Wembley Park: Belonging and Community in Purpose-Built Mixed-Tenure Housing

In an era of third-way governance, private housing developers are increasingly tasked with the construction of core social and community services. Contracts between representatives and developers frequently stipulate the delivery of key social impact indicators, such as health services, educational institutions, green spaces, and community centres. Amenities previously provided by state agencies are now outsourced to developers, and in certain cases, these same developers continue on as managers - directly or indirectly – exercising control over services types and terms of access. Where developers’ interests shape the provision of services, barriers to social engagement can arise, calling into question how and for whom social goods are provided.

This presentation will consider the presence and absence of social engagement in the neighbourhood of Wembley Park, London. Wembley Park is the UK’s largest mixed-tenure, build-to-rent housing development. To date, a single firm is responsible for the majority of the area’s land development, including management of the local community centre, cultural and social amenities, as well as providing the majority of housing. Adopting a Lefebvrian positionality, the aim of this presentation is to identify patterns of amenity and service provision by interrogating systematic and systemic barriers to social engagement, including between insiders (those with access to ‘club goods’) and outsiders (existing community members and non-residents). Access conditions, whether physical or technological, are shown to at best hinder and at worst prohibit community organisation and involvement. In turn, by conspicuous absence, developer-directed engagement illuminates the disjunction between the agenda of planners and developers and the nuanced needs of everyday communities. This research will provide an overview of the Wembley Park redevelopment project and present findings from interviews with local residents, business owners, and government representatives.