Brent Council checking that Michaela will be safe for children to start on September 15th

Michaela site yesterday

Michaela Free School, opening at the former Arena House in Wembley Park, has assured Brent Council officers that it will be opening as planned to Year 7 pupils on September 15th, two weeks after most other local schools.

However the council will also ensure that the site itself is safe and suitable for children as building work will continue on other floors of the building, and in the grounds of the school, while the 11-12 year olds start their secondary education. 

As you can see from the pictures above the site is cramped with a very small footprint and presents quite a challenge.

A decade on, has Quintain delivered for Wembley? Will the Council ensure Quintain delivers?

Just over 10 years ago in July 2004, the then London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, gave his seal of approval to Quintain's redevelopment of the area around Wembley Stadium.

It is worth looking back at what was promised and checking off what has been achieved in the last decade and those projects that appear to have fallen by the wayside.:

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This application was approved (subject to reserved matters) by Brent Council's

planning committee on 3 June 2004.  It consists of:

*   6,100 jobs

*   Up to 3,727 new apartment homes for 8,500 people (including 40% affordable housing)

*   Some student accommodation and nursing home / special care bedspaces

*   Areas of open space covering over half the site and including Arena Square and a pedestrian and public transport only Wembley Park Boulevard

*   A new cinema and other new leisure facilities (147,000 square feet /13,700 square metres)

*   New shops - designer outlets (153,000 square feet / 14,200 square metres), sports retailing (127,000 square feet / 11,800 square metres) and

stores for the local community living and working on the site (86,000 square feet / 8,000 square metres).

*   New restaurants, cafes and bars (137,000 square feet / 12,700 square metres).

*   New community facilities (88,000 square feet / 8,200 square metres).

*   New offices and workspace (678,000 square feet / 63,000 square metres)

*   A flagship new 400 bedroom, international standard hotel

*   £20 million to refurbish and update Wembley Arena

*   Parking for the national stadium and the new community

*   The headlines of a huge package of community benefits has already been agreed, including:

*   Delivery of 40% affordable housing - 17% social for rent on-site, 21%intermediate / key worker homes on-site, 2% social for rent family accommodation

off-site

*   £9m contribution to education provision

*   £2.25m for community facilities (not including health)

*         Primary health care facilities for up to 5 GPs, for occupation by the Brent PCT

*    £1.5m for construction education and training provision

*    £1m towards long-term employment education and training provision

*    £1.8m for bus improvements including £50,000 for bus stop facilities, £1m for upgrades to route PR2 and £750,000 for upgrades to routes 92 and 224

*    £1.6m towards works to Wembley Park Station to deliver a new ticket hall

*    £100,000 towards works to Wembley Central Station

*    £2.65m for road and junction improvements, including

*    Empire Way / Engineers Way (£300,000)

*    Empire Way / Stadium Way (£300,000)

*    First Way / Manor Drive Improvements plus pedestrian signage (£300,000)

*    Lakeside Way (£500,000)

*    Linking of signals Empire Way/Wembley Hill Road (£300,000)

*    North Circular / Drury Way / Great Central Way (£550,000)

*    Wembley Hill Road / Royal Route (£400,000)

*    £1m towards Stadium Access Corridor

*    £500,000 contribution towards CPZ and parking management

*    £150,000 for neighbourhood policing initiatives

*    £100,000 for community sports facilities plus providing swimming facilities

*    Youth facilities including skateboard and multi-use games area

*    Up to 7 days a year use of the Arena for community events

*    Provision of visitor information centre within development

*    Provision of City Car Club

*    £150,000 for disabled facilities grants and the Brent Access Forum

*    £100,000 for public toilets

*    £50,000 for CCTV study

*    Wireless information system to all residences and business

The financial crisis intervened of course and Quintain decided, with Brent Council's acquiescence, that the housing was not viable in the then financial situation, and Quintain instead concentrated on building lucrative student accommodation blocks which total around 2,500 units.

The borough is still desperately in need of affordable family housing and this is one of the largest regeneration sites in London.

During those 10 years several projects emerged and then sank without trace including a new primary school, a public swimming pool on the Dexion House site, a National Football Museum and a music centre, Wembley Live.

Quintain itself got quite stroppy with Brent Council in 2008 when it lambasted the Draft Wembley Master Plan as:

• premature in advance of the Core strategy
• contains no realistic delivery strategy
• is too prescriptive
• has numerous contradictions

They key passage in their response stated:


As a consequence Brent Council seemed to shrink away from any conflict with such a powerful developer. The London Designer Outlet, the Cinema and the Civic Centre have been delivered plus several blocks of private student housing and several hotels but the social goals: affordable housing (1,400 units promised in 2004) , health facilities, new school, social care facilities, public swimming pool are yet to come, if at all.

The decade has covered  Con-Lib Lab Coalition and Labour administrations - the test now is for all political parties to ensure that something of real value to the bulk of Brent residents is delivered and that they are held to their promises.

Cricklewood says 'Oh, no, not that lot again!' but ready to stand united against the SE Alliance

Most people I have spoken to in Cricklewood while leafleting about Saturday's 'Fascists not welcome here' demonstration have reacted with disbelief that a group that has so clearly failed to muster any support is coming to disturb their neighbourhood again.

However, they were once again (with a bored sigh) prepared to see them off again.

Only a handful of the South East Alliance turned up last time with a massive police escort and many more police were parked in vans in side streets ready for any trouble. The SEA were opposed by hundreds of local people with Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt and prospective Labour candidate Dawn Butler also in attendance.

Shopkeepers and families in flats above the shops were especially fed up when they heard the news which will mean four summer Saturday's disrupted for them.

The SE Alliance and their motley group of associates will try and exploit recent events in the Middle East and in Rotherham to try and muster additional support so North West London United is again mounting a peaceful counter-demonstration to show that the community is united.

Supporters should get down to 113 Cricklewood Broadway, opposite the Crown Moran, for 11am on Saturday morning.  Placards ridiculing the SEA would be particularly welcome.

Have your say on health provision in Brent on September 3rd

To book a place or ask a question email brentccg.engagement@nhs.net

Young people have been missing in many of the  recent consultations on health as have parents of young children. It is really important that you have your say.

Brent Clinical Commissioning Group sent this message with the poster:

We would be grateful if could please share this information with your family, friends and community associates as we would like as many of those Brent service users and local residents who have not yet attended one of our Health Partner Forums to come along and enjoy an evening of debate and discussion about health and social care in Brent.

You will be able to share your views on health and care services directly with the clinical, social care commissioners and service providers who attend the event.   There will also be opportunities to work with us on transforming healthcare across some of the priority areas for people in Brent for the forthcoming year.

We need to know numbers attending in order to confirm numbers with our caterer for the hot buffet supper.  Please therefore either call us on 020 8795 6107 or 6122 or send us an e-mail to either of the following:  

Brentccg.engagement@brent-harrowpcts.nhs.uk or brentccg.engagement@nhs.net