Stonebridge, London

Stonebridge
Stonebridge
OS grid reference	TQ203839
London borough	Brent;
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	NW10
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
London Assembly	Brent and Harrow;
	List of places UK England London

Stonebridge is an area of northwest London, England in the London Borough of Brent. It is also the name of the largest electoral ward in the borough, which includes Stonebridge itself as well as Park Royal, Brent Park and the St Raphael's Estate. The majority of its population consists of people of Afro-Caribbean heritage.

History

The area was named after a stone bridge built over the River Brent to the north.

The exclusive Craven Park Estate of large houses was built in the 1860s and later, roughly at the same time as the Midland Railway constructed the Dudding Hill Line (now a freight line), which gave its new residents access to central London. However, the passenger service on the line closed for a second and final time in 1902, but only after a sustained protest campaign by local people.

Although other high-quality housing had grown up around the now-closed nearby Harlesden (Midland) railway station, the area failed to consolidate as an up-market suburb, because of the general expansion of London, increasing industry, and the building of low-quality, cheap housing, later in the late Nineteenth Century. Along with the sub-division of many of the large houses, Stonebridge became a low-income area, which continued after high-rise comprehensive redevelopment, mostly built in a single architectural style and called the 'Stonebridge Estate', in the 1960s and 1970s.^[1]^[2]

Some parts of Stonebridge have always been in private ownership, and not been part of the Stonebridge Estate.

Built environment

Some improvements in the street scene happened in the early 1990s, as a result of the 'Harlesden City Challenge' award of government money to the area.

Most improvements, however, came after 2000, when comprehensive redevelopment of the 1960s and 1970s housing started. This is mainly complete by 2010, although some empty high-rise buildings are still being demolished.

A traditional street layout has been introduced, largely of two- and three-storey houses, often with four-story flats around street junctions.

The Stonebridge Estate has been redeveloped by Stonebridge Housing Action Trust, set up in 1994 under the Housing Act 1988, and with the aim

To transform the 1,775 home Stonebridge Estate by providing innovative solutions to the problems of social and economic deprivation faced by local residents.

It responded with various training and leisure initiatives, and modern, low-rise houses with some four-storey blocks of flats, mainly on street corners to give variety to the street scene.

In 2008, the redevelopment was awarded the European Urban and Regional Planning Award, under the category Public Participation in Planning,^[3] for the

exemplary approach to public participation.

The Housing Action Trust was dissolved in 2007, and housing is now a mixture of housing association ownership (Hillside Housing Trust, part of the Hyde Group) and reversion to the London Borough of Brent. Tenants were given a choice about which ownership they preferred.

New development on Hillside, part of the A404 Harrow Road through the area, includes private ownership of flats above offices, and a health centre. Redevelopment has gone hand-in-hand with training and sports initiatives for local people.

A tree preservation order has been adopted by Brent Council on Winchelsea Road nearby, to protect the street scene, forcing new buildings to be set back from the road. The "exemplary approach to public participation" award quoted above may well have been justified regarding estate residents, but there were local media claims in 2007 that it was not true regarding neighbours, as evidenced by Brent Council's willingness to protect the Winchelsea Road trees.

Crime

Crime in stonebridge is extremley high. It is thought to be the crime/murder capital of Europe. A contract killing of two sisters and their mother's partner in Clark Court, Stonebridge brought the estate back into the media spotlight in August 2005.^[4], as well the murder of a young father in 2009 outside a local party at a Stonebridge Primary School.

Press comment has generally changed from being negative^[5], which demoralised the local residents, to being more positive.^[6].

In 2010 former Millwall footballer Gavin Grant was found guilty of shooting and murdering Leon Labastide. Stephen Batten QC, prosecuting, said the case was linked to shootings and drug dealing on the Stonebridge Park Estate, which was described as "lawless" during the trial at the Old Bailey. Batten told the jury: "It is more the law of the jungle than of civilised England."

Transport

Tube & Overground

Harlesden station (0.4 mi or 640 m), Bakerloo line, London Overground
Stonebridge Park station (0.8 mi or 1,300 m), Bakerloo line, London Overground

Buses

18	Euston	Sudbury Inn	First Centrewest
112	Ealing Broadway	Brent Cross	Abellio London
206	Kilburn Park	Wembley Park The Paddocks	Metroline
N18	Trafalgar Square	Harrow Weald Bus Garage	First Centrewest

The very frequent 18 and its night-route N18 serve the heart of Stonebridge, along the A404; Brentfield and Hillside. 112 serves the west and north, going through the A406 North Circular Road. The 206 serves Brentfield Road and the eastern edge to Craven Park, when you enter Harlesden.