Plot NW04, Wembley Park, Public Consultation Summary

Plot NW04, Wembley Park, Public Consultation Summary

The reserved matters application seeks approval for the detailed design of a new building ranging from 2 to 17 storeys in height providing a 358-bed hotel with ground floor shops and restaurants. A key element of the proposal is also the provision of new public spaces including a Civic Square.

Public Consultation

Prior to submission of the reserved matters application, the following public consultation was carried out:

• An in-person presentation with Question and Answer session to the residents of Landsby, the residential building located immediately to the north of Plot NW04;
• An online consultation for the public to review in their own time and submit comments; and
• A presentation to the Brent Disability Forum.

This public consultation helped inform and shape the detailed design of the building and the public realm, including the new Civic Square. The main comments received have been summarised below along with our response:

Scale and Height of the Proposed Building

Public Comment: The proposed height and size of the building is excessive causing overshadowing and loss of daylight/sunlight, reducing quality of life. The scale and massing are incompatible with local character.

Quintain’s Response: The maximum height and size of Plot NW04 was approved under the outline planning permission. When the outline permission was approved, matters such as overshadowing, sunlight/daylight and residential amenity were fully considered within an Environmental Statement and found to be acceptable. An updated sunlight/daylight study has also been submitted with this application which demonstrates that the proposals are fully compliant with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) guidelines.

Whilst the outline planning permission permits a building up to 20 storeys in height, following the public consultation, it was decided to reduce the height of the building to 17 storeys. This reduced height means the proposed hotel will be comparable to the nearby buildings such as Unite (19 storeys), Landsby (17 storeys) and Marathon House (14 storeys).

As part of the detailed design, and to address concerns over loss of open space, it was also decided to remove the smaller two storey pavilion building in order to increase the size of the proposed new Civic Square and provide a better relationship with Olympic Way.

Overlooking and Residential Amenity

Public Comment: The proposed building is located too close to Landsby and will impact upon views and privacy.

Quintain Response: The outline planning permission permits NW04 to be located a minimum of 12 metres from Landsby, which is located to the north of the site. However, in developing the detailed design of the building, and listening to feedback from local residents, the building has been moved further away from Landsby, with a separation distance of 13.5m at ground floor level and 14.5 metres on the upper floors.

These distances are similar to, and in some instances greater than, other window-to-window distances between buildings elsewhere in Wembley Park. We have also designed the building to reduce overlooking. Only two window openings on the northern façade of the hotel will face towards Landsby on this side of the building. Finally, in addition, it is likely that the hotel windows will have some form of privacy screens or curtains to further reduce direct overlooking and this can be secured via a planning condition should planning permission be granted.

Loss of Community & Cultural Spaces

Public Comment: Market Square and Samovar Space are important event spaces for celebrations (Diwali, Christmas), markets and family recreation. Their removal will erode community cohesion and cultural vibrancy.

Quintain’s Response: Rather than hoarding off future development sites and not allowing any public access, wherever possible, Quintain has always sought to deliver beneficial temporary spaces in Wembley Park that enable short-term community use until we are ready to bring land forward for development.

Market Square was delivered by Quintain in 2014, and Samovar Space was completed in 2021. We are very pleased these spaces have proved to be popular with the community over the past few years, however they were always intended to be temporary ‘meanwhile’ spaces until this site (Plot NW04) was ready to be developed.

The outline planning permission for this site does however require the delivery of a large permanent public square adjacent to Engineers Way. Taking on board the public comments received, the size of this new Civic Square will now be approximately 50% larger than originally planned under the outline planning permission. It has also been designed as a single combined space making it more flexible for events, markets and community activities. Furthermore, community use of both the Civic Square and the hotel meeting rooms will be secured through a legal agreement with the Council.

Together with nearby spaces also provided by Quintain such as Arena Square, Elvin Gardens and Union Park, it is expected that the new Civic Square will become another popular and well-used public space in Wembley Park.

Overdevelopment and Density

Public Comment: The development of Plot NW04 will lead to increased density and congestion, and worsening livability.

Quintain Response: For over 20 years, Wembley Park has been identified as one of London’s largest growth and opportunity areas by the Mayor of London (GLA) and Brent Council. This means it is a place where new homes, shops, offices and other buildings are expected to be developed. As a result of this designation, Wembley Park has grown into a lively, high density, sustainable residential and commercial neighbourhood, however more than half of Quintain’s masterplan is made up of public or private open space with very generous spaces and wide streets provided between the buildings.

Plot NW04 is located in Wembley town centre where larger-scale commercial uses such as shops, restaurants and hotels are encouraged as these not only support the local economy but add to the areas vibrancy and vitality.

The proposed development is also designed to be ‘car free’ meaning there will be very little additional traffic created by the new building.

Brent Local Plan

Public Comment: The proposals conflict with the Brent Local Plan and would set a precedent regarding the loss of amenity space and overdevelopment.

Quintain Response: The Plot NW04 site is allocated for hotel development within the Brent Local Plan under Site Allocation reference BCSA16.

Both Market Square and Samovar Space are temporary, meanwhile spaces however they will be replaced by the permanent Civic Square.

Therefore, if approved, the proposals will not set a precedent within Wembley Park (or the wider borough of Brent).

Wembley Stadium Events

Public Comment: On stadium event days, the proposed new building would add to the hemmed-in atmosphere, raising increased safety concerns.

Quintain Response: Pedestrian movement on event days has been carefully considered. As part of the planning permission for the Olympic Steps development, crowd flow modelling was undertaken and an Operational Management Plan was agreed with Wembley Stadium. This work demonstrated that pedestrian safety on event days would not be adversely impacted by the development of Plot NW04.

The design of this proposal allows clear and generous routes through the new public realm created which will be sufficient to accommodate the event day crowds. Updated crowd flow modelling has also been carried out for the current hotel plans and this information is submitted with the reserved matters application. This again confirms the development would not create any additional safety risks.

Hotel Demand:

Public Comment: There is no demand for a new hotel in Wembley with the existing hotels operating below capacity except on major event days.

Quintain Response: During the preparation of the application, we have taken market advice from hotel operators and advisors who have indicated that, given the increasing number and frequency of events at Wembley, there is forecast to be increased demand for hotel rooms in the local area, both on event and non-event days. Further, the location of Plot NW04 close to Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena, Brent Civic Centre and the London Designer Outlet makes the site particularly attractive to many hotel operators.

Construction Impact

Public Comment: The construction period will cause noise, disruption, and accessibility issues.

Quintain Response: The construction of the hotel will be undertaken in accordance with industry best practice and the Considerate Contractors Code ensuring disruption to the community, stadium events and the area more generally is minimised. Whilst inevitably there will be some disruption during the construction period, the developer will be required to submit a construction management plan to the Council for approval and will hold regular community updates and liaison meetings to inform residents and local business of the construction work and listen to any concerns these groups may have.