LB Brent have approved Quintain’s plans for the next stage of development at Wembley City, with the agreement of the Section 106 with the London Borough of Brent.
This consent, given at the end of 2011, followed the resolution to grant planning permission in May 2011 and the subsequent approval of the scheme by the Mayor of London in September.
Masterplanned by Make Architects, the new area covers 14 acres opposite Wembley Arena and bordering the new Civic Centre which will open in 2013. The plans respond to Brent Council’s masterplan for the area, which seeks to create “a bustling new retail street, a landmark Civic Centre and new public square to create a vibrant and active town centre identity”.
The consented scheme will deliver: a pedestrianised shopping street, running parallel to Olympic Way and linking to Wembley Park Boulevard, with an anchor store at the northern end and a 600 space shoppers’ car park; up to 1,300 homes designed around a series of private community courtyards, including family homes and affordable housing; a one acre community square fronting the new Brent Civic Centre with cafes and restaurants along its edge; major improvements to Olympic Way, transforming this processional route into a tree-lined active environment with a network of open spaces and cafes and restaurants spilling out into the public realm; a new hotel; affordable workspace; a double height community hall, delivered free of charge as part of the planning agreement; and a £12.5m contribution to education, strategic transport improvements in the Wembley Regeneration Area, and the public realm.
370 construction jobs should be created by the development, and up to 2,740 permanent new jobs once the scheme is completed
Ben Giddens, Quintain’s Commercial Development Director, said: “We are delighted to have finalised the Section 106 for the next phase of development. This will create a stunning new setting for Brent Council’s Civic Centre, which is already under construction, and opens the door to the next phase of residential development.”
Councillor Ann John OBE, said: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Quintain for their continued investment in the regeneration of Wembley. Quintain has responded to our Masterplan Vision and this planning agreement is good news for the people of Wembley and Brent.”
Quintain say this planning consent builds on the work being done on the Western Core, where 520 new homes are now occupied, a new Hilton Hotel with banqueting and conference facilities as well as a “Skybar” and restaurant is nearing completion and a 660-bedroom student accommodation scheme will be opened next summer. Groundworks have now also begun on the London Designer Outlet, which will open in October 2013, bringing 85 shops, restaurants and bars to the area along with a nine-screen cinema.
