Mapesbury Residents' Association oppose developer's plans for the Queensbury pub

Residents making representations to the Planning Committee on the first Queensbury applicationMarch 2014

There is still time to comment on the developer's two (hardly) different plans for the Queensbury post. These are the links: 18/4675 and 18/4701

There are 26 submisisons on 18/4675 and 37 on 18/4701. All object to the plans. Some comments accuse the developer of being 'underhand' or 'devious' while others give very detailed objections.

Mapesbury Residents' Association submitted the following objection:

This objection is on behalf of the Mapesbury Residents’ Association Planning and Conservation Sub-Committee. We regret that this is after the 21 days deadline but understand that Brent Planning are willing to consider comments before their report to Planning Committee is finalised.

We wish to object for the following reasons:

1. The proposed new building is too tall and too bulky and would detract from the appearance of the area and does not preserve or enhance existing conservation area. The existing building makes a positive contribution to the setting of the listed station, which according to the previous Appeal inspector, would be desirable to preserve. The Planning Authority ought to respect that view and act consistently with it. The existing building also makes a positive contribution to the historic interest of the area.

- The applications are described as 4 and in part 5 storeys; however, both schemes are 6 storeys visible height across the frontage with 5 storeys behind. This is a misrepresentation by the Developer. In addition, each floor is taller than those of no 112 next door and the roof level would therefore be 1.5 storeys higher than the 5 storeys on no 112.

- There is no attempt to harmonise the building with no 112. It does not carry across the basic simple flat front wall with rectangular balconies of 112. Instead there are prominent bays forming a modelled front, stepping in and out. This draws attention to the bulk of the new building. The proposed horizontal banding for the brickwork between the bays and balconies is whimsical and unnecessary. The proposed design is a hotchpotch of irregular shaped bays and balconies that also results in lost floor space in the bedrooms.

- The vertical line style of shading at the roof level implies a lot of metal or timber cladding. Metal cladding is for industrial sheds and timber cladding has no feel of permanence and quickly deteriorates in appearance.

- The bedrooms within each flat are too long and narrow and do not provide adequate accommodation. The bedrooms with bay windows are a poor shape with useless area.


2. There are fundamental faults with the layout of the current ground floor layout plan:

- There is no sound proofing between the community room and the pub and between the pub, community room and the flats above. Noisy exercise classes and music / dance / singing / drama etc. activities will interfere with the pub. The floor over the Function / Community room and the pub need to be sound proofed to avoid disturbance of the flats above.

- The bins are in two locations, one of which is on the front of the building and inconveniently accessible for all users.

- The main entrance to the flats is a constricted passage next to the bin store.

- The combination of bin store at the front and narrow entrance make the front aspect of the building very unattractive and out of kilter with the adjoining buildings.


3. The ground floor spaces for the public house and function / community room are not well proportioned for their intended uses:

- The area of the proposed Function / Community Room is too small. It is only 81 sq. metres (ignoring the entrance corridor). This represents only 1.6% of the total floor area. To be useful twice this would be necessary for the activities that are normally provided by a Function / Community room,

- The Function / Community room is a poor layout and badly located; tucked around the corner behind the retained shops past a narrow gap next to the shops. The entrance is in an insecure place, especially at night and is next to the bin store.

- The size of the Function / Community room is not of sufficient value in relation to the value of the planning permission being sought.

- The floor plan of the pub is too long and narrow,

- The replacement pub has neither a kitchen nor ventilation in the proposed plan which will severely limit its menu.

- The poor floor plan and absence of a kitchen must impact upon its popularity with residents. It would be a completely inadequate replacement for the existing pub and brings into question the viability of the proposal for this space as a replacement for a popular and important local amenity.


4. The ownership, maintenance and management of the Function / Community Room are not defined. The tenure should be in-perpetuity so that the benefit of the land and its associated frontage onto Walm Lane is carried forward if the associated / adjoining owners of the Pub get into financial difficulties. Points that need establishing in the contract include:

- What will be the legal status of the Function / Community room, who will own the ground on which the room sits?

- Who or what organisation will own the space, how will the public / local residents’ ownership and rights be defined?

- Who or what organisation will manage the room and its use?

- How will the structural envelope of the room be maintained?

- How will access to the toilet facilities and basement and kitchens shared with the Pub be defined, maintained and delivered in-perpetuity?

- How will access to the toilet facilities and basement and kitchens?


5. This third proposal is essentially the same as the second proposal which was refused permission last year and the fact that that application is now subject to appeal should not be considered as a relevant factor. Permission for this proposal should also be refused.

UPDATED: School staff silent protest 'Our school is no place for hate' after vitriolic internet posting aimed at pupils

Staff outside Central Foundation Girls' School, Bow, London

The following was posted by Alex Kenny, a member of the NEU Executive, on Facebook today. It is a sad comment that such acts are occuring on our streets and aimed at children and young people. All the more reason for us all to be vigilant and act quickly against these acts. Congratulations to all the school staff involved.

On Friday, as about a thousand girls were leaving a local school, they were followed and filmed by someone who provided a vitriolic commentary full of racist, misogynist and Islamophobic comments - and then posted it on the internet.

Today staff at the school lined lined up along the road outside the school in a silent protest with a simple message “our schools are no place for hate” - a simple but very important show of unity and solidarity, all the more impressive for it being organised so quickly.

More actions are likely to follow to make sure racists such as this get the message that they are outnumbered and not welcome.

UPDATE: The Met Police have arrested a man in his 60s for questioning over this incident

Wars: The Effect on Soldiers - First hand accounts: Monday February 11th

Monday, February 11^th 7.30 – 9.15.

Brent MENCAP, 379-381 High Rd, London NW10 2JR

Speakers: Julio Torres, Veterans for Peace (UK) [New York born Torres was a member of the U.S. Army for eleven years 2005-2016, including a year in Iraq, with the rank of Staff Sergeant]

Ben Griffin, ex-Paratrooper, SAS soldier and founder of Veterans for Peace UK, served in Northern Ireland, Macedonia, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2005 he was released from Army service after refusing to continue serving under American command in Iraq. Ben served as national coordinator of VfP until 2018 and remains an active member.

The financial costs of US and British wars in the Middle East since the beginning of this century have been well documented.

The personal costs to the soldiers who took part and to their families, friends and neighbours are often less noticed.

This is an opportunity to hear and talk to war veterans about their experiences and how we might learn to fight for peace.

 Organised by Brent Stop the War

https://www.facebook.com/BrentStoptheWar/?ref=bookmarks

All welcome
Disabled access. Close to Dollis Hill tube (Jubilee line, Chaper Road access). Buses include 52, 260, 266, 302

The Metroland Dream – Your Comben & Wakeling home in Wembley

Guest post by Philip Grant

I don’t often recommend TV programmes, especially ones that I have yet to see, but if you are interested in social history and housing you might want to know about this one. “Phil Spencer’s History of Britain in 100 Homes” is an eight-part series on the More4 channel, beginning on Wednesday 30^th January at 9pm. You can see a little more about it here LINK

What has this got to do with Wembley? Last September, a researcher from the TV production company wrote to “Wembley Matters”, to ask whether there were still any original “Metroland” homes locally. Martin passed the enquiry on to the blog site’s “local history correspondent”, and I was able to assist with information, and some illustrations. As a result, a Wembley house will be one of the ‘100 Homes’ featured in the series (probably in part 6).

“Metroland” was a name coined by the Metropolitan Railway Company around the time of the First World War, to promote housing development on the surplus land it had acquired to build its railway over in the late 19^th century. It published a yearly booklet, setting out the attractions of healthy living in pleasant countryside, on an estate of modern homes, but close to a station where its fast electric trains could carry the man of the house to work “in Town”.

A 1922 advert for the Metropolitan’s Chalk Hill estate (Yes, our Chalkhill!)

I have not been let into the secret of which Wembley house will be featured, but Park Chase in Wembley Park has been mentioned. The Manor Estate was one of many developments by the firm of Comben & Wakeling, which set the standard for local homes in the 1920’s and 30’s. They had acquired the site of the former Wembley Park mansion from the Metropolitan Railway, and built mainly family-sized semi-detached homes there in the early 1920’s.

Manor Estate advert from the 1922 edition of “Metro-Land”

James Comben and William Wakeling had come to Wembley in 1907, when it was still a new “Urban District” with a population of less than 10,000. The first homes they built were in St. John’s Road. Before the First World War they were developing plots of land on the Stanley Park Estate, near Wembley Triangle. One of the firm’s three-bedroom terraced houses in Jesmond Avenue (with gas lighting – no electricity!) then would cost £350. Inflation during and after the war pushed up the cost of homes, but Comben & Wakeling’s houses were still affordable to ordinary people in regular employment. 

Pairs of mid-1920’s Comben & Wakeling show houses, at the corner of Park Lane and Clarendon Gdns.

In the mid-1920’s, Horace Comben and Eric Wakeling joined their fathers in the business, which was now a limited company. They were building on the former Elm Tree Farm land, north of King Edward VII Park. By 1929, their developments stretched across East Lane, between St. Augustine’s Avenue and Preston Road. An advertisement that year proudly announced: ‘Nearly 2,000 houses sold’. Their homes offered ‘… all labour-saving fitments. Electric light and gas. Tiled hall, scullery and bathroom.’ Most were in the “mock-Tudor” style, which was so fashionable at the time.

The end of that decade saw them start work on their biggest development yet, the Sudbury Court Estate. Much of this “Garden Suburb” estate, with around 1,500 homes built between 1928 and 1935, is now a Conservation Area. It contained a mix of house sizes, to meet the needs of a range buyers, from the skilled manual worker earning £4-£5 a week, to the experienced school teacher on an annual salary of around £300, or the businessman making a bit more than that!

Comben & Wakeling’s advert from the 1932 Wembley Official Guide.

By the late 1930’s, Comben & Wakeling had moved on to develop the Lindsay Park Estate in Kenton. The company built new offices nearby, at Kingsbury Circle (now the Kingsland Hotel). They had expanded into other building work as well, but could still say in 1953 that they had built 6,000 homes in Wembley. Most of those houses are still providing well-built homes for families in the borough.

An advert appearing in the 1953 book
“Wembley through the Ages”.

   

Wembley’s story could have been very different. When the District Council (with James Comben as a councillor) was considering what to do with the disused Wembley Park pleasure grounds, their 1920 Town Planning Scheme earmarked the land for “Garden City” housing development. Then, the government chose it as the site for the British Empire Exhibition, so instead of another Comben & Wakeling “garden suburb”, it became home to the Stadium and all of the Exhibition buildings. 80 years later, Quintain began to redevelop much of land.

The suburban housing estates built in Wembley in the inter-war years, by Comben & Wakeling and other firms, generally had 8-10 houses per acre. Nowadays, a growing population and shortage of building land in the area means that a much higher density of homes is needed. But are the new developments we are seeing, at Wembley Park and elsewhere in the borough, at too high a density?

One of the great advantages of “Metroland” was that it gave thousands of families the chance to move out of the over-crowded and polluted areas of inner London. Their children could grow up in homes with gardens, in streets lined with trees and with parks and open spaces nearby. Although Quintain’s Wembley Park has some trees, and open space areas like Elvin Gardens and the 7-acre park currently being created, is this as healthy an environment?

 

Junction of Carlton Avenue West and The Fairway, Sudbury Court Estate.

Brent’s core planning policies (CP17) give a commitment that: ‘The distinctive suburban character of Brent will be protected from inappropriate development.’ They also say that: ‘Development of garden space and infilling of plots with out-of-scale buildings that do not respect the settings of the existing dwellings will not be acceptable.’ However, proposals in the new Local Plan, which will cover the 2020’s and 2030’s, include changes which would allow higher density developments along main roads in some of Brent’s “Metroland” suburban areas.

It is not just the historian in me that hopes ‘The Metroland Dream’ can continue, and that families can enjoy living in Comben & Wakeling “garden suburb” homes in Wembley for many decades to come.

Philip Grant.

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UPDATE: Big changes planned for Number 1 Olympic Way, Wembley

1 Olympic Way from Bridge Road

Backview  of 1 Olympic Way, with Wealdstone Brook from North End Road

The entire current building from, North End Road, current vehicle access

The proposed building with additions to the floors and new build

A revised planning application is being prepared for No 1 Olympic Way, currently an office building that is the first you view from the bridge on Bridge Road, Wembley Park and well-known local landmark.

The agents for Stadium Holdings said:

On behalf of Stadium Holdings Ltd, we are currently preparing a planning application for submission to Brent Council for the part-3, part-5 and part-7 storey rooftop extension to the existing office building (1 Olympic Way), as well as 13 storey block to the rear. This will provide an additional 119 flats, alongside the 227  flats previously approved at the site through conversion of the existing building (Ref. No. 17/4538).

The accommodation will provide a mix of residential sizes, including 1-bed, 2-bed and 3-bed accommodation, each with access to private amenity space. Given proximity to sustainable modes of transport, the residential flats subject of this application will be "car-free".

The exterior of the existing building shall be cleaned and refurbished, with the proposed extension purposely designed to appear as a seamless addition.

Clearly this will be a significant change to the original prior permission granted.  It is not clear yet what this will mean in terms of office space and a potential decline in the number of jobs available on the site. Nor are there any details yet on whether the accommodation will be to rent or buy,

Access would be via North End Road with emergency vehicle access from Olympic Way.  The current steps and ramps on Olympic Way which connect to North End Road (next to Michaela School) and Bridge Road will go when Brent Council reconnects North End Road to Bridge Road. This will allow through traffic around the stadium and will be served by local buses on event days.
Residents of Danes Court and Empire Court are already seeing substantial change with the new build taking place in the area.

UPDATE: In response to my questions re above Pegasus Group said:

1. The development will provide a mix of private flats for sale and affordable housing (London Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership), subject to agreement with LB Brent.
2. The application proposal will provide residential accommodation through a new building within the car park, and extensions above the existing office building (which is to be converted to residential under an existing permission). There is no additional office accommodation to be provided.

Bren Connects Wembley Tuesday 29th January

How on earth did this monster get planning permission? Wembley's new 'Twin Towers'

With the closure of Park Lane causing traffic jams and bus diversions around Wembley High while utilities are connected to the 'Twin Towers' on the Chesterfield House site, residents are asking new questions about how such a huge building was given planning permission.

The 15 storeys that can be seen in the video are not the finished building - there are 11 more storeys to go on the highest of the two towers. This is just 3 short storeys short of the controversial West Hendon building that can be seen from all over the area and dominates the Barnet end of the Welsh Harp.

The building was given permission by 4 votes in favour, 2 against and 2 abstentions on the Brent Planning Committee of the time. The then Chair of the Planning Committee, Cllr Sarah Marquis, voted against the scheme.

People are asking, 'How can just four people make such a big decision?' The Committee of course operates on just a simple majority basis so this legally was sufficient. However if the abstentions had voted against the scheme it might have been turned down on the Chair's casting vote.

Councillors of course are not the only people involved and the recommendation of planning officers is crucial.  This is what they had to say.

The original drawing - since permission was granted new applications have been made for building behind the Twin Towers alongside the railway line

There were hundreds of objections to the development from local residents and the controversy rumbled on Council leader Muhammed Butt's  'dinners with developers' . The then Labour councillor for Kilburn, John Duffy;  Conservative leader John Warren, and Philip Grant all took up the issue fearing too cosy a relationship between the council leader and developers. SEE LINK, LINK, LINK,

It's too late for any modification now - the planning committee decision is literally 'set in concrete', but perhaps there are lessons to be learnt for future developments.

"Exciting, independent, artisanal ‘makers and merchants’" wanted for new Wembley Park Market Hall

Quintain announced today  that it is launching a 4,000 sq ft market hall in Wembley Park this spring. The plan sounds rather like a market version of Box Park's catering space. Quintain is working with MrktMrkt a London-based  market and retail operator.

Quite what will be sold in the market is hard to discern from the statement by Matt Slade, Quintain's retail director:

The addition of Wembley Park Market is an important reflection of Wembley’s rich heritage. This area has long been a hot bed of creativity and grass-roots entrepreneurship. Wembley Park Market, by its very nature, will be an environment which supports this and in which it can continue to be cultivated. We are looking for exciting independent, artisanal ‘makers and merchants’ that offer services, crafts and products, to make up the tapestry of a vibrant, modern market.

 It doesn't sound very much like the old Wembley Market, loved by some and condemned by others. It appears, like Quintain's Tipi private rental accommodation, to be all about lifestyle - and perhaps not the lifestyle of longer-establised Wembley residents.  

Meanwhile the new Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, to be built within  the Fountain Studios, looks more accessible to the general public, with the acclaimed National Theatre production of War Horse due to open there in the autumn.  The theatre will have 1,000-2,000 seat capacity with a restaurant and bar space.

The press release announcing the venture said:

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre will be a fully flexible theatre; a space that can be transformed to suit the requirements for every show – traditional proscenium arch theatre, in-the-round theatrical experiences, or immersive shows. It will encourage theatrical producers to think big, offering them an affordable alternative space to present bold and ambitious shows.

The Troubadour team has extensive experience of running spectacular theatres including the King’s Cross Theatre which consisted of two 1,000 seat theatres and one 450 seat studio housing the Olivier Award-winning production of The Railway Children, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, David Bowie’s Lazarus and the Donmar’s Shakespeare Trilogy.  This will be the first theatre to open in Wembley Park and the first venture between Quintain, the developers behind the transformation of Wembley Park, and Troubadour Theatres providing a new cultural offering for those living, working and visiting Wembley Park.

The site and ikts neighbours is earmarked for development in the longer term and although the press releases did not say so the theatre is likely to be only temporary as were Troubadour's  King Cross Theatres which closed in 2017.  Troubadour said that they will ensure tickets are affordable and will undertake educatinal work with local schools.

There are no details yet of any other productions being staged before War House commences for a limited run from October 18th to November 23rd.

Originally Troubadour expected to stage its first production in autumn 2018.

The Troubadour Facebook page is HERE