A new image for the North CircularFramework for change

Produced by the Policy and Regeneration Unit – Brent Council – regeneration@brent.gov.uk

Photography by Nadia Attura and Isabelle Plasschaert

Designed by Brent Design Unit – design@brent.gov.uk

www.brent.gov.uk

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Introduct ion 7

A vis ionary approach 9

Object ives 12

Creating a qual i ty phys ical environment 16

- Unisys / Br idge Park 18

- Northf ie lds Industr ia l Estate 20

- Brentf ie ld and St Raphael ’s Estate 22

Implementing a comprehensive open space pol icy 26

Re-connect ing communit ies through better transport 28

Promoting economic and social renewal 30

Moving forward 32

North Circular Road and surrounds 33

Foreword 5Contents

I am delighted to introduce this major newregeneration initiative for Brent.

Regeneration is about finding ways of makinglong term, positive change. The council has astrong history of successful regenerationprogrammes. We aim to make the NorthCircular Road regeneration initiative our nextbig achievement.

The North Circular Road regeneration initiativepresents its own unique challenges. Unlikemany of our past regeneration schemes thereis no obvious ‘site boundary’ and no singleestate which requires rebuilding. Rather, theregeneration areas are defined by theirrelationship to the North Circular Road, landownership is fragmented, and developmentvalues low. The need for a step change in thequality of the residential environment is acute.

The success of the North Circular Roadprogramme will depend on us setting a clearand ambitious vision for what we want toachieve over the long term – 20 or 30 years –and then finding imaginative ways to createand exploit opportunities to deliver this vision

in a piecemeal, step by step way. We will needto retain our commitment to the overall vision,but be flexible enough to adapt to changingcircumstances.

The delivery of the North Circular Roadregeneration programme is likely to take manyyears and require the input of a wide range ofstakeholders. Throughout this time it is crucialthat an open and transparent dialogue ismaintained with local communities. BrentCouncil will provide clear leadership to theprogramme, whilst recognising that the overalldirection of the programme needs to beshaped by regular and ongoing communityconsultation and engagement.

This document is a key part of that process – itsets out our initial thoughts and ideas, and Iwould very much welcome your comments and contributions.

Please send your ideas and comments to:

Melissa Clarkmelissa.clark@brent.gov.uk

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Foreword

Councillor John DetreLead Member forRegeneration

This document sets out Brent Council’s initial ideas forimprovements to the North Circular Road Regeneration Area.These ideas seek to both address the negative impacts of theNorth Circular Road and to exploit the many opportunitiespresented across the area.

Positive steps towards change to the environmental, social andeconomic conditions have already been made throughinvestment in neighbourhood renewal programmes in areasadjacent to the North Circular Road – St Raphael's, Brentfield,Mitchelbrook and Stonebridge have all benefited. Brent in2workcontinue to provide intensive employment programmes to helplocal people secure work and increase their incomes.

Any physical regeneration undertaken in this area will buildupon the economic and social work already done.

Historically, local people have been central to all of theregeneration programmes in the area. The success of the North Circular Road initiative will very much depend on localpeople remaining integral to the development and delivery of this vision.

The North Circular Road splitsBrent into two – dividing thelargely suburban communitiesin the north of the boroughfrom the denser inner-Londonenvironment found in the south.

The six lane road, whichcarries transit traffic east-westthrough the borough – fromHanger Lane to Staples Corner– is a formidable barrier forthe residents of the area.

One hundred thousandvehicles a day already passthrough Brent on the NorthCircular Road. As London’sgrowth fuels increased trafficflow through the area,environmental and healthconcerns are becoming evenmore apparent.

The entire area is adesignated Air QualityManagement Area, with localcommunities experiencinghigh incidences of respiratoryproblems. Noise pollution toois well above comfort levelsfor local residents.

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Introduct ion

Wembley Stadium

Historically, local people have been central to all of the regeneration

programmes in the area.

Imagination and ambition are required to build a new vision forthe North Circular Road corridor. Market forces alone areunlikely to deliver the scale of regeneration necessary to make astep change in the life quality of the area. Intervention andinput from all possible stakeholders, from public to private, andfrom the local community to global investors is required tomake a distinct and sustainable impact.

Quite simply, our vision is to transform the North Circular RoadRegeneration Area. We recognise that this will be anincremental process and that there will be many challengesalong the way. Underpinning our vision are four key outcomesthat we want to achieve for this area:

� countering the negative environmental impacts of theNorth Circular Road by turning the Brent section intothe ‘greenest’ stretch of highway in London

� the creation of a series of distinct places within theregeneration area, and for the North Circular Road to connect these places rather than simply pass throughanonymous suburban areas

� the creation of a significantly improved environment forlocal communities – with less pollution, more green space, improved connectivity and bettercommunity facilities

� the showcasing of the borough’s key attractions – many of which sit adjacent to the NorthCircular Road –improving their visibility and accessibility for visitors andlocal communities alike. These key attractions include:Wembley, Welsh Harp, IKEA, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir,Ace Café and, just outside of the Borough, the BrentCross regeneration area.

We want the North CircularRoad to connect distinct

places rather than simply passthrough anonymous areas.

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A vis ionary approach

9Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

ACE Café

Object ives

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Delivering change within the North Circular RoadRegeneration Area will be challenging. On the face of it thereare a number of constraints to major regeneration –fragmented land ownership, low development values and poortransport links among them. We have to recognise that theNorth Circular Road serves a wider regional function and therewill be times when there will be tensions between meetingthe needs of local communities, the needs of the borough andthe needs of London as a whole.

This document attempts to create a framework that allstakeholders can sign up to. It sets the parameters for the long term and incremental regeneration of the NorthCircular Road Regeneration Area. It also identifies some initialideas for projects that will contribute towards thatregeneration. Our success will depend on the council, itspartners and local communities identifying and exploitingopportunities for change, and maintaining an ongoingdialogue and debate as to the detailed nature of that change.

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1. To improve the quality of the physical environmentalong the length of the North Circular Road fromHanger Lane to Staples Corner. Specifically:

� promote a comprehensive development scheme at theUnisys/Bridge Park site that is to be defined by landmarkarchitecture and impeccable green credentials

� support a comprehensive development scheme for theNorthfields Industrial Estate, linking directly with the proposednew growth area further along the canal at Alperton

� transform the Brentfield and St Raphael’s Estates, which sufferthe worst environmental degradation as a result of proximityto the North Circular Road

� ensure links between the North Circular Road programme and the adjacent Brent Cross / Cricklewoodregeneration scheme.

2. Develop a radical open space strategy for the area,linking local communities to existing and potential newopen spaces.

3. Provide a comprehensive package of transportimprovements including enhanced stations, betterconnectivity and improved junctions along the NorthCircular Road itself.

4. Continue to promote economic and social regenerationin the area, ensuring that local residents have access toimproved local services and a greatly enhanced qualityof life.

Our ambition is for long term andincremental regeneration of the

North Circular Road Regeneration Area.

Brent River Park

The key delivery objectives for the North Circular Road Regeneration programmes are:

A number of specificopportunities exist to improvethe quality of the physicalenvironment along the Brentsection of the North CircularRoad. These include:

� Unisys / Bridge Park

� Northfields Industrial Estate

� Brentfield Estate

� St Raphael’s Estate

� Park Royal – Abbey Roadand Twyford Tip

� Wembley Point.

In addition, the LondonBorough of Barnet is currentlybringing forward large scale

regeneration proposals forBrent Cross and Cricklewood,immediately adjacent to theBrent section of the NorthCircular Road.

This document focuses on maximising thoseopportunities which mayrequire a degree of publicsector intervention in order to bring them forward. Over the lifetime of theregeneration programme it is likely that otheropportunity sites will also beidentified and developed tocontribute to the overallregeneration outcomes.

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Objective 1To improve the quality of the physical environment

14 Welsh Harp

Welsh Harp

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This 2.8 hectare site sits at the junction of the North Circularand Harrow Road. The site comprises of two empty officebuildings (previously occupied by Unisys), Brent Council’s BridgePark complex (which includes a range of sports, leisure,conference and business facilities), and a small scrap business.

A comprehensive redevelopment of the site is likely to presentthe best regeneration potential.

The site will need to deliver a new community sports facility, toreplace the existing Bridge Park complex, and could alsoaccommodate a mixed use development incorporatingresidential, office and hotel uses. There is scope to consider thesuitability of the site for decant residential units, in associationwith any proposals to improve parts of the St Raphael’s andBrentfield estates.

The site has scope to make a significant contribution toimproving the transport, severance and connectivity challengesby providing improved links across the North Circular Road toStonebridge Park tube station and the proposed Wembley ParkRoyal ‘fast bus’ connection.

By virtue of its prominent location, there is a real opportunityfor this site to set a strong precedent for the remainder of theregeneration area through the use of iconic architecture andenviron-mentally sensitive design. Any development of the siteshould complement the potential new development of theWembley Point site opposite.

Comprehensive delivery of the site is likely to require either siteassembly or a joint venture partnership arrangement, both ofwhich will be considered by the council.

1aUnisys / Stonebridge Park

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By virtue of its prominent location, there isan opportunity for the site to make a boldstatement with its use of architecture and

environmentally sensitive design.

Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre

The Northfields Industrial Estate consists of 8.5 hectares of low grade employment and warehouse use, much of which isvacant. The site stretches north westwards from StonebridgePark Station, and is severed from the bulk of the adjoiningPark Royal Industrial Estate by the North Circular Road. The estate is predominately within the ownership of Brixton Estates.

Northfields is primarily an employment site, and futuredevelopment proposals will need to demonstrate how thesite’s employment potential can be maximised. Nevertheless,there may be scope for a more mixed use development,particularly in the areas adjacent to the Grand Union Canal,running up towards Alperton.

The canal itself is significantly under-utilised, and provides a real opportunity to establish a whole new identity for the localcommunity. Mixed use waterside communities, affordableworkspaces and an enhanced public realm, incorporating greenlinks, will all be promoted. There is a real opportunity here tomake a contribution to the greening of the North Circular RoadRegeneration Area.

1bNorthfields Industrial Estate

Diners at the Ace Café

The canal itself is significantly under-utilised, and provides

a real opportunity to establish a whole new identity for the local

community.

18 19Grand Union Canal

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The Brentfield and St Raphael’s Estates are large residentialareas that straddle adjacent sides of the North Circular Road.Brentfield Estate lies to the south, while St Raphael’s Estate issituated north of the road. The character of the estates is quitedifferent – Brentfield comprising largely semi-detached andterraced properties with large rear gardens, whilst St Raphael's is largely made up of flats and maisonettes.

Originally built as social housing estates, both are now mixedtenure, with significant numbers of residents invoking the ‘rightto buy’. The major exceptions to this are the properties thatimmediately front the North Circular Road, which remainpredominantly in council ownership.

Socio-economic conditions on the estates are improving butremain below average, with low income and employment levels.Health issues are of particular concern. Respiratory problems inthe area are notably high, almost certainly as a consequence ofthe close proximity to the North Circular Road. Ongoing surveysshow a persistently low satisfaction rate amongst the residentsregarding their environment.

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1cBrentfield and St Raphael’s Estates

An opportunity exists to rethink theBrentfield and St Raphael’s Estates.

Harmony Centre

Residents watching the Tri-Unity Festival parade

An opportunity exists to re-think the Brentfield and St Raphael’s Estates. Ideas for regeneration include:

� comprehensive regeneration of the estates, including re-provision of the majority of residential properties. Thisoption would be long term, and challenging to deliver giventhe mixed tenure nature of the estates

� removal of those properties most adversely affected by theNorth Circular Road, and their replacement with a ‘greenbuffer zone’ corridor designed to mitigate noise and airpollution for the remaining residents

� creating a stronger ‘sense of place’ for these areas, and inparticular finding ways of establishing a community heart,incorporating services and facilities for local residents

� improved connectivity between the estates and the widerareas, building on the ‘Walking Links’ work undertaken inrecent years, including better pedestrian links across the NorthCircular Road and better links to public transport nodes

� enhancing the quality of open space within the estates –including exploring suggestions such as green bridges linkingthe proposed new buffer zones with Brent River Park, and anew parkland setting for the Shri Swaminarayan temple

� a new North Circular Road junction at IKEA, which will reduceisolation on the estates, make a significant contribution toimproving air quality and negate the need for ‘rat running’ bycars through St Raphael’s in particular.

We want to create a stronger ‘sense ofplace’ for these communities.

Our ambition is to improve the connectivitybetween the estates and the wider area.

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Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Skate park at Brent River Park

Ideas for regeneration thatwould contribute to thisnetwork include:

� improved access to theWelsh Harp, in a way whichboth promotes greater useand reduces the potentialfor anti-social behaviour

� re-invigorated local parksincorporating improvedsporting and play facilities,and creating spaces wherepeople of all ages cangather to socialise and reflect

� a new, publicly accessible,parkland setting for the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

� a new ‘green buffer’running adjacent to theNorth Circular Road,providing mitigation for airand noise pollution andpotentially scope for cycleand pedestrian routes

� new ‘green bridges’traversing the North CircularRoad, improving connectivitybetween communities –specifically in the vicinity ofthe St Raphael’s andBrentfield estates

� opening up the GrandUnion Canal by providingimproved pedestrian andcycle access andconnectivity, and promotingmixed use developmentsalong its length that provideactivity and character

� build on the recentimprovements to the BrentRiver Park by extending thepedestrian and cyclenetwork from the park, bothalong Wealdstone Brook toWembley Park Station andalso to the Welsh Harp.

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Object ive 2Develop a comprehensive open space strategy for the area

Local people place a particularlystrong premium on high quality

open space.

The North Circular Road already links a number of importantopen spaces – from the Welsh Harp to the Brent River Parkadjacent to the St Raphael’s Estate. Local people place aparticularly strong premium on high quality open space. There isalso real scope to explore how open space and environmentalmeasures can be used imaginatively to help mitigate air andnoise pollution associated with the North Circular Road. The vision is for a new ‘green network’ of high quality,accessible and usable open spaces.

A critical component of theNorth Circular Roadregeneration initiative is theneed to make a step changein the quality of localtransport connections. Thisstretch of the North CircularRoad acts as a physical dividebetween communities. Theroad itself is congested formuch of the day, and inparticular on Wembley eventdays and during peakshopping times at IKEA.

The area is poorly served bypublic transport. Pedestrianroutes are convoluted due toheavy traffic and poorjunction crossings. This resultsin problems of isolation,severance and poor access toessential services for localresidents.

Poor transport connectionsalso severely hindersdevelopment potential,contributing to low propertyvalues.

The North Circular Roadregeneration initiative providesa real opportunity to addressthis situation. In order toachieve improved transportlinks, strong collaborativepartnerships need to beestablished with Transport forLondon, London Buses, anddevelopers at key destinationswithin the regeneration area.

A good start has been made –the successful Walking Linksproject has already takensteps to improve keypedestrian routes in the areaand provides a strongfoundation for ongoingpartnership working on alarger scale.

New initiatives could include:

� station improvements,including furtherimprovement works to bothNeasden and StonebridgePark stations, and a newpublic transport interchangeat Stonebridge Park toconnect with the proposedWembley – Park Royal ‘fast bus’

� Wembley – Park Royal ‘fastbus’, which will stop atStonebridge Park and willprovide direct connectionsfor local people to theemployment opportunitiesand new facilities at bothWembley and Park Royal

� junction improvements onthe North Circular Road,most specifically at the IKEAjunction which is the only‘at grade’ junction alongthis stretch of the NorthCircular Road, despite beingthe main access point forWembley Stadium andWembley City

� New and safe pedestrianroutes providing improvedaccess to local facilities andamenities. Of particularimportance are routeslinking both established andnew communities withStonebridge Park andNeasden stations, as well asenhanced routes from thestations to attractions suchas IKEA and the ShriSwaminarayan Mandir. Allpedestrian routes should bedirect, well sign-posted, safefrom crime and physicallyattractive

� ‘green bridges’ across theNorth Circular Road thatreduce severance, improveconnectivity and providenew access to openparklands for residents and visitors

� Enhanced signage forvehicle access from theNorth Circular Road toimprove legibility and accessto the main attractionsadjacent to the NorthCircular Road, including:Wembley Stadium and City,Shri Swaminarayan Mandir,Welsh Harp, IKEA, Tescoand the Ace Café.

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Object ive 3Provide a comprehensive package of transport improvements

Poor transport connections severely hinders development potential, contributing

to low property values.

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Object ive 4Continue to promote economic and social regenerat ion

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The residential communities adjacent to the North Circular Roadare amongst the most deprived in West London. Employmentrates, qualification levels and average incomes are lower, whilstcrime rates are higher and health levels poorer.

Many of the individual areas are designated as priorityneighbourhoods in Brent’s Regeneration Strategy. St Raphael’s,Brentfield, Mitchelbrook, Stonebridge and Church End have allbeen the subject of a series of neighbourhood renewalinterventions over the last five years and there have been somenotable success stories. Re-assurance policing and enhancedwarden services have contributed to a significant reduction inthe fear of crime. Mitchelbrook school has been transformedinto a top 20 per cent performing primary school, and manylocal people have been supported into employment as a directresult of intensive local employment programmes.

The neighbourhood renewal programmes have provided afoundation for further improvement. It is critical that as thephysical changes are implemented, the social and economicimpacts are also maximised.

Regeneration interventions could include:

� maximising the employment potential of new developmentsites, in particular those in the Park Royal and NorthfieldsIndustrial Estates

� providing bespoke employment and training packagesthrough Brentin2work to help local people access these jobs

� intensive local outreach programmes to identify those peoplewho are eligible for work and who want to work, coupledwith effective job preparation programmes

� clear proposals for improved community, sports, educationand health facilities across the regeneration area

� new pedestrian and public transport routes to make it easierfor local people to physically access new jobs, education andhealth facilities.

It is critical that as the physical changes are implemented, the social and

economic impacts are also maximised.

The North Circular RoadRegeneration Area provides anexciting opportunity forchange, with the potential toimprove the quality of theenvironment and lifeopportunities for all residents.The task requires an over-arching framework and acommitment to change by allpartners over the long-term.

Specifically, Brent Councilcommits to:

� providing ongoingleadership for the NorthCircular Road initiative

� continue to promoteimprovements to publictransport, walking andcycling infrastructure in orderto connect this area to theGreater London community.We see this as being pivotalto unlocking the area tomarket investment and inreducing the isolation oflocal communities

� working in partnership withthe local community,developers, the Government,the Mayor of London, theGreater London Authority,Design for London, LondonDevelopment Agency,Transport for London, WestLondon and neighbouringboroughs to help deliver theNorth Circular Road regeneration vision

� investing council and otherresources into a multi-disciplinary project teamable to drive forwardregeneration in line with the ambitions set out in thisdocument. Encompassingregeneration, planning,housing, communication,consultation and propertyspecialists, the team willprovide an holistic servicefor all development partners

� being pragmatic and open-minded in our approach tonew developmentproposals, in order toensure the best possiblesolutions for the people ofLondon and Brent

� deliver a co-ordinatedapproach to regeneration by considering the role ofthe North Circular RoadRegeneration Area in thecontext of the widerdevelopment plan for Brent

� provide civic leadership byensuring forums for debateand consultation with localresidents and businesses toensure that they are fullparticipants in, andbeneficiaries of, theregeneration programme

� secure the best possiblefunding packages to deliverthis vision. Brent already hasan impressive track recordof attracting funding andwe will use this expertise todeliver further resources intothe area.

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Tokyngton Recreation Ground

Wembley Stadium

Brent River Park

Wembley Point

Stonebridge Park Station

Northfields Industrial Estate

Shri Swaminarayan Temple

IKEA junction

Neasden Station

Neasden town centre

St Raphael’s Estate

Brentfield Estate

Unisys / Bridge Park

Grand Union Canal

Welsh Harp

Brent Cross

Park Royal Industrial Estate

IKEATesco

Staples Corner

Wembley Park Station

Welsh Harp

Brent borough boundary

North Circular Road

Canals / rivers / reservoir

Green / open space

Industrial / commercial

Mixed use

Residential

Retail

Town centre

Railway

North Circular Roadand surrounds

Moving forward