Celebrating the history of Olympic Way on 19 April 2023 - a richly illustrated article

Guest post by local historian Philip Grant in a personal capacity

1.    Sir Arthur Elvin, Lord Burghley and the Mayor of Wembley watch the Minister of Transport unveil the Olympic Way name in July 1948. (Courtesy of Margaret Winter)

 

In July this year we will be celebrating the 75^th anniversary of the 1948 London Olympic Games, and the opening of Olympic Way which was built to provide the main route to Wembley Stadium. On Wednesday 19 April, Quintain hosted another ceremony, marking their improvements to Olympic Way, and celebrating its history with the unveiling of several local history features.

 

I was first made aware of the plaque, unveiled at the opening of Olympic Way in 1948, by a fellow Wembley History Society member about ten years ago. I had to trample down nettles on a piece of waste ground behind the westbound Wembley Park Station bus stop (since moved) to get to see it, and it was in a poor state. 

 

2.    The 1948 Olympic Way opening plaque, c.2014.

 

I later discovered that the plaque was on land belonging to Quintain, not Brent Council. In recent years there had been several requests to Quintain (or their Wembley Park managing company) to clean the plaque and tidy up its surroundings. This was done, but because of its situation, the plaque and its site soon looked untidy again.

 

A big change came in January 2022, when Mike Collett contacted Wembley History Society about the plaque. Mike was a sports journalist, who had covered numerous events at Wembley as well as six Olympic Games. He’d spotted the plaque while in Wembley Park and asked what could be done about it, because ‘it’s in such a dirty, sorry and neglected condition’. 

 

3.    The Olympic Way opening plaque and its site, January 2022. (Photo by Mike Collett)

 

I put Mike in touch with my contacts at Quintain, and to their credit (and after a bit more pressure from his friends in sport) they came up with some ideas for improvements by March 2022. A site meeting, bringing together Quintain/Wembley Park, Mike and myself, the British Olympic Association and Brent’s heritage officers, was held in April 2022, and a plan of action agreed.

 

A year later, and that plan has come to fruition. The 1948 Olympic Way opening plaque has been restored by stone carver and conservator, Louis Russell. It is now set in a garden with a path leading up to it from the pavement. The restored plaque was the first item to be unveiled on 19 April. 

 

4.    The new 1948 garden, with the restored plaque covered-up, 30 March 2023.

 

The plaque was officially unveiled by the Mayor of Brent, Cllr. Abdi Aden, after several short speeches. Mike Collett’s, read on his behalf, recalled how he had stopped for a quick drink while visiting Wembley Park in January, noticed the plaque for the first time, in a neglected state, and thought something must be done about it. Fifteen months later, he was very pleased to see the transformation, and thanked Quintain, and everyone else involved, for bringing this about, so that this part of Wembley’s Olympic history was properly valued.

 

5.    Margaret Winter, speaking before the unveiling of the 1948 Olympic Way plaque.

 

Margaret Winter had been invited to take part in the unveiling because her father, Walter Steadman, had helped to design Olympic Way in 1947/48, and the original subway bringing pedestrians from the station to it. She said that it had been one of the proudest achievements of his long career as Wembley Council’s Borough Engineer and Surveyor.

 

6.    Mike Collett, admiring the restored 1948 Olympic Way plaque.

 

At the bottom of the steps down onto the pedestrianised Olympic Way, just outside the Bobby Moore Bridge subway, on the wall below the 1948 plaque garden, is an illustrated local history panel. This welcomes visitors to Olympic Way and tells its story. I had some input into the panel’s contents and text, but the design is Quintain’s. We passed this on the way to the second unveiling.

 

7.    The Olympic Way Story local history panel. (Courtesy of Quintain Ltd)

 

The improvements which Quintain have made to Olympic Way in recent years, part-funded by £17.8m from Brent Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy pot, include several references to “48”. This is to reflect that Olympic Way was constructed in preparation for the 1948 Olympic Games. (It was later pedestrianised by Brent Council in the early 1990s, ahead of the 1996 Euros football tournament matches at Wembley).

 

8.    Tree-lined Olympic Way, with crowds going to the opening of the 1948 Olympic Games. (Brent Archives)

 

When it opened, Olympic Way had trees on either side of it, a legacy from the grounds of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. Now, on either side of the wide pedestrian thoroughfare, Quintain’s improvements include 24 pairs (24 + 24 = 48) of “Champion Trees of the World”. They were chosen and planted to show the wide range of trees from similar temperate latitudes to those of Wembley, but from worldwide spread of longitudes. 

 

9.    Some of the “Champion” Olympic Way trees coming into leaf, April 2023.

 

Beginning from the west at the station end, they move down to our own 0º longitude, then increasing until they reach the furthest east near the stadium. Each tree has a large metal frame around it, allowing for plenty of growth, carrying the (Latin) name of the tree species, and the longitude of the part of the world it originates from.

 

10. The metal grid around a “Pterocarya Fraxinifolia” (Caucasian walnut), from 50º E.

 

As the unveiling group of around 30 people approached Engineers Way, there, ahead of us, were the Olympic Steps (48 of them!). These controversially replaced the old concrete pedway as the pedestrian way up to Wembley Stadium. Four new high-capacity lifts were installed first, as an integral part of the whole design, before the Olympic Steps were constructed and opened in time for the 2021 Men’s Euros football tournament.

 

Here, a new Portland Stone plaque, also carved by Louis Russell, has been attached to a cast stone plinth. This new plaque repeats the words of the 1948 plaque, then marks the completion of the Olympic Way improvements. It also carries the Olympic Rings, which celebrate Wembley’s part in the 1948 and 2012 London Olympic Games. It was Quintain’s CEO, James Saunders, who spoke first, before inviting the Mayor of Brent to unveil the plaque.

 

11.  James Saunders and the Mayor, Cllr. Abdi Aden, beside the plinth near the Olympic Steps.

 

Mr Saunders spoke proudly of the improvements Quintain had made to Wembley Park, and the public spaces along Olympic Way. He praised the co-operation of Brent Council in bringing about these achievements, and especially thanked Carolyn Downs, on her last day as Brent’s Chief Executive before retirement, for all of her help, then presented her with a bouquet.

 

12. Carolyn Downs with her bouquet, watched by Cllr. Muhammed Butt and the Mayor.

 

Council Leader Muhammed Butt responded on behalf of Brent. He commended Quintain’s part in Brent’s continuing journey of regeneration, renewal and growth, while also remembering its history, and said that he was proud of ‘what we can do if we work together’. He also thanked a number of people, and I was surprised when I was one of them! Cllr. Butt publicly thanked me for ‘keeping the Council on its toes over heritage’. [I must write to thank him for his kind words, but also to remind him that actions speak louder.]

 

Looking back at Olympic Way from the Stadium, over the Olympic Steps, you can see the line of trees. They will grow, with time, but at the moment they are dwarfed by the lines of tall lamp posts, and the overly large advertising banners which hang from them.

 

13.   The view down Olympic Way from in front of Wembley Stadium, April 2023.

 

Olympic Way is now a busy thoroughfare every day, serving Quintain’s “new” Wembley Park as well as the Stadium and Arena which played such a big part in the 1948 Olympic Games. I’m glad that the 1948 plaque has been given the respect it deserves, and that people emerging from the Bobby Moore Bridge subway can read about Olympic Way’s history, and be directed up the steps to see it.

 

14.  The new Olympic Way plaque, just before Engineers Way on the route to the Stadium.

 

The new plaque, by Engineers Way, is more about celebrating Quintain’s improvements to Olympic Way, which are also part of its history. And its location, plus the Olympic Rings on it, gives residents and visitors the chance to be photographed (or take selfies) with the Olympic Steps and the stadium in the background, to capture part of Wembley’s Olympic heritage.

 

Philip Grant.

 

Has £100m for Brent housing gone down the drain? Kilburn Square and Windmill Court builds paused.

 My London News LINK is reporting that Brent Council has put a pause on developments at Windmill Court and Kilburn Square due to them not being 'economically viable' in the current climate, Works should have started by 31st March which means that the Council could lose £100m in funding from the London Mayor towards 200 of the 701 units in receipt of funding.

FULL STORY

You have until May 9th to comment on George Irvin's plans to build 4 3-storey houses in Barham Park

 

The consultation period for  the planning application by developer and funfair owner George Irvin to replace two 2 storey houses in Barham park with four 3 storey houses has been extended to May 9th.

Brent Council has issued this notice:

Application Number: 22/4128
Location: 776 & 778, Harrow Road, Wembley, HA0 2HE
Proposal: Demolition of 2 existing dwellings and construction of 4x new three storey dwellinghouses, associated cycle and refuse storage, amenity space and boundary treatment.

View and track the application: Use the QR code or https://pa.brent.gov.uk
You can also use the computers at Brent's libraries.

Commenting on the application: 
You may comment on-line by using the 'make comments' tab or by e-mailing planning.comments@brent.gov.uk. Make sure you provide the application number, your name and postal address. Your comments and address will be publically available, although your name won't be. You may check what the final decision is by selecting "track application" on our website.

Comments should be made by: 09 May 2023.

This link should take you directly to the Comments page on the Planning Portal. LINK

Although Brent Council has said the existing Covenant on the houses is not a planning matter I have made an FoI request regarding the valuation of the Covenant which is pertinent to any arrangement between the Trustees of Barham Park (chaired by Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt) and the developer:

 1. Please confirm if you have acquired a professional valuation of the Covenant attached to the two properties at 776-778 Harrow Road, Barham Park that were sold to George Irwin.
2. If not, have Brent Council officers made their own valuation and informed the Trustees of Barham Park accordingly?
3. If either have been done, what is the valuation of the Covenant?

I understand that some councillors will not be taking up George Irvin's offer of free tickets for councillors' friends and families for entrance to his Roe Green Funfair.  It may be worth asking your local councillor if they received the offer and have accepted.

 

Phone Mast application in St Andrew's Conservation Area refused by Brent Council

The proposal was to erect the mast on this green opposite St. Andrew's Church

 

The picture of the location supplied by the applicant H3G

An application by Edinburgh based Dot Surveying n behalf of the operator H3G for the erection of a 15 metre high mast and associated cabinets on the green at the junction of Tudor Gardens and Old Church Lane was refused earlier this year by Brent Council.   There were 22 objections to the mast from residents in the area.

This objection sums up the issues:

1.     The proposed site is within a conservation area. The application should therefore be refused.

2.     The Mast will not be in keeping with the street scene. Conservation areas are areas of special architectural and historic character with a particular quality worth preserving. One of the main features of the St Andrews conservation area is the way the individual buildings and gardens complement each other. This mast will not compliment anything whatsoever. It will be an eyesore.

3.     The proposed mast will have a negative impact on the skyline and views of St Andrews Church. For example, the view looking down Tudor Gardens towards the church. The views of the Church are specifically mentioned in Brent Council's St. Andrew's Conservation Area Character Appraisal. Such views would be ruined.

4.     The most significant views of the conservation area are those which look towards St Andrews Church. The church plays the most important part in creating the special identity of the conservation area because of its presence within most of the local views. The views are suitably bordered by the houses that flank the roads, and the presence of large amounts of greenery helps in promoting a rural village quality within the area. This will be ruined by the mast.

5.     Brent Council are obliged to maintain the character of the conservation area and are responsible for designating Conservation Areas. The law set down in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 enables the Council to influence the type of physical changes that would otherwise be detrimental to the area. Thus, a local authority should preserve and enhance a conservation area. It would be a dereliction of duty on the part of Brent Council if this application was to be approved.

 

6.     Brent Council are obliged by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, to ensure that Conservation Areas retain the character that brought about their designation. If conservation areas retain their designation but do not retain their essential character, they undermine the credibility of a Conservation Area status.

 

7.     St Andrews conservation area is defined by our church. The Church is the symbol and centre of the conservation area. The current proposal is to erect a large, unmissable and unsightly mast right opposite the Church itself. The site selected for this mast, is quite possibly the worst possible location - right opposite St Andrews Church.

 

8.     We really would have succumbed to consumerism - if a historic church is overtaken and despoiled by a radio mast which nobody wants and nobody supports.

 

 

Brent Council set out their reasons for refusal:

 

The proposed monopole and associated cabinets, by reason their size, siting and appearance within the St Andrews Conservation Area (a designated heritage asset), would result in a harmful impact on the visual amenities of the streetscene and result in harm to the significance of the St Andrews Conservation Area. The proposal is therefore considered unacceptable in terms of siting and appearance. Prior Approval is therefore required and refused having regard to Part 16 of the Town and Country (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended.

UPDATED with comment by George Irvin. Developer George Irvin offers Brent councillors all the fun of the fair

 

 

An email from Irvin Leisure to Brent councillors has been seen by Wembley Matters.It is not possible to tell if the email went to ALL councillors but it does suggest that many will be at the Funfair it invites councillors to attend.  It asks councillors to reply personally to George Irvin in response to an invitation to enjoy free admission to the upcoming Funfair at Roe Green for friends and family:

 

Hello Dear Councillor,

 

As I’m sure you realise, we have worked with your Borough for many generations staging the Annual Funfairs where we support many local charities including the Mayor’s charity which we are raising funds for at this year’s event.

 

The local community have an important day coming up soon at the local Fair, this being Eid al-Fitr on the 21^st and 22^nd April 2023 and regardless of your personal religion we would like to invite you along with family and friends to our Funfair free of charge as I will arrange tickets for you all.

 

Do confirm to George direct if you wish to attend as many other Councillors will be attending.

 

George Irvin's controversial application to redevelop a site in Barham Park LINK to build 4 houses is with the council and expires on Thursday April 20th. 

 

After publication I received the following emailed comment about the Barham Park development: 

 

Brent Council treated the Barham bequest as their own asset for a long time. They used buildings in Barham Park as offices for Parks Department and build the two cottages for parks staff in early 1970s without permission.

 

The park buildings and pathways have been neglected for years and rather than treating it just like any other Park, paid from the Council Tax the Council is insisting that Barham Park needs to generate its own income to fund improvements.

 

When the cottages became empty and needed substantial upgrading a decision was made some 14 years ago to sell them to generate money for repairs to the park.

 

George Irwin bought them at auction for £630,000.

 

The sale was subject to a covenant preventing further building. While this has nothing to do with planning - and any permission could be given or refused - the ‘restrictive’ covenant cannot be ignored.

 

As the Council sold the two cottages with the Covenant on basis that it was the two houses and not more. The value received was reasonable. If the houses and land were sold unrestricted than the value would have been much higher.

 

The Council Trustees have a fiduciary duty to maximise any income to the Trust. As the land from Titus Barham is a charitable endowment, they also have a duty to protect it. They could simply say 2 houses is enough and no more - irrespective of any decisions made by planning.

 

If the Trustees, following proper advice and probably clearance from the Charity Commission allowed the proposed 4 houses to be built - despite public opposition - they would have to extract a fair and substantial value for disposing of the protection given by the restrictive covenant.

 

George Irwin paid £630,000 for two cottages some years ago. He also incurred legal and other costs. Each of the 4 town houses, once built could be worth £700,000 each that is a total of £2,800,000. If demolition, rebuilding and other costs come to say £1,170,000 that would still leave a gain of £1 million.

 

The Brent property or Finance team can do this calculation for the Barham Trustees as a value needs to be placed on the covenant. An independent valuation officer from the Inland Revenue will probably need to be involved.

 

What is quite obvious is that George Irwin will not be allowed to go ahead without paying a very large price - even if the planning Committee caves in and allows more building inside an important Brent Park. Once Brent officers finally advise him of the price, he needs to pay he may simply give up on his plans and realise that he is wasting his time.

 

GEORGE IRVIN HAS SENT THIS COMMENT (00.15 APRIL 20TH)

 

I need to make everyone aware we have been asked to support Eid al-Fitr by many Mosque’s all over London that we do events with and because of this we have sent £10 of tokens to all the councillors that can be given to anyone including charities in Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Brent and Southwark where funfairs are taking place over Eid as this has nothing to do with planning issues.

 
We support many non-political charities, like the mayors charities with our annual funfairs as we have donated more £500,000 over previous years.

 
So this is completely wrong to say this is connected to any planning, applications.

 

We must defend the right to boycott as a peaceful means to bring about change - Public Meeting Monday April 24th Chalkhill Community Centre

 RIGHT TO BOYCOTT PUBLIC MEETING APRIL 24TH

WEMBLEY PARK

 

Monday April 24th  at 7.30 to 9pm.   Chalkhill Community Centre,  Welford Centre, 113 Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, HA9 9FX 2 minutes walk from Wembley Park tube station and served by many buses from all parts of Brent and Harrow.

 

SPEAKERS: Andrew Feinstein, Former ANC MP in South Africa and Ryvka Barnard, Deputy Director, Palestine Solidarity Campaign. 

 

Entry is free  but PLEASE register with Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/595697135167

 

A public meeting at Chalkhill Community Centre on Monday April 24th will focus on Government plans to limit the right of public bodies to boycott. A Coalition has been formed to challenge the  proposed Bill  that could affect many campaigning organisations and its declaration has been signed by 60  human rights and environment campaigns, religious organisations and trade unions. Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) have long been an effective and peaceful means of bringing about change.

THE DECLARATION

As a group of civil society organisations made up of trade unions, charities, NGOs, faith, climate justice, human rights, cultural, campaigning, and solidarity organisations, we advocate for the right of public bodies to decide not to purchase or procure from, or invest in companies involved in human rights abuse, abuse of workers’ rights, destruction of our planet, or any other harmful or illegal acts. We therefore oppose the government’s proposed law to stop public bodies from taking such actions.

The government has indicated that a main intention of any legislation is to ensure that public bodies follow UK foreign policy in their purchasing, procurement, and investment decisions, particularly relating to Israel and Palestine. We are concerned that this would prevent public bodies from deciding not to invest in or procure from companies complicit in the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people. We affirm that it is the right of public bodies to do so, and in fact a responsibility to break ties with companies contributing to abuses of rights and violations of international law in occupied Palestine and anywhere else where such acts occur.

From bus boycotts against racial segregation to divestment from fossil fuel companies to arms embargoes against apartheid, boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaigns have been applied throughout history to put economic, cultural, or political pressure on a regime, institution, or company to force it to change abusive, discriminatory, or illegal policies. If passed, this law will stifle a wide range of campaigns concerned with the arms trade, climate justice, human rights, international law, and international solidarity with oppressed peoples struggling for justice. The proposed law presents a threat to freedom of expression, and the ability of public bodies and democratic institutions to spend, invest and trade ethically in line with international law and human rights.

We call on the UK government to immediately halt this bill, on opposition parties to oppose it and on civil society to mobilise in support of the right to boycott in the cause of justice.

 Badges from the 1980s

 

BRENT HISTORY

The presence on the platform of former ANC MP Andrew Feinstein is particularly appropriate as Brent has a proud record of opposing South African apartheid as I wrote in a previous article:

 South African fruit was a particular target and small groups were set up across the country and in universities with at its peak  140-150 groups.  The deaths of two students in 1976 in the Soweto Students Uprising generated further support for action against apartheid and in 1984 Brent Anti-Apartheid was working with the National Union of Students, women's groups and black organisations appealing to Trade Unions not to handle South African goods.

There were calls for boycotts that  have similarities with those promoted today by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign with a wider focus targeting sporting links, divest from companies profiting from apartheid, pension fund divestment, arms embargo and the release of political prisoners.  Barclays Bank, the biggest  high street  bank in South Africa,was targeted locally and Brent Labour Party moved its account to the Co-operative Bank.

The Labour Council at the time was part of a local authority delegation to Margaret Thatcher to present a petition if favour of the boycott and the Council stopped contracts with firms with South African links and councillors took part in pickets of supermarkets urging them not to stock South African goods.

Reflecting on that history it is to be hoped that the current Labour Council will also stand up for the right to boycott and divest.

 Monday's meeting is jointly organised by Brent Friends of Palestine who raise funds for the charity Brent Friends of Palestine, and the Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign.  With Amnesty International claiming that  Israel is operating a system of apartheid LINK it is telling that two of the 1980s badges above, on ending investment and boycotting Barclay's Bank, apply to current campaigns on human rights in Palestine, the arms trade and investment in fossil fuels.

Ryvka Barnard from Palestine Solidarity will make the links with current campaigns, the situtation in Israel-Palestine and the need to strongly resist the Government's propose new law.

In 2020 when PSC asked Brent Council for details of its Local Government Pension Fund Investments the following companies that they invested in were involved in arms sales etc:

Barclays £1,252,342
Barclays is a British multinational bank and financial services company. Barclays hold approximately £1,167.6 millions of investments in companies that are known to supply the Israeli military. This includes Babcock, BAE and Boeing, Cobham and Rolls Royce. More information available in War on Want’s 2017 ‘Deadly Investments’ report.

BAE Systems £970,233
According to CAAT, “BAE Systems is the world’s fourth largest arms producer. Its portfolio includes fighter aircraft, warships, tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, missiles and small arms ammunition. It has military customers in over 100 countries. BAE has a workshare agreement with Lockheed Martin producing the US F-35 stealth combat aircraft. Israel, for example, took delivery of its first F-35 in 2016. According to Investigate, a project by the American Friends Service Committee, BAE has worked in cooperation with Lockheed Martin and Rafael to produce and market the naval Protector drone used to maintain the siege of Gaza along the Mediterranean coast.

Smiths Group £316,811
According to CAAT “Smiths Group is a global technology company with five divisions: John Crane, Smiths Medical, Smiths Detection, Smiths Interconnect and Flex-Tek. Smiths Connectors is part of Smiths Interconnect and comprises Hypertac, IDI and Sabritec brands. Products include connectors used in fighting vehicles, unmanned vehicles and avionics systems.” They have applied for a number of military export licences to Israel.

Rolls Royce £294,535
Rolls-Royce is a British manufacturer that produces military aircraft engines, naval engines and cores for nuclear submarines. Despite arms comprising only 26% of its total sales, it is still the world’s 17th largest Arms trade. In 2014, the year of Israel’s arial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, which killed over 2,200 civilians, nearly a quarter of them children, Rolls-Royce was granted export licenses for engines for military aircrafts to Israel

When PSC requested updated information last year Brent Council said they were unable to supply details of individual companies as they were incorporated into various investment funds.