Welcome

On Friday 31 October 2003, Quintain Estates and Development plc – the owners of much of the land surrounding the new National Stadium – submitted a planning application to Brent Council. The application includes plans for thousands of new jobs and homes with improved local facilities and major new areas of safe and welcoming open space.

The application is mainly for ‘outline’ planning permission to establish the principles of such a regeneration. Details such as the exact design of each building will follow later.

Brent Council is now consulting on these plans before making a decision on them in 2004.

This exhibition has therefore been organised by Quintain to present the regeneration proposals so that informed views can be fed back to the Council. It is being held in addition to Brent Council’s own statutory consultation process.

This is your chance to:

All comments should now be made to Brent Council as they consider the application. You can record views by email: wembleypt@brent.gov.uk, which will be copied in full to the Council, or you can write to the Council’s Planning Department directly at:

Wembley Planning Team
London Borough of Brent
Brent House
PO Box 428        
Wembley
Middlesex HA9 6SZ

Contact:
Natalie Grant Information Officer
Telephone 020 8937 2263
Fax 020 8937 5301
Email: wembleypt@brent.gov.uk
www.brent.gov.uk

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 55 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.

This is a very large piece of land, which, is the same size as the area in between Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden

For more information about the company you can visit
www.quintain-estates.com.

The Site

Quintain owns the land shown within the red-line. 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 exploring with the Council how our designs can best integrate
with and be a catalyst for, future development. Various options for the wider Wembley Masterplan Framework Area are with the Council and they will be consulting on these separately.

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 1.5 million visitors to Wembley. The new National Stadium, due to open in 2006, is estimated to bring a further 2.5 million visitors a year to the area.

The proposals displayed here today 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 scheme 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.

The National Stadium

The new National Stadium will be open in 2006, welcoming around 2.5 million visitors a year to Wembley and transforming the local landscape. Its new arch will stand 138 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 Eight Regeneration Principles

1. Deliver sustainable long term regeneration – we will be in Wembley for the long term.

2. Create thousands of new jobs – and put in place schemes to ensure local people benefit.

3. Deliver high quality new homes – to help meet the housing need in Brent.

4. Create high quality new open spaces – to provide safe, welcoming and attractive meeting places and a focus for community events.

5. Deliver new leisure and cultural facilities – including a new cinema and facilities for young people.

6. Keep events coming to Wembley – and allow the area to benefit from its millions of visitors each year.

7. Provide an appropriate setting for the Stadium – so that it fits in with its surroundings.

8. Utilise top quality design – the Application is designed by the world-renowned Richard Rogers Partnership.

What You Told Us

In June 2003, we held our first public exhibition setting out the regeneration principles, together with basic details of the scheme. In September 2003 our second exhibition set out more details of the emerging plans together with the first sketch images of the development.

We also visited local groups, meetings and events and made the information available on the internet, in local libraries and at places of worship. In total over 3,800 people took part in the pre-application consultation process.

The key comments and issues arising from this process were:

• Clear support for our regeneration principles and for our vision. 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 the regeneration and gain access to the new jobs, new homes and new facilities. Knock-on benefits for local businesses and which help improve Wembley High Road were also seen as important.
• The social infrastructure such as health, education and cultural facilities must be improved as the regeneration progresses.
• Parking and transport arrangements must be managed correctly. The improvement of public transport facilities in the area was felt to be crucial.
• Strong support for providing large amounts of open space.
• A desire to see more detailed plans, such as a model. We hope the information here is helpful and addresses these issues. Now is the time to give your comments and views to the Council, before they decide whether or not to grant permission.

The Proposal

An ‘outline’ planning application to deliver thousands of jobs and homes with massively improved local facilities, bringing £150 million extra each year into the local economy.

6,100 jobs
• Offering long-term employment to local people.
• These are in addition to the 1,600 construction jobs created.
• Currently the site provides the equivalent of only 690 full-time jobs.

Homes for 8,500 people & 40% affordable housing
• Upto 3,727 new homes providing a range of studios and 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments at first floor level and above, around a series of residential courtyards.
• 40% affordable housing, the details of which will be agreed as part of the planning process.
• Student accommodation for 554 students, 90 nursing care bed spaces and 20 bed spaces for people with special needs.

Wembley Park Boulevard
• As wide as Regent Street, with a range of restaurants, cafés, bars, leisure facilities and shops opening out onto tree lined pavements.
• This will be pedestrianised and closed to through traffic, apart from taxis, cyclists and buses – the first time public transport has penetrated the heart of this site.

Arena Square
• Comparable in size to Leicester Square with the feel of Covent Garden and providing a spectacular setting for the refurbished Arena.
• A focal point for open-air performance arts to complement the Arena.

Stadium Piazza
• The area immediately surrounding the new National Stadium.
• Providing more public space with cafés, bars and community uses.

A new cinema and other leisure facilities
• 147,000 square feet (13,700 square metres) for new leisure facilities.
• Focused in a major new facility for Brent and London, including a new multiplex cinema with other facilities such as ten pin bowling, bingo, a climbing wall and a nightclub.

New shops – local shops, sports retailing and designer outlets
• 153,000 square feet (14,200 square metres) for designer outlets.
• 127,000 square feet (11,800 square metres) for sports retailing.
• 86,000 square feet (8,000 square metres) for stores for the local community living and working on the site.
• These will reflect the diversity of the local population and draw more shoppers into Wembley.

New restaurants, cafés and bars
• Covering 137,000 square feet (12,700 square metres).
• Providing a range of quality and value eating and drinking with a wide choice to suit different tastes and cultures.

New community facilities
• 88,000 square feet (8,200 square metres) of space for community facilities.
• These could include crèches and nurseries, health provision and doctors’ surgeries, and space for arts, sports and cultural activities.

A new future for Wembley Arena
• Over £20 million to refurbish and update Wembley Arena – Europe’s most successful arena hosting 140 events this year – restoring the splendour of its original architecture.
• A spectacular new entrance for the building onto Arena Square.

New offices and workspace
• 678,000 square feet (63,000 square metres) of office space.
• To attract a range of small companies and large businesses alike, particularly in growing sectors such as business services and the creative industries.

A new hotel
• A new flagship 400 bedroom, international standard hotel.
• Providing active frontages to both Stadium Piazza and Arena Square. .

Design

We plan pedestrian-friendly, secure and lively open spaces in a place where people will want to live, work, meet, socialise and relax.

Significant amounts of the site will be open space and in only two places are buildings any taller than the roof of the Stadium, and never as high as the arch above the Stadium. The general form of the proposed buildings is 8-14 storeys.
Parking will be away from view by making use of good design and the various different levels on the site to ‘hide’ the vehicles. Residential parking will be provided at less than one space per apartment to reflect the excellent public transport infrastructure and the low level of expected car ownership. Visitor and public parking will be charged. All parking will be actively managed to ensure appropriate use.

The whole site will be kept clean, safe and welcoming at all times. Quintain will encourage events and performances in the public spaces to bring the feel and vibrancy of Covent Garden. It is estimated some eight million people a year will visit the Stadium, Arena, shops and facilities at Wembley, spending their money in the local economy.
This is a ten to twelve year regeneration programme. By the time the new Stadium opens and subject to planning permission, Quintain want to have already created Arena Square and much of Stadium Piazza, refurbished Wembley Arena, delivered the parking for the National Stadium and started work on the hotel

Transport

We recognise that getting the transport solution right is of fundamental importance. This must be a sustainable development and 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. Improvements are scheduled both as a result of the new National Stadium and the wider investment now going into the public transport network.

• Providing homes and offices with a mix of uses in one place reduces the need to travel away from Wembley as new facilities will be provided locally.

• The mix of uses ensures a mix of residents, workers and visitors, allowing a more even pattern of both inbound and outbound journeys during peak periods.

• Pedestrian and cycle connections will be substantially improved within the site and to surrounding locations including Wembley High Road.

• A strategy for delivering improvements to local bus services has been developed and busses will pass through the heart of the site for the first time.

• Improvements will be delivered at key road junctions and local traffic signals will be co-ordinated to create better traffic management arrangements.

• Residential car parking will be provided at less than one space per apartment in line with national and regional policy. This reflects the low level of car ownership and use expected on the site. All parking will be actively managed to ensure appropriate use. Visitor and public parking will be charged.

• A ‘travel plan’ will be implemented 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. Traffic management, parking and signage strategies have are being developed in liaison with Brent Council, Transport for London, the owners of the new National Stadium and the Police.

Summary

• Quintain own much of the land surrounding – but not including – the new National Stadium.
• We submitted a planning application to Brent Council on 31 October 2003 and the Council are now consulting before making a decision next year.
• The application is mainly be for ‘outline’ planning permission to establish the principles of such a regeneration. Details such as the exact design of each building will follow later.
• We plan to transform the area by creating thousands of job opportunities and homes, with massively improved local facilities.
• In presenting these 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:

- 6,100 jobs
- £150 million extra each year into the local economy
- 3,700 new homes for some 8,000 people
- Student accommodation and nursing-care provision
- 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
- New 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.
• You can let us have your comments on these plans today or you can write to the Council with your views.
• For more information please contact Anne Clements at Quintain on
020 7629 8713 or email Wembley@quintain-estates.com