Welcome
Welcome to this second public exhibition organised by Quintain
Estates and Development plc, the owners of much of the land surrounding the
new National Stadium.
The exhibition here today explains our plans for a ‘New Wembley’
and the opportunity for thousands of new jobs and homes, massively improved
local facilities and a place you would be proud to show family and friends.
This is your chance to:
This is your chance to:
| • | View our latest thinking
in advance of a planning application being made |
| • |
See how these plans have progressed since the first exhibition, held in June 2003 |
| • | Comment on the plans using the comments box under 'Contact Us' |
We will submit our proposals as a planning application
to Brent Council soon. There will then be a further consultation process organised
by the Council later in the year.
About Quintain
Quintain is a British property development and investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange. We are one of the largest property companies in the country and are involved in a number of major regeneration projects in the UK.
We purchased our first landholdings at Wembley in August 2002 and own the 56 acres of land surrounding – but not including – the new National Stadium.
This ownership includes Wembley Arena, Wembley Conference and Exhibition Centres, Elvin House, the Palace of Arts and the Palace of Industries, as well as some other buildings within the site.
The grey shading represents the planning application area. It covers 41 acres and the information on display here concerns our plans for that area only.
For more information about the
company you can visit
www.quintain-estates.com.
The Site
Quintain owns the land shown within the red-line
below. This is over 55 acres surrounding, but not including, the new National
Stadium. It includes Wembley Arena, Wembley Conference and Exhibition Centre,
Elvin House, the Palace of Arts and the Palace of Industry.
Already playing host to millions of visitors each year, the land offers huge scope to create a new environment for the Stadium, Arena and other facilities as well as providing new jobs, new homes and safe and welcoming public spaces.
A Clear Vision
In late 2002, Brent Council published ‘Our Vision for a New Wembley’ which outlined the Council’s long-term aspirations for the area as follows:
| • | A new modern, urban and exciting place with the National Stadium as its centrepiece |
| • | High quality, state of the art, leisure, business and retail facilities |
| • | A centre for work with a wide range of job opportunities |
| • | A mixture of quality housing |
| • | A world class destination providing a wealth of opportunity for local people |
We strongly support this vision. Our plans are designed to deliver the first phase of Wembley’s regeneration and to act as a catalyst for the improvement of the wider ‘Wembley Regeneration Area’ shown in yellow below.
We are therefore working with the Council to examine how our designs can best allow for and be a catalyst for future development. In the longer term, our plans described here need to fit into this wider area.
A Special Place
Wembley has a unique place in the UK’s history and is known throughout the world. It hosted a major park, theatre and funfair in the late nineteenth century, the British Empire Exhibition in 1924-5, the Empire Games in 1934, the Olympics in 1948, the World Cup final in 1966, the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978, the Euro ‘96 Championships and much in between.
Today, the Wembley complex – the Arena, Conference Centre and Exhibition Halls – host over 300 national and international events each year, welcoming 2.5m visitors to Wembley. The new National Stadium, due to open in 2006, will bring around four million more visitors a year to the area.
The proposals displayed here represent the next stage of life for Wembley. It will give the local community the ability to derive real benefit from Wembley’s many visitors, both economically and through creating a range of leisure options for locals and visitors alike.
Wembley is one of the most culturally diverse areas in the UK and the regeneration will welcome all of Brent’s communities. We will endeavour to ensure this diversity is reflected and that everyone has access to the jobs and opportunities created. We are already working to become an active member of the community and are developing close links with the various local groups and other relevant organisations throughout this consultation process.
The National Stadium
The new National Stadium will be open in 2006, welcoming around 4m visitors
a year to Wembley and transforming the local landscape. Its new arch will stand
150 metres above its concourse – large enough to fit the London Eye underneath
– and will dominate the skyline of North West London.
We want to spread out arrival and departure times for large events at Wembley,
so that people arrive early and stay late, spending their money in the local
economy and easing the pressure on the transport network. Cardiff has benefited
hugely from the Millennium Stadium – creating jobs, boosting the economy
and promoting a positive image for the City. The same can be true of Wembley
– it will be an exciting place to visit with or without a major event
on at the new Stadium.
Its scale presents a huge challenge. Wembley needs and deserves a setting for
the Stadium of which it can be proud and which will change perceptions of the
area.
Regeneration Principles
Quintain’s principles are:
1. Deliver sustainable long term regeneration
We are committed to the long term future of Wembley and will remain active members
of the community. Our success will be linked to the wider success of transforming
Wembley and delivering a sustainable regeneration programme
which benefits the wider Wembley area.
2. Create thousands of new jobs
The site as it is now provides few employment opportunities for local people.
New Wembley will bring thousands of jobs to the area and our plans include employment
and training initiatives to ensure local people benefit.
3. Deliver high quality new homes
Like other London Boroughs, Brent has a growing population, rising house prices
and a shortage of new homes. New Wembley has to be as much a home as a visitor
destination. We will deliver a range of high quality apartments available to
all income brackets.
4. Create high quality new open spaces
Welcoming open spaces provide a community heart and focus. Plans therefore include
a major new public square the size of Leicester Square and a boulevard as wide
as Regent Street with shops, restaurants, bars and activities. We will also
actively manage the whole area to keep it clean and safe.
5. Deliver new leisure and cultural
facilities
A range of new leisure uses such as a cinema, bowling alley and nightclub will
provide new options for entertainment and relaxation at Wembley. Our plans also
include facilities for young people, new shops and space for community arts
and cultural events both within buildings and in the new squares and piazzas.
6. Keep events coming to Wembley
Wembley Arena will see significant new investment as its amenities are improved
and its historic structure enhanced. The conference centre and exhibition facilities
are likely to remain for some years but their functions could, as the development
progresses, be transferred to more modern facilities.
7. Provide an appropriate setting for the Stadium
The scale of the new National Stadium is significant. It therefore requires
buildings of comparable height, appropriately sited to provide a suitable setting
in urban design terms and to ensure it does not look out of place in the local
landscape.
8. Utilise top quality design
We are committed to the highest design standards and the creation of a safe
and sustainable local environment. The Masterplan itself is being designed by
the Richard Rogers Partnership, one of the world’s most renowned and successful
architectural practices.
We plan pedestrian-friendly, secure and lively open spaces
in a place where people will want to live, work, meet, socialise and relax.
What You Told Us
In June 2003, we held our first exhibition
setting out the principles of this regeneration, together with basic details
of the emerging scheme. We consulted widely with local people and community
groups, presented to around 2,000
people and made the information available on the internet, in local libraries
and
at places of worship.
The key comments and issues arising from this process were:
| • | Clear support for our regeneration principles and for our vision of a New Wembley. People want to see change and want to see it happen quickly. |
| • | A desire to see new leisure facilities, shops and cafés at Wembley to provide more choice for local people. |
| • | Existing communities must benefit from this regeneration and in particular gain access to the new jobs, new homes and new facilities. Knock-on benefits which help improve Wembley High Road and local businesses are also seen as important. |
| • | Parking and transport arrangements must be managed correctly. The improvement of public transport facilities in the area is felt to be crucial. |
| • | Strong support for a large amount of open space to be provided. |
| • | A desire to see more
details about the development scheme and the design of proposed buildings. We have taken these and other comments received on board in working up our detailed proposals. |
The Detailed Proposals
Thousands of jobs and homes with massively improved local facilities.
West of the new Stadium the design is based around a grand public thoroughfare ‘Wembley Park Boulevard’. At its northern end, the Boulevard will link to the new entrance of a refurbished Wembley Arena and open out onto a new open space ‘Arena Square’. They will create a central public focus and provide the potential for a new link to Wembley High Road as well as to Wembley Park Station.
To the north-east, some of the parking for the new Stadium will be provided in a new multi-level car and coach park which will be later enclosed by the surrounding development. The whole site will be actively managed so that the areas remain clean, safe and welcoming at all times.
| • | 5,000 new jobs To create a sustainable economic heart for the community during the day as well as in the evening. These jobs will offer long-term employment in the businesses, shops and leisure facilities which will open at New Wembley. We will establish training and job brokering schemes to ensure these opportunities are opened up to local people and we are already talking with local colleges and other education and training providers about these. |
| • | 4,000 new residential apartments
for around 8,500 people |
| • | Open space and public
realm New areas of attractive open space and public realm will cover over 60% of the entire site. The three main areas described below are complemented by courtyards, streets and other open spaces. - Wembley Park Boulevard – As wide as Regent Street, the Boulevard will have a range of restaurants, cafés, bars, leisure facilities, shops and a hotel opening out onto tree lined pavements. It will be pedestrian and cycle friendly, closed to through traffic apart from buses and could also be used as a focus for local events, processions and festivals. - Arena Square – Comparable in size to Leicester Square, Arena Square will be the focus for music, theatre, cultural and other public events which will be managed throughout the year as part of the development. It will also provide a spectacular new setting for the refurbished Arena. - Stadium Piazza – The area immediately around the new Stadium, which will be at a higher level than its surroundings, will also provide new public space with cafés, bars and community uses. |
| • | New leisure facilities These will be focused in a new building at the northern end of Wembley Park Boulevard. It will include a multiplex cinema and other facilities such as ten pin bowling, bingo and possibly a casino. It will be a major new facility for Brent and London. We will also provide facilities specifically for young people, such as a skate-park or climbing wall. |
| • | New shops To meet the needs of the residents, workers and visitors alike and complement the new National Stadium. The shops will include designer outlets, sports retailing, and stores for the local community such as a small supermarket, dry cleaners and post office. These will reflect the diversity of the local population and encourage more shoppers to existing centres such as Wembley High Road. |
| • | New restaurants,
cafés and bars To provide a range of quality and value eating and drinking with a wide choice to suit different tastes and cultures. |
| • | New community facilities We have set aside a part of the development to allow for new community facilities. These could include crèches and nurseries, a multi-faith centre, health provision and doctors’ surgeries, and space for arts, sports and cultural activities. |
| • | A new future for
Wembley Arena We will refurbish and update Wembley Arena, as one of the world’s leading performance venues. This will involve creating a spectacular new entrance for the building onto Arena Square. |
| • | New offices and
workspace To attract a range of small companies and large businesses alike, particularly in growing sectors such as business services and the creative industries, and help Wembley compete for business with other locations in London. |
| • | A new hotel A new flagship 400 bedroom international standard hotel will provide a dramatic setting for the Stadium entrance bordering Arena Square. |
| • | Parking In the longer term, parking will be away from view making use of good design and the various different levels on the site to ‘hide’ the vehicles. Most of the parking for the new Stadium will be provided in the multi-level facility on the eastern side, although between 600-800 spaces will also be provided on the western side with |
Sequencing
By the time the new Stadium opens, we want to have already created Arena Square with some restaurants, cafes and shops open. This phase will include the refurbishment of the Arena and the commencement of work on the hotel.
This will create a high quality environment from Day One. It provides a major new open space and starts to change perceptions of the area.
The regeneration will then spread southwards
and eastwards, to create Wembley Park Boulevard and deliver the new leisure
facilities, community space, offices and the
for-sale and affordable housing.
We estimate this is a ten to twelve year programme. We shall be ‘considerate builders’ throughout to minimise impact and disruption in the local area.
Transport
Wembley is one of the best connected parts of London.
| • | It has two underground stations, Wembley Park (Jubilee and Metropolitan lines) and Wembley Central (Bakerloo line), and overground rail services running from Wembley Central station (Silverlink and Connex services) and Wembley Stadium station (Chiltern services). |
| • | Across these six lines more than 100 trains per hour provide capacity for over 90,000 passengers in the peak hour. |
| • | The stations themselves
are however in a poor state, but significant improvements are scheduled
both as part of the National Stadium plan and the wider investment now going into the tube network. |
| • | Over 100 buses per hour currently serve Wembley and the surrounding area, comprising 11 routes with a capacity for 6,000 passengers per hour. In addition, more services are planned as part of a London wide programme to increase capacity by 40% by 2010. |
| • | The area is also well positioned within the strategic road network, with close access to the A406 North Circular Road linking to the M1, A40/M40 and M4 corridors amongst others. |
Getting the transport solution right is of fundamental importance. Congestion can already be a problem in the area and we plan to emphasise the use of public transport whilst reducing the need to travel away from Wembley and managing the available parking.
Our transport plan is made up of the following key initiatives:
| • | Concentrating development on a site with excellent existing public transport infrastructure in the first place. |
| • | Providing homes and offices
with a mix |
| • | The mix of uses ensures
a mix of residents, workers and visitors, allowing a more even pattern of
both inbound and outbound journeys during the busy periods. |
| • | We are helping Brent Council strengthen and improve the access points to and from the nearby rail stations. |
| • | The local bus network will be enhanced to provide improved services which will pass through the heart of the site. |
| • | Parking specifically associated with the new homes will be provided at less than one space per apartment and reflects the low level of car ownership expected on the site. |
| • | Parking will be actively managed to ensure appropriate use and minimal impacts on and off site. Visitor and public parking will be charged. |
| • | A ‘travel plan’ will be developed including initiatives such as a car club, car sharing programmes and the provision of real-time information on public transport services at various points throughout the site. |
Next Steps
There is a pressing need to start to
create a setting for the new National Stadium
in time for its opening in early 2006. We therefore intend to submit a planning
application to Brent Council soon.
The application will mainly be for ‘outline’ planning permission only, which will establish the broad principles of such a regeneration, although some areas will seek ‘detailed’ planning permission to allow building works to begin. Details such as the exact design of each building will follow later.
Once we have made the planning application, Brent Council will organise its own independent consultation process giving everyone a chance to have their say directly to the Council.
We are currently therefore preparing the documentation which needs to accompany the planning application, and taking on board further comments received as part of this process.
Thank you for visiting our website.
We hope you have found it helpful. Please let us have any comments.
Alternatively, please contact:
Anne Clements
Quintain
020 7629 8713
Wembley@quintain-estates.com
Summary
| • | Quintain own much of the land surrounding – but not including – the new National Stadium |
| • | We plan to transform the area by creating thousands of job opportunities and homes, with massively improved local facilities. |
| • | In presenting detailed plans, we are responding to Brent Council’s vision for a New Wembley to create “a new modern, urban and exciting place”. |
| • | We are also creating an appropriate setting for the new Stadium and enabling the area to benefit from its many visitors. |
| • | • This is a once
in a lifetime opportunity to change perceptions of the area and create: - 5,000 new jobs - 4,000 new apartments - Large areas of open space - A new public square the size of Leicester Square - A boulevard as wide as Regent Street lined with restaurants, cafés, bars, leisure facilities and shops - New leisure facilities including a multiplex cinema - A skate-park or climbing wall - New shops such as designer outlets, sports shops and local stores - A crèche/nursery, health facilities and space for arts, sports, cultural and other community activities - A refurbished and modernised Wembley Arena - New office space - A new flagship hotel |
| • | We are committed to the highest standards of design and to actively managing the area to keep it safe and clean at all times. |
| • | Public transport will be encouraged and a range of initiatives will minimise car use and manage both parking and congestion. |
| • | We will remain active members of the community and endeavour to ensure the cultural diversity of Wembley is reflected in this regeneration. |
| • | This is the second time we have presented our plans to the public and we will submit our proposals as a planning application to Brent Council soon. |
| • | There will then be a further consultation process organised by the Council later in the year. |
| • | You can let us have your comments on these plans by completing the comments card found inside the leaflet available here today. |
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