Paul Lorber of Brent Liberal Democrats has written to Brent Council CEO regarding the new development that is planned for the Bridgewater Road site near Alperton station. LINK
The application is due to be heard at Planning Committee tonight and Alperton Cllr Anton Georgiou will be speaking against it.
The meeting is being livestreamed 6pm tonight VIEW HERE
Paul Lorber writes:
Has Brent Council undertaken a study why the Alperton area has one of the highest death rates during the current Covid 19 emergency?
Overcrowding, lack of open spaces, overdevelopment, congested roads, low incomes, poor diet etc etc may be some of the reasons.
Brent Council cannot be responsible or be able to control all of these.
Brent Council should however stop and study evidence and listen to advice to stop making the situation worse and to mitigate the impact of future outbreaks - which may be just a few weeks away.
The first step Brent Council should do is to revise its Planning Policies and stop any more massive tower blocks with no amenity open space until such time as the Council has answers to some of the questions.
There is a 26 storey block being built in Ealing Road opposite the bus garage. A massive block is coming on the opposite side by the Canal. There is talk of another massive development on the side of the Bus Garage - this on top of everything that has been built already.
Tonight the Planning Committee is considering a development including a 19 storey block at the back of the Alperton Garage around the corner in Bridgewater Road. This is another over development with no car parking with as much being squeezed in as possible to help the developer and boost the Council's CIL and new homes bonus pot. I think the death toll in Alperton should now be a factor which should influence the Council thinking as to whether these types of highrise monsters are a good or safe option for the future.
At times like these there is a need for decisive leadership. I think you should now recommend to the Council that the policy of massive highrise and excessive densities of new build needs to be reviewed in view of the Covid 19 crises and the excessive number of deaths in parts of Brent.
I trust that you will take action before it is too late.
I am copying the chair and vice chair of Planning as I think they should consider deferring the Alperton Planning application before them this evening.
Residents have been in contact over installations of 5G masts and associated cabinets over the lockdown period.
The government is determined to be in the forefront of 5G installation ('world beating'?) and relaxed planning constraints. At locations where masts already exist the default position is to allow the new installation.
The phone companies can give notice of proposed installation under Permitted Development Rights to the planning authority and if the authority does not respond within 56 days they can go ahead as 'Deemed Consent' is assumed.
Given the fact that councils are busy with coping with Covid19 the 56 days can elapse before a response is made. Sheffield City Council had to issue an apology LINK.
Councillor Bob Johnson, Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability at Sheffield City Council, said:
“The Council apologises for this mistake but hope people will
understand we are operating in extraordinary circumstances which have
led to these oversights occurring. We understand residents’ depth of
feeling about the location of these masts and we are sorry that they
were not properly determined within the time limit.'
Were the phone companies taking advantage of local councils' correctly prioritising the protection of residents as a result of the Covid19 crisis?
The cabinets that are installed at the base of the masts reflect the different competing companies and makes one wonder about one positive by-product of nationalisation in that the number would be reduced!
Apart from it being an 'eye sore' local residents in Church Lane have pointed out the collision danger posed to local residents by the extensive installation. The Fryent Way installation is only 200 yards from the already extensive set of masts and cabinets at the Salmon Street/Fryent Way roundabout and is on the border of the Country Park.
Did Brent Council give planning permission for these installations and were alternative sites considered?
Other Brent residents as they get out and about after lockdown may see other recent installations - do let us know what you think.
UPDATE June 30th
A Brent Council spokesperson said:
“Planning permission was sought for both installations last year. Consultation was undertaken, with letters sent out and site notices put up. The potential impacts of the installations were considered and planning permission granted. Government policy supports the expansion of electronic communications networks, including next generation mobile technology (such as 5G) and full fibre broadband connections. Legislation also allows for small scale apparatus to be installed as part of a deemed approval process. Under these rules the Council has limited control and must decide the case within a fixed time period. If the latter is not met this defaults to an automatic consent.”
Social media has been buzzing with environmental campaigners' frustration as Brent seems to be missing out on funding that would enable provision of some walking and cycling friendly change on our streets as we emerge from Covid19 restrictions and seek to maintain some of the clear air and traffic reduction benefits of lockdown.
Way back on May 31st Cllr Shama Taylor, had written to fellow councillors with an update on Active Travel Measures. She told councillors that although London was awarded £25m over the rest of the financial year the Council had only got confirmation the previous Thursday and the deadline for applications for the first tranch of funding was June 5th. She asked councillors to think of areas or roads in their wards or Brent Connect areas that would benefit from Active Travel infrastructure or routes - cycling, walking and low traffic areas. This gave councillors just 5 days to speak to their residents and come up with ideas.
She told her colleagues that Council officers were working 'flat out' to put in an application.
Some council had already put measures in place ahead of any funding - Brent Council's action appeared to be limited to some pavement widening.
When the funding allocations were announced and Brent was missing from the list this was the reaction:
In response Cllr Tatler urged patience saying that officers had been working 'flat out' and said that we should hear this week whether the bid based on Brent Council's travel plan had been accepted:
The document below gives details of the schemes other boroughs have had funded:
Meanwhile the petition calling on Brent Council to 'build back better' post Covid has been gaining support. Sign the petition HERE.
The former Saab showroom, 2A Bridgewater Road, part of the development site
The site marked with red pin - note the 2 storey suburban housing to the right of image
Wednesday's Planning Committee will be asked to following officers' recommendation and approve a 4-19 storey development to replace the low rise former Saab showroom at 2A Bridgewater Road, Alperton.
The application continues the expansion of high rise in the area as can be seen from the top image take from the application. The blocks are set back near the Piccadilly underground line, which offers say mitigate their height, with an industrial unit on the street frontage.
The housing comprises 124 units:
Affordable Housing – comprising 47 affordable rent units at London Affordable Rent levels and 77 shared
ownership units in line with the household income cap and eligibility criteria for intermediate products set
out in the London Plan and draft London Plan
It has less family housing than guidance suggests but officers say that is offset by its '100% affordability.'
Apart from some disabled parking it will be a car free but officers suggest the case for a local CPZ will be strengthened by the development.
Regarding the development's closeness to traditional 2 storey surburban housing, the report states:
The proposal would respond well to the
constraints and opportunities of development in this area of transition between the dense urban fabric
around Alperton Station and the more traditional housing to the northwest.
Welcome to the 6th and final part of Philip Grant's Story of Wembley Park
Welcome back to this final part of Wembley Park’s story.
In Part 5 (“click” if you missed it) we reached the point where Wembley had won
the bid to be the home of England’s new football stadium. In 1999, the Football
Association bought the old stadium for £103million, through a new company,
Wembley National Stadium Ltd.
Even though the plans for the new stadium were
still vague, an Australian company, Multiplex, agreed to build it for £326.5m,
just before the old stadium’s final match (an England v. Germany international)
in October 2000. Many people had thought that Wembley’s iconic “twin towers”,
which were Grade II listed buildings, would be retained. However, Brent Council
agreed to the whole stadium being demolished, although work did not begin on
that until 2002.
1. Wembley's "twin towers", about
to be demolished in January 2003. (Photograph by Pete Tomsett)
Although the old Wembley Stadium estate included over
100 acres of land and buildings, the F.A. had decided that they were ‘not in
the business of regeneration’. By 2002, around 85 acres, including Wembley
Arena (in 1978, the former Empire Pool was officially renamed), had been sold
to the developers, Quintain Estates. They began drawing up a masterplan for the
regeneration of Wembley Park, in consultation with Brent Council.
Early in 2003, the world watched as the towers of
the old stadium were demolished. Rubble from them was used for part of the
foundations of the new Wembley. What I didn’t know, until a few years ago, was
that a concrete flagpole base, from the top of one of the “twin towers”, was
saved as a memory of the old Wembley. If your “lockdown” exercise walk takes
you to Brent River Park, you can see it by the footpath on the east side
of the river, near Pitfield Way.
2. The “twin towers” flagpole base, at Brent
River Park.
The demolition of the old stadium
While work was underway to build a new stadium on the site of the old, Quintain were also beginning their efforts. The
Arena was still a thriving venue for over 150 shows a year, but it too was
getting old. By 2005, a £20million upgrade was in progress, and you can see
this in the photograph below. The 1934 building is having a facelift, with its
entrance being moved to the eastern end, from a new Arena Square, while in the
foreground is the roof of the former Palace of Industry. You can also see the
round Conference Centre, the triangular office building Elvin House, and the
exhibition halls and multi-storey car park of the 1970s Wembley Complex.
3. Aerial view of Wembley Arena and
surrounding buildings in 2005. (Image from the internet)
The Arch, which was to be the distinctive feature
of the new Wembley Stadium, was raised into place in 2004. However, there were
problems and delays with the construction project, and it was not until March
2007 that stadium was ready, at a final cost of £757m. A new “White Horse
Bridge” provided improved pedestrian access from the High Road, and Wembley
Central and Stadium stations. Local residents got the chance to look at the new
stadium, before the start of what it was hoped will be a legendary history to
match that of the “twin towers”.
4. Brent residents crossing the White Horse
Bridge, after a March 2007 Community Day at the Stadium.
(Photograph by Malcolm Barrès-Baker. Brent Archives online image 7057)
5. Forum House, in 2009, with construction on
the former Conference Centre site underway beside it.
The refurbished, 12,500 seat Wembley Arena had
reopened in April 2006, hosting the London leg of Depeche Mode’s “Touring the
Angel” tour. Other construction work, for what Quintain originally called Wembley
City, was going on nearby. Forum House, between the Arena and Empire Way, was
their first residential block to be finished. By 2007, the Conference Centre
next door, and other 1970s buildings, were being demolished to make way for
larger schemes.
6. Wembley Conference Centre being demolished
in 2007. (By M.
Barrès-Baker. Brent Archives image 7070)
Among the projects completed over the next few
years were the 4-star Hilton Hotel, across Lakeside Way from the Arena, the
Quadrant Court flats and several blocks of student accommodation. With more
people living in the area, a gym and small branches of Tesco and the Co-op on
the ground floors of several new buildings helped to provide amenities.
However, the most striking student block in Wembley Park, Victoria Hall (or
“the helter-skelter”), which opened in North End Road in 2011, was not one of
Quintain’s buildings.
7. The Victoria Hall student accommodation
building, as seen from the stadium in January 2012.
The Olympic Games returned to Wembley in 2012.
Although the main venues were at the Olympic Park, in East London’s Stratford
district, both the stadium and the arena hosted sports events. For the
90,0000-seater stadium it was, of course, football matches, with three group
games involving Great Britain’s men’s and women’s teams, two semi-finals and
both finals. Wembley Arena hosted both the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics
competitions. These required extra facilities, which were housed in temporary
buildings on the former Palace of Arts site, with a special footbridge built
over Engineers Way to link them to the arena.
While new buildings were going up, one of Wembley
Park’s oldest buildings was almost destroyed by a fire in 2013. The Lodge to
Richard Page’s estate (at least a century old when it was pictured at the start
of Part 3) had already seemed accident-prone after it was
hit by a runaway bus in 1973. Sadly, this Grade II listed cottage, at the
corner of Wembley Park Drive, is still in a terrible state, with its repair
hampered by the alleged arson that started the fire.
8. Wembley Park Lodge, with the bus accident
in 1973 (Brent Archives
image 9091), and in 2017.
2013 was also a milestone year for the regeneration
of Wembley Park. Quintain’s London Designer Outlet (“LDO”) opened in October.
This large development of shops, eating places and a multi-screen cinema was a
visitor attraction, and a facility for local people. Under an agreement with
the Council, Quintain were allowed to cover the Bobby Moore Bridge tile murals
with large vinyl sheets advertising the LDO. That autumn also saw Brent Council
move its 2,000 staff from the Town Hall in Forty Lane, and other buildings,
into a brand-new Civic Centre.
9. Brent Civic Centre, from Arena Square,
July 2014.
Brent’s new civic home had been built on part of
the former Palace of Industry site, and the last section of this final relic of
the 1924 exhibition had been knocked down in 2013. One of the first events put
on by Brent Museum in the Civic Centre was a display marking the 90th
anniversary of the British Empire Exhibition. Quintain had saved some of the concrete
decorative lion heads when the “Palace” was demolished. Wembley History
Society, and the Exhibition Study Group, worked with Quintain and Brent Council
to put a “Wembley Lion” on permanent public display. It was unveiled in
July 2014, on the green space in Wembley Hill Road, near the LDO.
10. The Wembley Lion (selfie opportunity!), with BEE
information panel, in Wembley Hill Road, July 2014.
The use of the site opposite the arena for the 2012
Olympics had delayed its redevelopment by Quintain. Their large development of
“Tipi” branded rental apartments, finally came on stream in 2016. The
brick-faced blocks were around a private green space, and were known as Emerald
Gardens. A road behind them was intended to commemorate the Palace of Arts, which had previously been on that site, before
being demolished in the early 2000s.
Although Quintain still had plenty of land at
Wembley Park to develop, they acquired some more in early 2016, when they
bought Fountain Studios. From 1993, Fountain had been using the former
Studio 5 building, and hosted the production of many famous TV shows. They had
to close by the end of the year, with their last ever broadcast the live
semi-final of that year’s “X-Factor”. Plans have since been put forward to
redevelop the area as the Fulton Quarter, but the building reopened as
Troubadour’s temporary Wembley Park Theatre in October 2019.
11. An aerial view across Wembley Park in 2017.
(Courtesy of
Julian Tollast / Quintain Plc)
At first sight, Wembley Park seems to be drowning
under a sea of tall buildings in recent years, but there are some mitigating
factors in its planning. Just as at the 1924 exhibition, there are green spaces
between the concrete buildings, such as Elvin Gardens, behind the Civic Centre.
A seven-acre park will soon be open, including a water feature. A community centre, The Yellow, has been
provided, in a road remembering Wembley Park’s heritage. The long-promised
primary school has yet to be built, however, and I am one of those who believe
its proposed site, on York House’s car park, beside a main road with poor air
quality, is a mistake.
12. The Yellow community centre, in Humphry
Repton Lane, Wembley Park.
A major upgrade of Olympic Way was announced in 2017, with Brent Council agreeing
to give Quintain a £17m contribution to its cost out of Community
Infrastructure Levy payments. In April 2018, Wembley History Society asked both
parties to put the Bobby Moore Bridge tile murals back on permanent public display, as part of those
improvements. Among the features that have appeared beside the main route to
the stadium, along with new trees, is the BoxPark food hall and entertainment
venue.
13. Olympic Way improvements in progress,
January 2019, with the new BoxPark and blocks of flats.
Despite strong opposition from local historians and
residents, Brent’s Planning Committee agreed in July 2019 to allow the tile
murals in subway to be covered with LED panels that can be used for
advertising. Quintain had agreed to put one of the mural scenes, showing
England footballers at the old “twin towers” stadium, on display as part of
their public realm upgrade. In January 2020, three more scenes were put back on display for a few weeks, at the start of Brent’s London
Borough of Culture year. Wembley Park’s sports and entertainment heritage
covers more than just football, and I hope that its story will, in time, be
properly celebrated!
14. The Bobby Moore Bridge subway in November
2019, with lights, and one tile mural scene on show.
Thank you for reading Wembley Park’s story; I hope
you’ve enjoyed learning some interesting things about it. This series has
ended, but there will be more local history next weekend!
Philip Grant.
Thank you very much Philip for all your work on this really interesting series of article.
The sisters waving fairy lights at the park in the early hours of Saturday June 6th
Nicole Smallman (left) and Bibaa Henry (right)
Nicole (left) and Bibaa (right)
From the Metropolitan Police
The heartbroken family of two sisters stabbed to death by a
stranger in Wembley have spoken of their devastation and made a plea to
the public to help police catch their killer.
The parents of 46-year-old Bibaa Henry and 27-year-old Nicole Smallman have made the following statement:
"The
greatest fear of any parent is that they will outlive their children.
What makes our situation unique is that two adored sisters were murdered
together on the same night. The grief we feel is palpable, our
beautiful and talented daughters gone. Although there was a large age
gap between them they shared a lot of the same interests. They were both
very much interested in the Arts. Bibaa a hardworking professional was
an exceptional Senior Social Worker and a passionate advocate for
safeguarding vulnerable children and families. Before qualifying, and to
earn some extra cash, she would transport disabled children to their
activities. At her side in a car seat she would have our granddaughter
who was only a couple of months old. Her passengers loved them both, she
knew all their names and Bibaa would have them singing as they drove
along.
"Bibaa loved her family and she was proud of her parents’
gifts and talents. Bibaa’s father, Herman having been a former ABA
Featherweight Champion and Business Man setting up his own Building
Contracting Company. As her mother, she admired my moving from office
agency work to training to be a teacher and then to train later for the
Priesthood. Bibaa was just barely five foot but she had the heart of a
lion and a smile that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame.
"Nicole
being the youngest of three sisters was a joy from the moment she
entered this world. Nicole saw beauty in everything; she had a very calm
and positive attitude towards most things in life. She was a strong
advocate for Humanitarian causes and saving our planet. Her father
Christopher and I would laugh together agreeing Nicole was a child of
the 60s. She was an amazing Photographer, Actor and Singer. Her speaking
voice was silky smooth. Her voice teacher at school had said she should
do radio or TV presenting. Friends and family all agree she was
beautiful both inside and out. Nicole was incredibly laidback and very
approachable. Nowadays we would be referred to as a ‘Blended Family’ but
that is not how we see ourselves. It is not something we would be happy
to be said of us. Bibaa and Nicole were sisters whose untimely deaths
we will spend the rest of our lives trying to come to terms with.
"The
tributes for our girls keep flooding in; it has been comforting,
heart-breaking and at times overwhelming. Faith and prayer is keeping us
going. I’m not sure how we’d get through this without it. 'The bond
that links your true family is not one blood, but of respect and joy in
each other’s life.’ Richard Bach.
"The pain we feel as a family is
so deep no words can express how we are feeling. This has had a
devastating impact on our lives and each day gets worse to think our
daughters, Bibaa and Nicole, are not with us and that they have been
brutally killed by someone.
"We are appealing to anyone who may
have seen, heard, or know something to please contact the police who are
investigating what has happened to our daughters, Bibaa and Nicole.”
Detectives
have today released two photographs taken by the victims prior to the
murders which they believe could assist with appeals; as their
determined efforts to identify the attacker – now confirmed to be male -
continue."
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding, who is leading the investigation, said:
“Following our most recent appeal we received over 100 calls from
members of the public who provided information which my officers are now
in the process of going through. We are very thankful for this
response, and want it to continue. Extensive searches are ongoing at the
scene and we are discovering more evidence all the time. Any motive for
the murders remains unknown, and we are exploring all possibilities.
“The
meticulous work carried out by our specialist search teams has led to
the recovery of a number of items belonging to both Nicole and Bibaa.
This includes both of their mobile phones, which were found in a pond
some distance from where they were discovered.
“We already knew
that Nicole and Bibaa had been alone in the park from about 00:30hrs on
Saturday, 6 June. I can now confirm that the last contact they are
believed to have had with family and friends was at 01:05hrs. They were
in good spirits and taking selfie pictures, listening to music and
dancing with fairy lights until at least 01:13hrs. Those lights created a
distinctive pattern, as the two images we are releasing today show.
This in itself may have been noticeable to local residents and other
users of the park. Did you see the lights at the time and if so can you
remember where you were and whether you saw anything suspicious? Calls
to the victims at around 02:30hrs went unanswered.”
“We have
seized a considerable amount of CCTV from around the perimeter of the
park and in surrounding roads, however if you have CCTV or dash cam
footage and live locally or were out in the area and have not been
contacted I urge you to get in touch.”
The existing key points stand, as detectives continue to appeal to the public for assistance with the following:
-
The suspect received a significant injury/injuries during the incident.
Have you noticed a loved one, neighbour, colleague, friend or
acquaintance with a significant unexplained injury, to their hands in
particular?
- It is believed the suspect left the park via the
Valley Drive entrance. Did you see anyone acting suspiciously in that
vicinity during the evening of Friday into early hours of Saturday? You
may even have noticed someone who was injured.
- It’s possible
members of the public may have stumbled upon items of property, but not
realised the significance of them. If you did, you may well have
information that could assist us hugely. No matter how insignificant it
may seem, please contact us.
DCI Harding continued:
“The victims were much loved sisters who were very close despite their
age gap. They were surrounded by friends and family and it’s
unimaginable what they are going through. For their sake and the sake of
the wider community we need to identify and apprehend the suspect as
soon as possible. And we need help from the public to do that. So please
do contact us with any information you may have which could assist, no
matter how small. Someone out there knows something. I would ask them to
look into their conscience and question their protection of an
individual who has robbed a family of two beloved women.”
Police
were called to Fryent Country Park off Slough Lane at 13:08hrs on
Sunday, 7 June to a report of two women found unresponsive.
Officers
and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and they were
pronounced dead at the scene. They were sisters, Nicole Smallman, 27,
and Bibaa Henry, 46, who lived in Harrow and Brent respectively. Their
bodies were discovered next to each other in a treeline.
A post-mortem examination conducted on Tuesday, 9 June gave the cause of death for both women as stab wounds.
Nicole
and Bibaa were in a group of people who congregated in the park from
around 19:40hrs on Friday, 5 June to celebrate Bibaa’s birthday.
Gradually
people are believed to have left throughout the evening; by around
00:30hrs only Nicole and Bibaa remained. Officers believe they were
murdered within the next couple of hours.
Both Nicole and Bibaa
were reported as missing to police late on Saturday, 6 June when they
did not return home; before they were discovered on Sunday.
Detectives
from the Specialist Crime Command (Homicide) are investigating, with
the assistance of officers from the North West Command Unit.
North West Borough commander Roy Smith, said:
“My thoughts are with the family who have lost two loved ones in the most tragic of circumstances.
“I
know the experienced investigation team are working around the clock to
identify whoever is responsible as swiftly as possible and ensure they
are brought to justice. We will leave no stone unturned. Extra resources
have been brought in to help from across the Met including additional
detectives.
“I understand how alarmed and concerned residents will be about this incident given the circumstances.
“I
want to reassure them that officers have been carrying out extra
patrols in the area since Nicole and Bibaa were discovered and local
residents can expect to see this continue over coming days, but of
course it’s timely to remind people to be vigilant, particularly after
dark in parks and opens areas and report anything suspicious to us
immediately.”
+ On Wednesday, 10 June a 36-year-old man was
arrested in south London on suspicion of murder.
He was taken into
custody but subsequently released no further action with regards the
murder.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to
call the incident room on 020 8721 4205, via 101 or tweet @MetCC
quoting CAD 3160/7Jun. Alternatively information can be provided online
via https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS19Z02-PO1. We also have access to interpreters who can assist if English is not your first language.
Information can be provided with 100 per cent anonymity to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Tributes to Nicole and Bibaa at the park gate in Fryent Way
People are being urged via social media postings, to put a candle in their window tonight, 2 weeks after the birthday party in the park:
Tonight I am going to put a light or a candle in my front window. It is a symbol of peace and acknowledgement of the tragic event in Fryent Country Park two weeks ago.
Please join me if you can.
Brent’s Cabinet has approved a new approach to tenancies across the
Borough. The Tenancy Strategy clearly sets out expectations of all
landlords, including private landlords: and the Tenancy Management
Policy reaffirms the council’s commitments to its own tenants.
The council’s aim is to make sure that all Brent residents who are
renting have a guaranteed level of security in their home. The council
also pledges to support Brent residents to stay in their homes for as
long as is suitable for them and will continue to work actively to
prevent homelessness.
The main changes to the way the council manages its own tenancies are:
Ending of fixed-term tenancies, and replacing them with life-time tenancies
Introducing demoted tenancies to tackle anti-social behaviour where necessary
Offering joint tenancies to cohabiting couples so that both people are protected
Both the overall Tenancy Strategy and council-specific Tenancy
Management Policy were agreed in consultation with existing council
tenants and Brent residents in temporary accommodation.
Whilst by far the majority of tenancies work well, there are
unfortunately occasions when things break down. If a council tenant has
been involved in antisocial behaviour or, is using their home
unlawfully, the council can now serve a four-week notice of its
intention to seek to demote the tenancy for 12 months.
Brent will work closely with all social housing and private landlords
in the borough to encourage them to review the way they manage their
tenancies so that all renters can feel secure, whoever their landlord.
Councillor Eleanor Southwood, Cabinet Member for Housing and Welfare
Reform said:
The Covid19 pandemic has reminded all of us how important
it is to have a safe and secure place to call home. I want everyone who
moves into a council home to feel settled and part of their local
community so that they can start building happy memories, without
worrying. A secure tenancy for as long as someone needs and providing
accessible and clear information about what to expect are a core part of
our promise. I very much hope that all landlords across the Borough
will adopt these changes.
PROW 87 as was (broken line) and replacement (solid line)
Five years ago there were protests about what was called a 'land grab' of a Wembley open space popularly known as Copland Fields. When Ark Elvin took over Copland High School the government found money for a brand new school for the academy chain. Copland had been campaigning for years for a new building because the school was in such bad condition. There had been plans for a 'Copland Village' development at the time to pay for a new build but the plans never came to fruition.
Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, then a governor at Ark Elvin who have been in favour of the academisation of Copland, strongly backed Ark's plans but found himself in conflict with local residents, who valued the access to green space in a heavily built up area.
The plans were approved and Ark Elvin got its new building and extended its footprint, while Elsley Primary doubled its size with an additional new building, and both they and St Joseph's enclosed part of the space that they'd had access to by covenant. Residents were left with a redirected Public Right Of Way (PROW) which is a path lined on both sides by a high fence and warning signs that this previous publicly used space was now 'Private Land.'
Local residents had used routes across this space to access the schools and Alperton via the bridge across the railway. A map of these routes was submitted at the time.
Those routes are now closed except for the main footpath. At the time local resident Chetan Patel told Annabel Bates, the headteacher of Ark Elvin:
With respect to ARK's planning application (ref 15/3161) for the school
redevelopment, I believe your proposal breaches the community's 'Public
Right Of Way' onto the existing fields in accordance to Highways Act
1980 Section 130A.
The community has had access to the existing park without any objections
from ARK or from the previous management of Copland Community School
for many decades now. The law assumes that if the public uses a path
without interference for some period of time – set by statute at 20
years - then the owner (ARK) had intended to dedicate it as a right of
way.
ARK's proposed development of the school can only be described as
'land-grab' with no consideration for the community users and the Law.
You may well ask, why is this coming up again 5 years later/ The answer is that since then we have had major housing developments in Wembley Central: Elizabeth House, Brent House and the Twin Towers with more to come alongside the Chiltern line and at Ujima House and on the former Copland site fronting the High Road. Planners admit most are deficient in amenity space but point to the accessibility of King Edward VII Park in Park Lane.
During lockdown residents have told Wembley Matters that King Eddies is now overcrowded because of the many new residents who have no gardens in which to exercise and enjoy fresh air. Longer term residents are now referring back to that loss of Copland Fields and reflecting on the access they used to have:
One resident told Wembley Matters:
Since moving to Wembley in the mid 1980s, Coplands Fields as it was known, was open to the public, myself and friends always exercised our dogs freely on this open space, flew Kites, off road remote control cars, played ball games, Rounders etc. It was a well used space by Asian cricketers (on designated hard surface - which I think no longer exists) Numerous local Football groups (Somali and Romanian) played regularly at weekends and during the week early evenings. Wembley Youth Club had unlimited access. A Volleyball Group set up their own nets in the far corner near Elsley Primary.
One of the best things about this open space was it allowed you to fly kites, remote control planes and helicopters as it has no trees in the middle, unlike King Eddies which does have obstructions such as trees. The public footpath and fields provided a quick short cut from Alperton to High Road, It was consistently used by parents from Wembley Central and Alperton area walking their children to schools St Josephs RC School, Elsley and Oakington Manor. All the people living in Tokynton Ward are completely cut off from using this space.
No CCTV evident on footpath which is like a dog's hind leg and nowhere to run if attacked.
St Josephs regularly (or did prior to Covid) use the space, Ark Elvin does not as it has its MUGA's designed in with artificial grass, and does not have access via a gate or anything unlike St Josephs and Elsley.
The Wetlands you refer to is within the boundaries of the Ark Elvin Academy. I seem to remember discussing this with a Biology Teacher who at the time said it was going to be utilised by the students to grow stuff and create a bio-diverse environment for nature and study.
I might add it makes a mockery of Brents Green Park and Open Space document, which clearly states that Wembley Central is massively deficient in green space, considering in the last few years more than 1800 new flats have been built with yet more to come. In 2011 census the pop of Wembley Central was approximately 15,000 I think we are now in excess of 25,000 and when all these flats are let we will be double in less than 10 years. The Brent House development in the report clearly states its deficient by 20% in its amenity space with respect to the number of residents it will hold.
It is hard to convey the nature of this enclosure of land in words so I have made this short video of the path of the redirected public right of way:
Four years ago Brent Council wrote to a resident to say what needed to be done to claim a right to access to the other footpaths across the Copland Fields as shown on the map above LINK.
The evidence sheet that needs to be submitted is HERE and Guidance from the Ramblers Association HERE.
It is late in the day but if nearby residents think it is worth the effort then good luck to them.
