The long dis-used and vandalised Pavilion in King Edward VII Park, Park Lane, Wembley could be transformed into a home for Stonebridge Box Club and a community resource.
The Planning Statement for Planning Application 22/2526 states:
The proposal is to alter and extend the pavilion building and to repurpose it for use by Stonebridge Boxing Club, including gym and physio facilities and showers. A small café and external seating area would also be provided at ground floor, and office at first floor. The Building would upgrade the building by using renewable energy where possible such as Air Source Heat Pump (“ASHP”), Photovoltaic Panels (“PV Panels”).
Rather optimistically it is claimed that revenue from the cafe would help subsidise the maintenance and management of the building. There would be two members of staff.
Opening hours would be 8am to 9pm in Summer and 8am to 7pm in Winter.
There are some beautiful mature trees close to the building and new Brent Principal Trees Officer, Julie Hughes, takes a welcome tough approach in her report, proposing several protection measures after stating:
The site falls within a public open space owned by Brent Council. None of the trees on the site are protected by TPO however this does not mean that they are not important, merely that because the Council are considered to be a responsible landowner, that a TPO is not really justified.
The proposed extension to the pavilion building will effectively double the current extent of footprint to the SW. I would ideally like to see the extension moved to sit wholly outside of the Root Protection Area of T10; a category B Lime tree.
When I visited the park earlier this week and chatted to people, I was told that the police had been called to the pavilion recently after an incident and the area was used for drinking, drug taking and other activities. There is currently just one CCTV camera in the pavilion vicinity and no lighting. People were adamant that lighting would be required if the pavilion is to stay open after dark as it is sited some 200 metres from the Park Lane entrance in the centre of the park and party concealed from the road by trees and vegetation.
Young people walking through the park on dark evenings after using the Boxing Club facilities might be in some danger unless adequate preventative measures taken.
Overall,
those I spoke to were keen on the idea of a cafe and welcomed the availability
of toilets. One person said that was much better than children (and others?)
having to 'go behind a tree.' I was told that since the new residential developments in the High Road, Wembley, and the enclosure of Copland Fields, the park was very busy in the afternoons and this was likely to be the peak time for the cafe.
The present state of the building and the uses it has been put to is evident from these photographs.
The question posed was, "Will this new project discourage current ‘anti-social' behaviour or would such behaviour pose a threat to the success of the £1.6m project?"
Thinking about the 'broken window' theory it might help if the notice-boards at the entrance to the park were properly maintained. The information about local councillors is out of date and a poor impression is given for anyone visiting for the first time. Only one person I spoke to knew (vaguely) that there were plans for the pavilion. Everyone else was surprised. There were no planning notices around the pavilion area and none on the notice boards.
The Bowling Green and its building remains locked up behind fencing and the previously immaculately kept green is now a sun scorched meadow.
I understand that Fields in Trust, who have an interest in the park going back some years, will be added to statutory consultees and members of the public can submit their views on the Brent Council Planning Portal. Neighbourhood Consultation closes on Friday 9th September 2022. LINK
