involve?

• Digging the full depth of the road’s structure.
• Building a new road structure and resurfacing of the road.
• The repair of existing drains and installation of new carriageway gullies, so that water is redirected safely.

Why are these upgrades required?

Our roads are under increasing pressure from an ever-growing number of vehicles and the increase in weight of vehicles over the years. The road structure was found to be failing and in a state of disrepair, where short-term fixes were no longer appropriate.

These upgrades have been planned as part of a long-term investment to protect this key route for years to come.

How long with the upgrades last?

Works are planned to commence from Monday, 13 January 2025 and will be completed by around mid-May.

Who has been notified?

The Council has been in contact with local communities, businesses, elected representatives and other stakeholders including Emergency services, TFL and London buses to advise of our plans and to implement the upgrades.

Advance signing to notify of the works has been installed and notification letters distributed to the local community.

Will buses be diverted?

A running lane will be created to provide access for buses and the Emergency services. Some routes will need to be diverted. For further information or to find out how your bus travel may be affected, please visit the TFL London Buses website.

Can the upgrades be undertaken faster?

After discussions with local businesses, residents, and other organisations the option for a general closure was picked, along with access for buses and emergency services only. A part closure of the road would have taken a lot more time and was considered too much of an impact on the local community and businesses.

What other methods were considered?

The council considered a full road closure (all vehicles), and a phased approach leaving different lanes open for traffic. The full closure provided the shortest timescale, but it impacted greatly on the emergency services and bus routes. The phased or lane closure approaches, although less disruptive to general traffic, greatly extended the duration of works.

Will I be able to access the area?

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the works. Vehicle access will be permitted to St Joseph’s Church and the underground car parks of the adjacent residential blocks (eastbound only) during phase 1 of the works.

I live within the affected area, where can I park during the upgrades?

There are no changes to the current parking arrangements along the surrounding roads. For phase two of the works, that will last approx. 1 month, access will not be permitted to St Joseph’s Church and the underground car parks of the adjacent residential blocks.

Will shops be open as usual?

Shops will stay open throughout the duration of the upgrades. Brent are working closely with local businesses within the area to accommodate their needs to maintain a normal service.

How disruptive will the upgrades be?

As with any major roadworks, travel times are expected to increase during these upgrades, so please allow extra time to prepare for your journey.

We have put in place diversions, so larger vehicles have clear alternative routes around the roadworks, which should free up other parts of the road network for domestic vehicles. Once motorists become familiar with diversions and find alternative routes, it is anticipated that any congestion will reduce as pressure on the area is alleviated.

If you have any question and would like more information about the planned upgrades or if you have a disability and would like this information in another format, please email Michael Heffernan Public Liaison Officer Michael.heffernan@gwhighways.co.uk or highways.management@brent.gov.uk.

 

BREAKING: Wembley High Road reconstruction works delayed until January 2025

 

The controversial works that would have closed part of Wembley High Road from mid-October have been delayed until January 2025.

This is because TfL requested sufficient time to organise diversions and mitigations for the many bus routes affected by the closure. Brent Council also took into account loss of trade for local shopkeepers over the Christmas and Diwali festivals.

There will be full closure of the part of Wembley High Road and Wembley Triangle marked in red above. The works are expected to take 16 weeks and start on January 6th 2025.

Brent Council will place further details on its website.

The works will be complicated by the construction taking place at the Ujima House and Fairgate House sites, the green section of the High Road on the map above. How will construction lorries turn at what will now be a dead end?  Works are also getting underway on the Copland/Cecil Avenue site.

Although we can assume that the 83 and 182 buses will be able to divert along Park Lane it is unclear what will happen with the 18 route. This route between Harlesden and Wembley is much used by school pupils.

UPDATE: Full road closure for c5 months from October 21st: High Road between Cecil Avenue and the Triangle including the Triangle

 This has been forwarded to me. Unfortunately the web link for further informations does not work and the mobile phone is unavailable. I have emailed for further information and the map. I will update when received.

UPDATE: The website has been updated but has less information than already supplied!

Wembley High Road closure (www.brent.gov.uk/wembleyhighroad )

Significant upgrades are being planned for Wembley High Road. We are working with TfL to coordinate a date for the upgrades to start, as it will impact bus routes and diversions will be required. We will update this webpage with information on when the upgrades will be taking place once this is agreed.  

This is so a much-needed upgrade of the road can take place between Cecil Avenue and The Triangle, completing the transformation of Wembley High Road.

Diversions will be in place and more information will be made available on this webpage.

August Disruption ahead in Wembley: High Road overnight works start on July 29th until August 16th and Bakerloo/Overground closed August 3rd to 8th.

 It has taken a bit of nagging to get Brent Council to issue details of works on Wembley High Road but details were published on their website yesterday:

Wembley High Road is being upgraded and different section will be closed at night during the following times whilst we make improvements to the road.

Works across Wembley High Road are expected from Monday, 29 July to Thursday, 15 August 2024.

The works will be completed in three separate phases:

Phase 1

High Road - Ealing Road to Park Lane – Works will begin at 8pm on Monday, 29 July and will be complete by 5am on Tuesday, 6 August. This will take place at night only (6 Nights). Access to properties in this area will be strictly limited and there will be a signed diversion in place for the duration of the works. Ealing Road, Lancelot Road, St Johns Road and London Road will also be closed at the junction with High Road whilst works are in progress.

Phase 2

High Road - Park Lane to Cecil Avenue – Works will commence at 8pm on Tuesday, 6 August and will be complete by 5am on Monday, 12 August. This will take place at night only (5 Nights). Access to properties in this area will be strictly limited and there will be a signed diversion in place for the duration of the works. Park Lane and Cecil Avenue will be closed at the junction of High Road whilst the works are in progress.

Phase 3

Park Lane – High Road to opposite 1 Park Court – Works will commence at 8pm on Monday, 12 August and will be complete by 5am on Thursday, 15 August. This will take place at night only (3 Nights). Access to properties in this area will be strictly limited and there will be a signed diversion in place for the duration of the works. Elm Road and Dukes way will be closed at the junction of Park Lane whilst the works are in progress. Please note – Taylor Swift returns to Wembley Stadium on Thursday, 15 August so the works will not continue past 5am on Thursday, 15 August so there will be no clash with the Stadium event.

Advanced warning signs have been deployed at key locations.

 

At the same time TfL have issued details of the closure of the Overground and Bakerloobetween Saturday 3rd August and Thursday 8th August.

Closure details

Between Saturday 3 and Thursday 8 August, these sections of line will be closed:

• London Overground: Euston to Watford Junction
• Tube - Bakerloo line: Queen's Park-Harrow & Wealdstone

London Overground stations

During the closure, there will be no London Overground service at these stations: Euston, South Hampstead, Kilburn High Road, Queen's Park, Kensal Green, Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton, Harrow & Wealdstone, Headstone Lane, Hatch End, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Watford High Street and Watford Junction

Tube stations

During the closure, there will be no Bakerloo line service at these stations: Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton, and Harrow & Wealdstone

Travel advice

• Plan ahead
• Check your travel
• Use our travel tools
• Use buses to reach your destination or connect with alternative rail routes.

Alternative stations

There are connections to alternative Tube and rail lines. Stations with step-free access are indicated.

• Central line - North Acton station
• Metropolitan line: Wembley Park (step-free), Preston Road, Northwick Park and Harrow-on-the Hill (step-free)
• Jubilee line - Wembley Park (step-free) and stations towards central London
• London Overground - Willesden Junction (step-free)
• London Northwestern Railway (West Midlands Trains) - Watford Junction, Bushey, and Harrow & Wealdstone

Bus connections

Additional temporary bus routes 718, 719, and 720 will be available during the closure period:

• Route 718 will run between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone via Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Harlesden Town Centre, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, Preston Road, Kenton (from first to last train times) 
• Route 719 will run between Queen's Park and Wembley Park (for the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines), via Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Harlesden Town Centre, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central (weekdays only, 07:30 to 20:30) 
• Route 720 will run between Watford Junction and Harrow-on-the-Hill (for the Metropolitan line and Chiltern Railways), via Harrow & Wealdstone, Headstone Lane, Hatch End, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Watford High Street (from first to last train times)

All bus services offer step-free access.

Standard TfL bus fares apply. Always touch in using Oyster or contactless, or show a valid ticket when boarding the bus.

 

Comment received after publication:

 If Wembley High Road and main roads off it (Ealing Road, Park Lane etc) are closed from 8pm each evening to allow the resurfacing work to take place then none of the usual bus routes (297, 83, 483, 79, 204, 182, 224, 223, 92) will be able to travel through Wembley High Road and Ealing Road.

So no trains to Wembley Central and no local buses either - Wembley Central and Alperton Residents will be badly affected by this - particularly those travelling to work really early, those working late, the elderly, and those who struggle to walk 😡

Let's hope the Piccadilly Line will be managed properly so that it runs efficiently during this time.

The Opening of the British Empire Exhibition, 23 April 1924

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant in a personal capacity

The front page header for Wembley’s local newspaper, reporting the event. (Source: Brent Archives)

 

Wembley had made front page news in April 1923, when its new stadium had hosted an F.A. Cup Final amid chaotic scenes. One year on, crowds again descended on Wembley, but this time for a much more organised event. The stadium had been built for the British Empire Exhibition, and on 23 April 1924 (Saint George’s Day) the exhibition itself was to be opened.

 

One week earlier, the press had been allowed to share the details for the opening with the public. It would be conducted by King George V, and would be preceded by a royal carriage drive through Wembley itself. Even though the procession would not take place until after 11am, there were apparently large crowds of people lining the route two hours earlier, with several hundred police officers drafted in to control them.

 

Timetable for the procession, from “The Wembley News”, 17 April 1924.

 

 Members and Officials of Wembley Council, from “The Wembley News”, 24 April 1924.
(Both images from Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

Among those looking forward to the event were the members of Wembley Urban District Council (what a contrast they look from the councillors and Senior Officers of Brent, 100 years later!). It had been agreed that they could give a brief welcome to the King on his way to the stadium. Wembley had only been set up as a separate local authority thirty years earlier, now they would have the chance to be part of a famous occasion. 

 

The Council had decorated the High Road with flags and bunting, and had asked the residents of Swinderby Road and Ranelagh Road to decorate the fronts of their houses as well. There was a small crowd waiting to see the King and Queen arrive by car from Windsor, and transfer to an open carriage at the junction of Eagle Road. Seventy years later, a lady who had been there as a local teenager remembered Queen Mary instructing her husband as to what he had to do (or, as she put it, ‘giving him earache’!).

 

Wembley Town Hall in the High Road, decorated for King George V’s silver jubilee in 1935.

 

All the shops in the High Road were closed for the day, so that staff and shoppers could witness the Royal visit. The procession did not stop at the Town Hall (demolished in 1962, and replaced by a department store – now Primark), as the Council had built itself a decorated platform at Wembley Green (now commonly known as Wembley Triangle, where the High Road joins Wembley Hill Road).

 

The Council and the King, from “The Wembley News”, 24 April 1924.
(Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

Typical of attitudes to the Royal family at that time, “The Wembley News” reported that: ‘Their majesties had consented to break the great procession at the Green and to receive the homage of their local subjects.’ Three minutes was allowed in the procession timetable for this stop, which saw the Home Secretary introduce the Chairman of Wembley Council, Mr Hewitt, to ‘their majesties’.

 

The Chairman handed an illuminated address to the King, having to stretch across as the carriage had not stopped close enough to the Council’s platform. Then a girl, Betty Soilleux, had to climb onto a chair to present a bouquet to the Queen. The King’s only recorded words during his encounter with Wembley Council were to ‘express his disappointment at the weather’, which was grey and chilly.

 

 

 A paragraph from “The Wembley News”, 24 April 1924. (Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

The procession then passed on and into the stadium, where invited guests, and up to 100,000 members of the general public, who were allowed to stand on the terraces free of charge, had already been entertained with music from military bands. Among the crowds were all the pupils of Wembley’s Elementary schools (for children aged five to thirteen), who had been brought there to witness the ceremony.

 

The royal carriage inside the stadium. (From a coloured newsreel film)

 

The King was welcomed onto an ornate royal dais by the Prince of Wales, as President of the Exhibition. Dressed in naval uniform, the Prince gave a short address, inviting his father to open ‘a complete and vivid representation of all your Empire’. He hoped that the result of the Exhibition would be: 

 

‘to impress upon all the peoples of your Empire … that they should work unitedly and energetically to develop the resources of the Empire for the benefit of the British race, for the benefit of those other races which have accepted our guardianship over their destinies, and for the benefit of mankind generally.’

 

[Personally, I find the sentiments in that statement offensive, although they do reflect the views held by the British elite at that time!]

 

The royal dais at the east end of the stadium, 23 April 1924. (From a coloured newsreel film)

 

The King’s opening address was broadcast via wireless across the country by the new BBC, the first time that his voice had been heard on radio. This extract from his speech gives a flavour of how he viewed the British Empire:

 

‘The Exhibition may be said to reveal to us the whole Empire in little, containing within its 220 acres of ground a vivid model of the architecture, art and industry of all the races which come under the British Flag. It represents to the world a graphic illustration of that spirit of free and tolerant co-operation which has inspired peoples of different races, creeds, institutions, and ways of thought, to unite in a single commonwealth and to contribute their varying national gifts to one great end.

 

This Exhibition will enable us to take stock of the resources, actual and potential, of the Empire as a whole; to consider where these exist and how they can best be developed and utilised; to take counsel together how the peoples can co-operate to supply one another’s needs, and to promote national well-being. It stands for a co-ordination of our scientific knowledge and a common effort to overcome disease, and to better the difficult conditions which still surround life in many parts of the Empire.’

 

King George V reading his opening address. (From a coloured newsreel film)

 

As I wrote in a guest post at the start of this year, King George V had visited most parts of what would become “his Empire” when he was younger. He saw himself as a father figure, and had some concern for the needs of people in other nations within his “family”. But he still had the blinkered, British-centric, view that the Empire was “a good thing”. If he had been taught the history of how the British Empire had come about, and the various atrocities committed in the course of British imperialism (some very recent then, like the Amritsar, or Jallianwala Bagh, massacre just five years earlier), he was ignoring those facts, or at least keeping quiet about them.

 

The world-wide spread of the Empire was demonstrated when, after King George had spoken the words: ‘I declare the British Empire Exhibition open’, they were sent by telegraph through under-ocean cables to Canada, then via Pacific islands, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and St Helena, arriving back at Wembley in just 80 seconds. A Post Office telegram boy then delivered the message in an envelope, and handed it to the King.

 

Postcard showing the telegram being delivered to the King. (Source; Brent Archives)

 

The telegram boy was 17-year old Henry Annals. Seventy years later, and still living in Wembley, he said that he had been delivering messages to the Exhibition site for over a year, including during the 1923 F.A. Cup Final. For most of that time it had been a muddy building site, so he was given a new uniform to wear on the morning of 23 April, and had to quickly sew on a light blue arm band, as a sign that he was allowed access to all areas of the ceremony.

 

The Post Office also took advantage of the occasion to issue Britain’s first ever commemorative postage stamps. They featured a lion, which was meant to represent the strength of the Empire, although it was not the lion design chosen as the symbol for the exhibition itself.

 

The two 1924 British Empire Exhibition commemorative stamps.

 

Some people may have been satisfied with a First Day Cover of the new stamps as a souvenir of the opening of the Exhibition, but the Vicar of Wembley asked for more. John Silvester (father of the ballroom dancer and band leader, Victor Silvester), who was also attending the ceremony in the stadium as a Wembley councillor, asked the exhibition organisers to give him the thrones used by the King and Queen! 

 

They said “yes”, he could have them for his church, after they had been used for the closing ceremony for the 1925 edition of the exhibition, as the organisers were not sure what to do with them after that (they were large and heavy - made of Canadian pine and English oak). One hundred years later, they are still in St. John the Evangelist Church, at the western end of Wembley High Road.

 

The Royal Thrones, in the north aisle of St John’s Church.

 

I’ve commemorated the centenary of the British Empire Exhibition’s opening, and there will probably be other articles relating to the exhibition later in the year. The centenary of this major exhibition at Wembley Park gives us the opportunity to learn more about the history of the former British Empire, which has many dark sides as well as the benefits claimed by the speeches at the opening ceremony. 

 

I would also repeat my (and Martin’s) earlier invitation to anyone whose roots are in one of the nations represented at the 1924 exhibition, to share their views on “Empire”, or their family’s stories of how they came to Wembley (or Brent). Please do that in a comment below, or in your own guest post. Your voices deserve to be heard, and learning more about the past, from different perspectives, should be one of the legacies of this centenary year.

Philip Grant.

 

(With thanks to Mike Gorringe for the notes of his meeting in 1994 with Henry and Mrs Annals.)