Wembley

Press Releases

Events to Stay in Wembley as New Pavilion Given go Ahead to Open in 2005
Mayor of London Gives Green Light to Wembley Regeneration
£25 Refurbishment of Wembley Arena gets go-ahead
Quintain Scores Regeneration Goal at Wembley
Quintain Estates and Development purchase Wembley Complex

Press Release
Date: Sept 2004
Events to Stay in Wembley as New Pavilion Given go Ahead to Open in 2005

Planning consent granted for temporary arena
Venue to open in February 2005 and to host events while Wembley Arena is closed for a £25 million refurbishment and reorientation
Part of the wider transformation of Wembley into an international leisure destination

Wembley London Limited are pleased to announce that Brent Council last night gave planning consent for the new multi million pound Wembley Arena Pavilion. The temporary venue with a seated capacity of 10,000 will open early 2005 to host concerts and events during the £25 million refurbishment of Wembley Arena.

The Pavilion will be located on the Wembley complex close to the existing facility, on the site previously used for surface car parking. Construction work is expected to start in December.

With the Arena itself closed for refurbishment from January to September 2005, there had been fears that there would be nowhere for the major acts to play in the capital. However, the Pavilion, which will be supplied by Arena Structures, will deliver a full-sized, fully insulated arena auditorium, with a permanent stage and rig, VIP catering and extensive front of house and backstage facilities.

Wembley are already holding multiple provisional bookings for the Pavilion for next year with Blue (winners of the Wembley Band of the Year for the past two years) already sold out for their first date in March 2005.

Speaking today of the planning decision, Peter Tudor, Director of Sales and Marketing at Wembley said:

“It’s great news that we’ve secured the final planning permission so that we can keep major events in Wembley while Wembley Arena is refurbished. The pavilion will open in time for a seamless transition of events from one venue to the other.

”This decision secures Wembley’s reputation as the UK’s premier leisure destination. We’re holding plenty of provisional bookings for the Pavilion in our diary and we can now look forward to firming these up over the coming months.”

Arena Structures Managing Director, Grahame Muir said:

“We’ve built several semi-permanent structures in the past 20 years and the Wembley Arena Pavilion will be state of the art in terms of comfort, insulation and ease logistically. It is really the perfect solution for the months when Wembley Arena is being refurbished and working with Wembley we aim to make the transmission as smooth and seamless as possible. All the facilities you expect from an arena will be provided and transport routes will be exactly the same”

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Press Statement from - QUINTAIN ESTATES AND DEVELOPMENT plc
Date: 21 July 2004

Mayor of London Gives Green Light to Wembley Regeneration

Highlights

The Mayor of London has approved Quintain’s planning application for the regeneration of Wembley
The biggest transformation of Wembley since the 1920s moves a step closer; 3,700 new homes, 160,000 sq ft of new leisure facilities including a cinema complex, a 420-room 5-star hotel, new offices and 82,000 sq ft of community space.

Quintain Estates and Development PLC – owners of Wembley Arena and 58 acres of land surrounding the new National Stadium – today received official notification from the Mayor of London that he would not ‘direct refusal’ of the £1.3 billion regeneration of Wembley and was content to see the plans move forward.

The news follows quickly from the decision of Brent Council’s Planning Committee on 3 June this year to resolve to grant planning permission and marks an important milestone in the life of the project. A similar decision is awaited from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (through the Government Office for London) and with the completion of the planning agreements with the Council – which are already well advanced – Quintain remains on track to start building works this Autumn so that the first new areas of public realm will be ready in time for the opening of the National Stadium.

Having only submitted plans to Brent Council on 31 October 2003 following one of the largest ever public consultation exercises, this is an extremely fast progress through the planning process aided by significant political and local consensus on the plans.

Nick Shattock, Director of Quintain Estates and Development, said:

“The liaison over the last several months between the GLA, LDA and Brent Council has been unique in our experience.

“There is a genuine shared vision and real momentum to create new homes, jobs and community facilities for Wembley and to deliver for London a world class visitor destination centred around the National Stadium.

“We are very grateful for the support of the Mayor of London personally, and are pleased that we are already well advanced with the Section 106 Agreement and are firmly on track to start on site this Autumn.

“Following our recent success at the Greenwich Peninsula with our partners Lend Lease Europe Limited, we are setting new standards in collaborative working leading to a slashing of planning timetables.”

Cllr Ann John, Leader of Brent Council, said:

"I am delighted with the Mayor's decision. This brings us yet another step closer to seeing the ambitious plans for the area take shape. Now the long awaited transformation of Wembley can really get underway."

The report from the GLA concludes with the following:

“The application proposal is supported by both the strategic and local planning policy framework. The proposed Section 106 planning obligations package………and the ongoing commitment of QED to work collaboratively with both Brent Council and the GLA group will help ensure that the development proposals will provide the anticipated local and strategic regenerative benefits to this important sub-regional brownfield site. As such, the application is considered to be in the best interests of planning in London.”

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Press Statement from - QUINTAIN ESTATES AND DEVELOPMENT plc
Date: 17 June 2004

£25m Refurbishment Of Wembley Arena Gets Go Ahead

Largest investment in Wembley Arena for a generation receives full planning permission and listed building consent from the London Borough of Brent

Arena to be re-orientated to face onto a new public square, Arena Square

During building works, a temporary new Wembley Arena Pavilion to be constructed - Blue already confirmed as the first act in this facility

Better facilities for Arena customers including new foyer, bar and restaurant, box office, new

heating and ventilation, new lifts and refurbished toilets

Better facilities for visiting Artists, including new changing rooms, promoters areas and a new

covered service area

The listed Arena’s original exterior to be restored

New covered service yard to improve facilities and minimise local disruption

Quintain Estates and Development plc – owners of Wembley Arena and 58 acres of land surrounding the new National Stadium – today received detailed planning permission from Brent Council for the £25m refurbishment of the listed Wembley Arena.

Wembley Arena is Europe’s most successful music venue hosting 140 events a year. This year alone, performers include Madonna, Cher, Britney Spears and Elton John.

Nick Shattock, Director of Quintain Estates and Development, said:

“Wembley is the only site in the Mayor’s ‘London Plan’ designated as an internationally important leisure destination and this £25m investment in Wembley Arena marks the start of our regeneration.

“It is a significant sign of our long term commitment to the area and, combined with Arena Square, will begin to radically change perceptions of Wembley for local people and its millions of visitors.”

Janet Viazzani, Managing Director of Wembley (London) Limited, said:

“Wembley Arena is entering the most exciting phase in its history. By the end of these refurbishment works we will have ensured that Wembley Arena retains its premier position as the leading entertainment venue in the country.”

“We will invest over £25 million in the Arena, restoring the beauty of the original architecture, modernising its facilities for artists and visitors alike, creating a spectacular new entrance across Arena Square and a wonderful setting for the re-orientated facility.”

“With the new National Stadium progressing well and the Council’s recent support of Quintain’s wider plans for the area, Wembley is going to be the place to be for entertainment in the 21st century.”

The building works to Wembley Arena are scheduled to take place from January to September 2005. During this time and subject to planning and licensing agreements, a temporary ‘Wembley Arena Pavilion’ will be erected next to the arena with capacity for 10,000 people.

Blue have today also been confirmed as the first act to appear at Wembley Arena Pavilion, playing 25^th March 2005.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Key improvements to Arena

Re-orientating the building to face onto Arena Square
Upgrading the exterior including a restored façade facing onto Arena Square
New entrance foyer
New box office
New dressing rooms
New covered service yard and backstage area capable of taking 14 Articulated trucks
New soundproofing at new rear of Arena
New production offices
New corporate hospitality suite
New permanent media centre
Increased disabled capacity (from 24 to minimum 40)
Increased standing capacity (from 3,800 to 5,000)
Improved disabled access to Box office, and other facilities
Hearing assistance systems in the auditorium
Refurbished refreshment points
New enlarged restaurant
New heating and ventilation
Four lifts (none at present)
At least 30% increase in toilet capacity including more disabled toilets
All proposals drawn up with full liaison with LBB, emergency services, and English Heritage
Key facts about Arena Square
A major new public square forming part of the northern end of the new ‘Wembley Park Boulevard’ as part of the wider regeneration of Wembley which the planning committee resolved to grant planning permission for on 3 June 2004
Providing a spectacular new setting for the Arena
Terraces step down on the eastern side forming an amphitheatre like setting for
performances
The square will be a focus for music, theatre, cultural and other public events managed throughout the year as part of the development at Wembley
A vibrant and lively environment with the surrounding buildings including new shops,
restaurants and leisure uses, as well as links to the Stadium Piazza

At Wembley, Quintain owns 58 acres of land surrounding the national stadium and on October 31 2003, the company submitted an outline planning application to Brent Council for a first phase regeneration covering 42 acres. This application was approved (subject to reserved matters) by Brent Council’s planning committee on 3 June 2004. It consists of:

6,100 jobs
Up to 3,727 new apartment homes for 8,500 people (including 40% affordable housing)
Some student accommodation and nursing home / special care bed spaces
Areas of open space covering over half the site and including Arena Square and a pedestrian and public transport only Wembley Park Boulevard
A new cinema and other new leisure facilities (147,000 square feet / 13,700 square
metres)
New shops – designer outlets (153,000 square feet / 14,200 square metres), sports
retailing (127,000 square feet / 11,800 square metres) and stores for the local community living and working on the site (86,000 square feet / 8,000 square metres

New restaurants, cafés and bars (137,000 square feet / 12,700 square metres).
New community facilities (88,000 square feet / 8,200 square metres).
New offices and workspace (678,000 square feet / 63,000 square metres)
A flagship new 400 bedroom, international standard hotel
£20 million to refurbish and update Wembley Arena
Parking for the national stadium and the new community
A huge package of community benefits, including £9m towards education, the provision of a 5 GP doctors surgery and improvements to transport and the local environment.

Resolution to grant by London Borough of Brent
Massive North West London regeneration - 5.3 million sq ft of development surrounding the new National Stadium
Creation of new modern residential and leisure complex the size of Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and
Covent Garden - and all the land in between3,700 new homes to ease London's housing crisis - 40 per cent to be affordable housing
Creation of 6,100 new full time jobs
New cinema complex, leisure facilities, cafes, shops, hotel and office space
£20 million refurbishment of Wembley Arena
Setting for new National Stadium to be completed ahead of May 2006 FA Cup Final

Quintain Estates and Development plc ("Quintain") today announces that the London Borough of Brent has resolved to grant outline planning consent for a flagship regeneration project of a massive 42 acre brownfield site surrounding the new National Stadium in Wembley.

Quintain's programme for the biggest transformation of Wembley since the 1920s will dramatically enhance the experience of visitors to the new National Stadium and world famous Wembley Arena, as well as revitalising the local community through the creation of 3,700 new homes - 40 per cent of which will be affordable housing.

The development will feature 160,000 sq ft of new leisure facilities including a cinema complex, a 420-room 5-star hotel, new offices and 82,000 sq ft of community space. Wembley Park Boulevard, the length, width and height of Regent Street will feature bars, restaurants and cafes. In addition, 150,000 sq ft of designer outlet and 127,000 sq ft of sports retailing will be accompanied by 86,000 sq ft of local convenience shopping.

Nick Shattock, Property Director of Quintain, commented:

"A re-launched Wembley Arena, designer retail, leisure and cinema complex, a 5-star hotel and a range of cafes, bars and restaurants create a nationally important leisure destination from day one and this is before you take into account the millions who will be visiting the new Wembley Stadium.

"3,700 homes ensure sustainability with a fantastic public transport infrastructure.

"We will trap the consumer spend so that Wembley, the place, secures significant economic benefit from the Stadium for the first time. We expect to be creating thousands of jobs."

Quintain has included a package of local benefits in the development, including a contribution worth £9 million to Brent's education budget and more money for training, community and healthcare provisions and the use of Wembley Arena for community events for up to seven days a year.

The plans encompass significant investment in transport links including upgrading bus routes and rail stations and implementing road and junction improvements. Youth facilities include a skateboard and games area. Quintain will also contribute towards neighbourhood policing initiatives, a resident's parking scheme and community sports facilities.

It is expected that work will commence on site later this year, creating up to 1,600 new construction jobs. Arena Square (the size of Leicester Square but with the mix and life of Covent Garden), the refurbishment of Wembley Arena and the new 5-star hotel will be completed in time for the FA Cup Final in May 2006.

The plans were submitted to Brent Council on 31 October 2003 and the resolution was granted after a six month consultation. This follows a similar timetable achieved by Quintain and its partner Lend Lease at the Greenwich Peninsula where it secured resolution from Greenwich and approval from the Major for 14 million sq ft including 10,000 homes.

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Press Notice from Quintain Estates and Development Plc
Wednesday 7 August 2002
Quintain Estates and Development Plc Purchase Wembley Complex To Complete Major London "Development Double"

£48 million paid for Wembley Complex - a 44 acre key brownfield site comprising Wembley Conference and Exhibition Centre, Wembley Arena and associated lands (note – not the stadium or land owned by Wembley National Stadium Ltd)
Major mixed use scheme to be masterplanned by Richard Rogers Partnership
Completes successful ‘development double’ in London for Quintain in 2 months, following the Greenwich Peninsula agreement on 29 May 2002 (Quintain is in a joint venture with Lend Lease Europe)
Quintain now has interests in over 230 acres of land identified as Opportunity Areas in the London Plan, confirming Quintain’s status as a leading UK developer

Quintain Estates and Development plc (Quintain) has confirmed its purchase of the 44 acre Wembley Complex site from Wembley plc for £48 million. The sale includes the Wembley Conference and Exhibition Centre and Wembley Arena businesses - Wembley (London) Ltd - which will continue to operate and a further 22 acres of land to the east and north of the stadium (see red line drawing attached). Payments are to be made in three tranches - £16 million today, £18 million on 1 December 2003 and £14 million on 1 December 2004.

Quintain is now preparing its proposals for a major mixed use scheme for the 44 acres which will integrate with the proposed new national stadium and the wider Wembley communities, bringing more jobs, homes, leisure and retail facilities to this key London site. The scheme is to be masterplanned by Richard Rogers Partnership.

This purchase completes a successful double for Quintain in the last 8 weeks. On 29 May Quintain and Lend Lease Europe, through their joint venture, Meridian Delta Ltd, agreed terms with English Partnerships to regenerate the 190 acre Greenwich Peninsula site including the Millennium Dome. Along with Wembley, Quintain now has interests in 234 acres of land identified as "Opportunity Areas" in the Mayor of London’s Draft London Plan, published in June 2002.

Nick Shattock, Director of Quintain, said today:

"Wembley Complex is a great site with excellent transport links and the Wembley name is known throughout the world. There is great potential for new leisure facilities, homes, offices and shops that integrate with the stadium and provide benefits to the wider Wembley communities. The London Plan has already identified Wembley as an ‘Opportunity Area’ and we look forward to turning this potential into reality.

"We will be good and co-operative neighbours to Wembley National Stadium Limited and we hope to create a great setting for the stadium – which is a little isolated at the moment. We look forward to engaging with the London Borough of Brent, WNSL, Multiplex and others over the coming weeks and months.

"Our development strategy is to look for sites in major cities that have the potential to be developed into landmark locations with strong identities. As with Greenwich Peninsula, Wembley fits this bill perfectly. This further confirms our position as a major UK property development company to go with our investment reputation."

Lord Richard Rogers said today:

"We are excited by the potential of the Wembley Complex. This is one of London’s key brownfield sites and offers significant potential to deliver for both the London Borough of Brent and for the Mayor of London. Our thinking for this site will be very much in line with the vision set out in the Mayor’s draft London Plan, where this area is described as a ‘nationally important Opportunity Area’, and latest government policy on brownfield redevelopment."

Janet Viazzani, Managing Director of Wembley (London) Limited, said today:

"Today will be the start of a new and exciting future in the history of the Wembley Complex. The opportunities created through this acquisition will provide a renewed focus for the ongoing businesses here at Wembley which will remain integral to delivering the vision for the site. The team at Wembley look forward to retaining and enhancing the world class reputation of Wembley as part of Quintain Estates and Development plc."

Harvey Goldsmith, Quintain’s adviser on the Wembley Arena, said today:

"Wembley is a well established brand name and the Wembley Arena is the foremost established venue. I have presented hundreds of successful shows there over the years and know it well. I am delighted that a developer as creative as Quintain has now acquired the complex and can map out a long term future for both its attendees and the businesses it serves."

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the site

The Wembley Complex site comprises 44 acres including the Wembley Arena, Conference and Exhibition Halls, as well as the 157,000 sq ft Elvin House office building, a Bingo Hall, multi storey car park and recording studios.
Around 50% of the acreage is currently dormant.
The Wembley operations currently employ around 110 full time and over 250 front-line staff.
The current Managing Director, Janet Viazzani, and senior management team of Wembley (London) Ltd will continue in their current roles.
Wembley Complex is served by Wembley Park (Jubilee and Metropolitan) and Wembley Central (Bakerloo) underground stations and Wembley Stadium overground station (Chiltern Lines to Marylebone).

About Quintain Estates and Development plc

Quintain Estates and Development plc is a fully quoted property company in the FTSE 350 that develops and invests across the UK in all sectors. Incorporated in 1992 and floated in 1996 it has grown significantly since incorporation. Its last reported net worth was £395 million with gross assets in excess of £650m. With a core focus on the mainstream sectors of the commercial property market, Quintain also has strong expertise in less traditional undertakings such as social housing, student accommodation, hospitals and nursing homes. On 29 May 2002, along with Lend Lease, Quintain completed a joint venture agreement with English Partnerships to regenerate 190 acres of the Greenwich Peninsula and deliver a long term solution for the Dome.

It is currently on site in Park Lane, Croydon building 40 flats. It is developing a care village in Bristol with 48 close care apartments and a nursing home. In October 2002 it completes a 300,000 sq ft new high street and bus station for Scunthorpe.