An historic North London building damaged in a fire almost a decade ago has been left in “a totally degraded state” as locals urge developers to return it to its former glory.
The Grade II listed property in Wembley Hill Road, Brent, dates back to the late 18th century where it was used as a gatekeeper’s house for a nearby mansion in Wembley Park.
Known as Wembley Park Lodge, it survived being hit by a runaway bus in the 1970s but suffered significant damage during a fire in 2013.
Most of the roof was destroyed during the blaze and some residents are fearful it could be lost forever if it is not carefully restored.
Others have pointed out that the current state of the building is making the area look bad and they urged developers to follow through on their plans to save it.
Mark Amies, who documents buildings of interest across North West London, said it was as if nobody cared about what happened to the site.
He said: “It’s a terrible shame that a building that predates the development around it has been left in this way.
“The owner is not bothered nor, seemingly, is the local authority. It’s been left in this state for years. Why do we have such a shocking lack of respect for our building heritage?”
Wembley historian Philip Grant agreed that the corner of Wembley Hill Road where the building is has “looked a sorry sight”.
He said he has tried to protect the original features still attached to the lodge and said that “great care” should be taken as part of any redevelopment.
Brent Council granted planning permission to Grenada Developments Limited in 2021 for the building to be restored and another property built alongside it.
Mr Grant said that while the plans put forward were “not perfect”, they represented a “good solution to a tricky planning problem”.
There are plans to bring back a thatched roof – the old building was tiled over in the 1930s – which would be in keeping with the lodge’s original design.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has approached Brent Council and the developer’s planning agent for comment.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here