Regeneration project: Willesden Green

Willesden Green received £480,000 from Round One of the Mayor’s Outer London Fund to revitalise Willesden High Road. Brent Council and the Architecture Foundation worked with 25 young designers to create ‘Windows on Willesden Green’, an advent calendar of window displays to improve shop fronts, revealed throughout December 2011. The designs gave shops a new lease of life, while start-up businesses were given space at a vacant former textile building on Queens Parade. The Library Lab project set up a fresh workspace offering business services and support. These schemes have attracted new visitors improving the look of the high street, giving local businesses the best possible chance at success.

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Animating places

Nine shops along Queens Parade in Willesden Green had been used for storage and boarded up, making the high street look neglected. Meanwhile Space leased the units, which were refurbished by local construction students and let to selected start-up businesses, who were given business rate relief by the borough. These included a children’s clothing shop, an emporium selling bath and body products, a juice bar and a vintage clothing store. The project brought visitors to a previously quiet part of the High Street, and ran for two years – with a second empty space, Electric House, opening as a creative hub after the initial project.

Hosting events

The advent calendar scheme was a great opportunity to hold festive events in shops along Willesden High Road, attracting new customers at Christmas. The pilot shop, number one in the calendar, hosted a weekend of workshops including music, Christmas card making and storytelling, and became a temporary community hub. Individual shops were also encouraged to run special offers and shopping events. A gift hunt map was designed to add fun and surprise to Christmas shopping. Together these events attracted over 5,000 people to Willesden Green. A further 300 attended the launch of the Queens Parade pop-up shops in January 2012.

Building frontages

Twenty-five shops along Willesden High Road were given fresh window displays by young designers for the ‘Windows on Willesden Green’ project, with the help of College of North West London students. Chosen via an open call, businesses were matched with individual designers who understood the shop and designed a unique display. All the shops chosen were independently owned, ranging from a bakery, a café, an optician and a barber. Other modest improvements such as repainting and new signage were also carried out, inspiring many of the shop owners to also spruce up their shop interiors. The scheme attracted considerable press attention, drawing footfall to Willesden Green.

Supporting business

Helping local businesses and encouraging new start-ups was at the heart of the Willesden Green projects funded by the Mayor. Twenty-five businesses were given shop front improvements, and a further thirteen entrepreneurs were offered retail space on Queens Parade. The Library Lab took an unused space within the Library Centre and turned it into a dynamic co-working space where local entrepreneurs were offered advice on building websites, social media and accounting, conceived by Architecture 00. It was also a valuable place for people to come and work, sharing advice and contacts. A crèche service meant that parents could work while their children were looked after close at hand.

Stewardship

During the Mayor’s investment into Willesden Green, a group of local residents, business owners and community organisations united to form a town team. Originally starting life as a traders association, more local people were encouraged to become actively involved in their high street. Working closely with Brent Council, the group got together to start, support and put in place the Outer London Fund projects, and subsequently on new ones that build on the momentum achieved through the Mayoral schemes. At the end of 2012, the team became one of the government’s Town Team partners, receiving £10,000 to develop their vision for Willesden Green.

Borough: Brent

Partners/client: LB Brent

Consultants: Architecture Foundation, Meanwhile Space, Blue Consulting, Architecture 00

Funding: Mayor of London £480,000