Wembley have been going through a complete transformation over the past few years, and the job is not complete yet!
Quintain has been working on the redevelopment of Brent’s largest regeneration area around the national stadium, called “Wembley Park”. This 85 acre northwest-London area is part way through its most significant transformation in nearly a century. Wembley Park was first noted as a destination for Londoners in 1894, when Sir Edward Watkin opened it to the public as a leisure destination, just 12 minutes from Baker Street Station on the Metropolitan Line.
When Quintain bought the land in 2002, Brent Council started a long-term and productive partnership. The relationship has coincided with unprecedented financial constraints and severe cuts to public sector funding, but despite this, together with Quintain, we have evolved new ways of working to deliver against shared long-term goals. This vision is shown in the area’s robust placemaking strategy, created to lift the quality of the cultural, social and economic provision in the area.
The physical outputs of the strategy to-date include the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Wembley Arena, now called The SSE Arena, Wembley; the opening of two residential buildings (in 2008 and 2009), which welcomed the site’s first 1,000 residents; the construction of the 4* Hilton, London Wembley in time to host the 2012 Olympic Games; the delivery of significant new public realm including tree-lined boulevards, squares and a new all-weather children’s playpark (where I have had many happy times with my own two young sons!); the relocation of Brent Council’s office to Wembley Park, delivering a multi award-winning civic centre; and the opening of the LDO, bringing 50 outlet stores, 20 restaurants and the area’s first cinema in 30 years!
Also, there has been equal number of social outputs in the area, which to-date includes the creation of over 1,000 jobs at LDO, as well as bringing 3,000 professional workers to the area. We have also seen a programme of non-ticketed and local interest events, from markets to fireworks and ice skating for local people; as well as 20 regular activities for local people at The Yellow Pavilion, the site’s community space.Today, Wembley Park has become a new destination for London with a unique combination of attractions. However, the job is not complete yet and more is to come. We have even more ambitious plans for the next phase of our partnership. We aim to continue our placemaking work, providing an exceptional experience to the people who live, work and shop in Wembley, as well as the millions of visitors who come to be entertained here.
