The demolition of the famous pedway link to Wembley Stadium from Olympic Way began today and should be finished over the weekend. There were only a few spectators there today who seeemed to have been caught by surprise as the noise of demolition echoed across the area and reverberated in the nearby Sainsbury's store.
Opinions vary on whether the replacement steps will be an improvement on the pedway ramp with some concerned about steps either end of Olympic Way - at Wembley Park station and the stadium.
Initially the case for replacement was based on the aesthetic benefit to the area of the steps, expanded to them representing an iconic gateway to the Quintain estate attracting more visitors to the area and providing additional public space for visitors and commercial opportunities.
In exchange for the £17.8million of Community Infrastructure Brent Council agreed to pay for the Olympic Way improvements, Quintain agreed not to build on the plot next to the library entrance side of the Civic Centre. LINK Apparently Brent Council were concerned that their flagship building would be hemmed in by all the high-rises surrounding it.
The £17.8m could of course have been spent on improvements to local infrastructure of more immediate and practical benefit to local residents.
