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: Mingle UK Ltd licence application for Jam J’ouvert event in Fryent Country Park has been withdrawn

 Brent Council licensing today confirmed that the application to run a pre-carnival event in Fryent Country Park on July 5th and July 6th 2025 has been withdrawn and the event will not take place. The application was made by Mingle UK Ltd.

See article on the plans HERE.

The case for rethinking the Queen's Park traffic scheme engagement process put to Brent Cabinet

 

 

Alasdair Balfour, a Queen's Park resident presented a petition to Brent Cabinet today setting out the case for halting the current engagement process:

Background

My name is Alastair Balfour, and I live on Chevening Road in Queen’s Park. A lovely street, in a lovely neighbourhood. I should support the MP Smarter Travel (“MPST”) traffic proposals as they appear to benefit me. But having experienced the utter chaos that the current temporary traffic restrictions have wrought on the wider neighbourhood, it is evident that the proposals are ill conceived, unfair and simply push the problem onto less fortunate neighbours in the ward. These trial schemes have created division among residents and gambled with the health and safety of thousands of children who attend schools on the boundary roads. Sadly, after years of false starts, real damage is being done to our community and to the trust they have in Brent’s approach to this topic.

In the weeks since the MPST meeting on November 4th, our petition has had over 1,400 signatures, a leaflet was produced and delivered to over 2,000 residents, a video has been made and circulated on social media, and newspapers are beginning to pick up the story. This has all been done by volunteers who feel let down, and who care for their neighbourhood. This outpouring of opposition is years in the making.

The MPST engagement is so flawed that it cannot produce reliable results. The catchment thinking is too narrow, the engagement materials were confusing, the online questionnaire was changed mid-engagement and never effectively communicated as promised. There was clearly no technical analysis which stands behind the proposals. And even Councillors and residents benefitting from the schemes oppose the options.

MPST are not traffic management experts, their mission is modal shift and nothing else. They lack clear objectives and indicators of success or failure. And without proper stakeholder definitions, they do not know even who they are solving for.

Proposed Way Forward

We understand that this is a highly complex issue, and we do not have all the answers. But it is patently clear that if this cabinet is serious about improving the situation it needs to start from square one and go back to basics. ⁠This requires joined up thinking, reflecting all stakeholders and doing hard work first. We must stop wasting money on projects that are doomed to fail. The skills and resources exist within the community to assist Brent in developing a project roadmap, defining the problems, crafting solutions, thus ensuring transparent engagement and community support. These offers of help and expertise have been rejected in the past. We ask whether Brent will accept them now, especially when budgets are so tight and resources so constrained.

All community groups (including residents associations) have always argued for wider consultation and a genuinely transparent cooperative process. There is a clear view of how to deliver success which can be shared with councillors at the appropriate time. But this must be done with total transparency, coordination, and consensus. Who better to facilitate this than the residents in the community. We understand the complex trade-offs required.

In conclusion, I want to thank you Cllr Butt for giving me the opportunity to speak today, and for confirming that this petition will be considered as part of this engagement process. But if you are serious about finding a path forward, we now need action over and above telling us that we have been heard. I am therefore requesting a commitment from the cabinet to the following three points:

1. Stop the flawed MPST engagement (it is so tainted that it only fuels anger)

2. Halt all hyper local traffic schemes until a data-led, wider area impact assessment can be provided

3. Sit down with local thought leaders to i) define the most pressing traffic problems (focused on boundary roads and schools), ii) agree the process roadmap which the entire community can support and commit real resources behind and iii) to use utmost transparency in all behaviour, data sharing and communication.

We have mobilised a significant amount of support from across the community in recent weeks, and we owe those neighbours an update on how the cabinet responds.

We want to bring everyone together to support the council’s objectives for a healthy neighbourhood – who would not? But we must learn from past mistakes, plan properly and deliver improvements for the many and not just a select few.

The response from Cllr Krupa Sheth, the Lead Cabinet Member responsible for the  environment can be seen at 06.20 on the video above, Queen's Park councillor Neil Nerva at 08.17 and and Brent Council Leader, Muhammed Butt at 10.25. You can make you own minds up as to whether they commit to the three points raised by Alasdair Balfour.

After the meet a local resident said:

Many residents watching online were bemused when Cllr Butt said at the end that Brent had 43 or 44 successful Healthy Neighbourhood schemes in place.. One said "We look forward to seeing his list. But I can only imagine he's referring to School Streets? To our knowledge, four years on from the first set of attempts, Brent has just one LTN running - in Harlesden and Stonebridge. A status update on that one was expected last April but has not yet appeared. Four of the first batch were implemented but had to be withdrawn before the trial ended  because they were not working.

Later attempts at designing a feasible scheme that could gain community support in Kilburn and Queen's Park Wards have failed - and the current "Engagement" has all the flaws in the speech given this morning" 

Quintain 2023 £720m loss revealed in late accounts

 

Credit: Quintainliving.com

Quintain the developer behind the huge Wembley Park project has revealed losses of more that £700m before taxation in delayed 2023 accounts recently filed. This compares with a profit of  £140 before taxation in 2022. LINK TO FULL ACCOUNTS

The Quintain board said:

The group has a clear business plan, objectives and an agreed strategy and there have been a number of major events and milestones achieved in the period to December 2023 which have contributed significantly towards achieving those objectives.

During the period and subsequently Quintain have made some sell-offs and also new loan arrangements:

If you are wondering about the 'immediate parent company', Bailey Acquisitions Ltd,  there is an explanation. You will note where they are located:
 

 

Queen's Park residents to present 1218 signature petition to Brent Cabinet on Monday calling on them to defer local traffic scheme after adverse impact of trial

A group of Queens Park residents will present a petition to Brent Cabinet tomorrow calling for the Council to withdraw the latest local traffic scheme proposed for the Queen's Park Healthy Neighbourhood. They want any formal consultation to be deferred pending a clear plan outlining the benefits

The petition is on the Brent Council website HERE
 

We the undersigned petition the council to register strong opposition from the residents and communities of Queen’s Park, Kensal Rise, Brondesbury Park, and surrounding areas, to Brent Council's hyper-local traffic scheme proposals in a limited area of Queen’s Park. We call on Brent Council to withdraw the latest proposals under the Queen’s Park Healthy Neighbourhood scheme and defer any formal Consultation until a plan is presented with clear benefits that prioritise the health, safety, equality, prosperity, and quality of life for the entire neighbourhood (in and around the designated ‘project zone’) based on strong community support, evidence-based planning, transparent decision-making, and value for money. 

 

The Queen’s Park Healthy Neighbourhood page on Brent Council’s website promises a scheme that “ensures the whole community can benefit from cleaner air and safer, quieter streets…”.

While we welcome and support that aspiration, the trial measures on the streets connecting Kingswood Avenue and Salusbury Road are diverting traffic unhelpfully, adversely impacting the broader community, and together with the new proposals developed by MP Smarter Travel, raise serious concerns regarding:

 

• Health and safety risks from displaced traffic increasing congestion and pollution within the project zone and on already dangerous and busy boundary roads, including Salusbury and Chamberlayne where thousands of children attend school.

 

• Failure to consider any impact on adjacent areas like Brondesbury Park, Kensal Rise and North Kilburn, and neglect of vulnerable populations such as the elderly, disabled, and families who cannot rely solely on walking or cycling.

 

• Unfair prioritisation of select streets at the expense of surrounding areas, imposed without broad community support, based on flawed engagement and inadequate impact assessment, exacerbating inequality and division.

• Unnecessary harm and disruption to residents and businesses in Queen’s Park and surrounding areas from restricted access.

 

 The Cabinet is at 10am on Monday December 9th and can be viewed online HERE.

Wembley Library and Resident Hub Celebration tomorrow Saturday December 7th 11am at Brent Civic Centre, Wembley

 From Brent Council

Join the fun at Brent Civic Centre Saturday 7 December!

The new Resident Hub and Wembley Library will celebrate it’s grand opening with a day bursting with free activities, live entertainment, and a special visit from Santa! Mark your calendars and bring the whole family for an unforgettable day of fun and excitement.

Here’s what we’ve got lined up for you:

• Yummy refreshments: Enjoy a variety of tasty festive and Brazilian treats available for everyone throughout the day.

• Live entertainment: Get ready to groove with drumming, dance performances, rap acts, and a DJ spinning the best tunes.

• Raffle prizes: Win amazing prizes with our exciting giveaways for all ages.

• Santa’s special visit: Don’t miss Santa Claus during the Booktrust story and rhyme session, spreading joy to our youngest visitors – starts promptly at 11am!

• Kids’ stories and craft workshops: Throughout the day from 11.45am, let the little ones unleash their creativity with a circus skills workshop and engaging stories and fun craft activities.

• Face painting: Transform into your favourite character with our fun face painting sessions – three artists will be at the event all day so that no one will miss out!

• Health and wellbeing stalls and activities: Pick up valuable tips and advice for leading a healthy lifestyle; including feeding, speech and language and oral health for children and diabetes and general health checks for adults. You can also take part in free exercise taster sessions from Our Parks at 1pm and 1.30pm and ESOL and IT sessions from 1-4pm.

• Sustainability stalls: Learn about waste, recycling, and climate change through interactive displays and expert advice. Plus family workshops, including 12noon - 3pm festive creative workshop from WE RESTART repurposing and upcycling everyday items. 

The celebration starts at 11am with Santa’s appearance during the Booktrust story and rhyme session. Throughout the day, children can dive into face painting and craft and story workshops designed to spark their imagination.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Enjoy a variety of live entertainment perfect for the entire family, including dynamic drumming and dance performances, and music from a local rap artist and DJ that will keep everyone dancing.

Plus, you can explore a range of informative stalls where you can find out more about how the council and local services can help you live well, make healthy choices, stay safe and embrace sustainable living.

Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Resident Support and Culture, said:

We are thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of these new services with our customers and residents. The brand-new Resident Hub area provides a more accessible, comfortable, and confidential space to better serve residents, while the upgraded library, with dedicated areas for study, children, and public PC use, has become a vibrant hub for learning, study, and cultural activities.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic event! Join us at Brent Civic Centre on Saturday 7 December, 11am - 4pm to celebrate the opening of these fantastic new community services.

Christmas at Chalkhill tomorrow 12-4pm at the Community Centre

 

Up and down Wembley High Road as new developments get underway - video recording

 

 

 The High Road, Wembley has gone through many changes in the last decade or so with the most significant the Uncle twin towers on the site of the former Chesterfield House at the corner of the High Road and Park Lane.

Work has now started on either side of the High Road further towards Wembley Triangle. There is a major development on the former Copland School site, part of the Wembley Housing Zone (see LINK) and opposite it student accommodation is being built on the former Fairgate House and Ujima sites (see LINK).

Copland/Cecil Avenue

 

 Student accommodation

 As well as the construction of these developments, in the new year, starting on January 6th 2025, a 16 week programme will start reconstructing part of the High Road.