A North London council has revealed plans for a £10.5 million makeover of one of its town centres as it prepares for thousands of new people moving to the area. The changes include an ‘urban food court’, a ‘lighthouse’ pavilion, and permanent street market, as well as ‘pocket forests’ and more security measures to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.
As part of an application to the Mayor of London’s Civic Partnership Programme – which provides funding for regeneration projects in the capital – Brent Council has laid out plans to transform Neasden town centre into a ‘thriving neighbourhood’. South of the town centre, Neasden Stations Growth Area (NSGA) is currently being regenerated and, when finished, is expected to deliver more than 2,000 new homes and work spaces.
The council is also identifying sites across the town centre which would be suitable for housing developments and has tabled plans for new infrastructure in the area to cater for new residents. On Tuesday evening (January 14), Brent Council’s Cabinet will decide on whether to move ahead with the £10.5m changes, which will be funded using £7.4m of Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (SCIL) and a further £3.1m from the Greater London Assembly (GLA).
Brent Council has revealed plans for a £10.5m makeover of Neasden Town Centre
(Image: Brent Council)
The plans outline a three-phased approach, with short, mid, and long-term goals to deliver the infrastructure projects designed to ‘improve connectivity, accessibility, safety, community cohesion and to tackle the climate emergency’.
Brent Council Leader, Cllr Muhammed Butt, said: “Brent Council is unashamedly pro-growth, and alongside other councils we’ve also continued to call for the infrastructure necessary for the West London Orbital railway to stop at Neasden. But as with any change, we must ensure our diverse residents, businesses and communities can participate and share in the benefits of growth. Young people in particular need more support.”
He added: “Gang activities remain troublingly prevalent in the Neasden area and have impacted residents for far too long. Initiatives that can help young people engage and connect to better opportunities will be fundamental to a brighter future for all of our communities. Where we put back pride in an entire neighbourhood, we hope only good things can follow.”
Below is a breakdown of some of the key changes residents can expect to see if the plans are approved.
‘The Ritz urban rooms and kitchen’
‘The Ritz’ would provide a new multicultural food court and training kitchens on the ground floor, with workspaces, a gym, therapy rooms and podcast studios on the upper floors
(Image: Brent Council)
Using currently underused space in the town centre, The Ritz is set to provide a new multicultural food court and training kitchens on the ground floor, with workspaces, a gym, therapy rooms and podcast studios on the upper floors. Longer-term, the council is also looking at the possibility of using the roof to either host a small garden with beehives or a place for outdoor yoga during the warmer months.
On the ground floor, the premises would house the Chatty Café, which would provide sessions to address social isolation alongside a meeting place for new residents, as well as a community kitchen offering cooking lessons and space for local entrepreneurs to begin food-related businesses.
On the upper floors, the gym and exercise studios will offer female-only sessions, and a recording and podcast studio will be available to hire out for skills and training by young people, professionals, and local groups such as Chalk Hill Radio Station. There will be work spaces available for local businesses or individuals, alongside hireable therapy rooms for independent beauty businesses.
Further community space would be available for skills and training workshops used by local groups, as well as a community garden where residents can get horticultural training and education on gardening and urban greening.
Lighthouse pavilion
Early designs for the Lighthouse pavilion
(Image: Brent Council)
The Lighthouse is a structure designed to be a demountable, multi-functioned beacon to ‘celebrate community and culture’. Set to be built within the town centre car park, the tall, brightly coloured building is expected to be an ‘identifiable landmark and gateway for Neasden town centre’.
Strictly for fun and community building, the space is designed for a programme of ’round-the-clock activities’ where people can meet, socialise and celebrate. The intention for the building is to test ways in which to use the high street in a different way to create a more diverse range of businesses and activities.
Expected to act as a ‘signage beacon’, it will provide a central hub for Neasden Festival, as well as marking the entrance to the highway, whilst also aiding orientation and wayfinding in the town centre. It will provide a performance and exhibition space where different activities can take place, including plays, concerts, and other cultural events. Its public balcony could also be used to provide space for artists to perform when the car park is closed to vehicles.
As it’s demountable, the structure has the potential to be relocated to other parts of the borough, which the council claims could act ‘as a catalyst for growth’ in those areas. The car park site is owned by the council and earmarked for future housing.
A new market
The council believes that a regular market can draw footfall to the area, whilst boosting local spend in the neighbouring shops
(Image: Brent Council)
The idea of Neasden as a market destination came up several times during the consultation process, according to the council. There have been previous attempts to host a temporary market in this area, ultimately none of which went ahead.
The council believes that a regular market can draw footfall to the area, whilst boosting local spend in the neighbouring shops. It feels that specialist markets, such as art and craft, vintage clothing, and food markets have a wide appeal and could help drive people to the town.
Council documents reveal plans for murals designed through collaboration with local artists that would act as sign posting for the market. The town centre would be pedestrianised on market days to create a ‘lively, safe, and activated’ town centre.
If approved, power lines would run underground to accessible points on the pavement for market stalls to connect to. The council highlights that the pitches would be provided at affordable rates, with a minimum of 80 per cent of stallholders to be from the borough.
Longer-term proposals
Pocket Forests and Gardens
The council has identified a number of small areas throughout the site where small stands or pockets of trees could be planted
(Image: Brent Council)
The previous infrastructure plans would act as a pilot to determine the success of the project. The council has also outlined a number of longer-term plans, one of which is to incorporate green infrastructure to make Neasden a ‘more climate-resilient neighbourhood’ in the form of ‘pocket forests’ and gardens.
The council has identified a number of small areas throughout the site where small stands or pockets of trees could be planted, with the aim being to reduce the climate-caused heating effect impacting many cities. Locations for gravel gardens have also been identified, including the principal site at the eastern end of the underpass. These earmarked areas are exposed and dry, which the council claims can be ‘re-imagined as dry gardens’, with plants growing in sand and gravel.
Additional places have been identified where hard paving can be removed and retrofitted with green infrastructure. This could be either in the form of rain gardens – a shallow area of ground or dip which receives run-off from roofs and other hard surfaces – or by simply de-paving.
Alongside new green infrastructure, attempts to mitigate air pollution will be made through encouraging more active travel and enhancing bio-diversity. The council expects to achieve this by combining in-ground planting, window boxes, and providing mini-parks to act as ‘islands of green habitat’ that wildlife can use as stepping stones. Greenery will also be planted along the full length of the High Street.
Alleyways and garage spaces
Birse Crescent alleyway has been identified as a ‘high problem area’
(Image: Brent Council)
During the consultation process, the council says that issues related to street drinking and groups of men hanging around were mentioned frequently and contribute to ‘a fear and perception of crime and antisocial behaviour’ in Neasden.
Birse Crescent alleyway has been identified as a ‘high problem area’, with police regularly required to tackle ongoing issues centred around drug crime, gang violence, antisocial behaviour, waste management and fly-tipping. Early initiatives, such as security and lighting, will not solve the issue but will ‘give an uplift’ to a part of the town centre that is ‘increasingly becoming a no-go area’ due to the threat of crime, according to the council.
The council states that it will use ‘natural surveillance, programming, and co-authorship’ to overcome crime. It will activate the garage spaces to increase activity in the area, as well as installing CCTV and other security measures, such as lockable gates.
The Green at The Grange
The open space at The Grange roundabout is designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)
(Image: Brent Council)
The open space at The Grange roundabout is the largest green space in the immediate area and is designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). In the 1980s, the London Wildlife Trust converted part of this roundabout into a nature area but the council feel the site is underutilised and hidden from the town centre because of the dominant and busy highway system.
The nature area includes a pond and wetland plants, wildflower grasslands, screening scrub and mature trees, as well as several flower species that attract pollinators. Although the site is rich in wildlife and protected from the surrounding urban activity, the council believes it would benefit from some upkeep to elevate its role as a small nature reserve.
The council also proposes to re-establish historic routes by realigning it to the original street pattern and improve connections with new wider pedestrian and cycle crossings to enhance safety.
The underpass
A sunken garden landscape would be created near the underpass
(Image: Brent Council)
This project aims to improve the approaches to the underpass, improve greening, and strengthen the linear connection between the two sides of Neasden Lane. This is part of a longer-term subway upgrade that would see the creation of a sunken garden landscaped with sloping garden terraces, planted with mixed grasses and flowering plants. Trees would also be grouped close to the North Circular to act as a screen and noise buffer.
To improve safety, upgrades would be made to the lighting throughout the underpass which would enhance visibility and create a clear, linear route through. Cycle-friendly ramps would also be installed to provide access to the underpass on each side of the North Circular.
Don’t miss out on the biggest stories from across the city: Sign up to MyLondon’s The 12 HERE for the 12 biggest stories each day.