“Brent is open for business, but not at any price.” These were the words of Councillor Teo Benea, Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and Property and councillor in Sudbury ward as she opened our breakfast event today at Sadlers Wells Theatre. Councillor Benea spoke with a room of developers, investors and creators of spaces to set out the key strategies for sustainable growth in the borough. This anchored on Brent’s bold ambitions to create the homes, facilities and infrastructure that this diverse borough needs. 

The discussion was set against the backdrop of the very real challenges many people within Brent are facing. With 33,000 households on the housing waitlist, the population set to rise by 17% by 2040 and the prevalence of poor mental health over 3% higher than national averages, development in Brent is doing much more than bringing new places – its unlocking a chance improve lives and outcomes for local people.  

Diversity is a key strength of the communities here. With over 85% of residents being from minority backgrounds, Brent’s welcoming and dynamic attitude is clear. With a vision to co-create spaces for communities to come together and overcoming the rhetoric of division, there is hope that a growing population can bring new vibrancy. Development can support this with a genuine approach to delivering social impact and legacy.  

Councillor Benea demonstrated that there has already been tangible change. The development of Wembley Park and Box Park show that when we work alongside communities to provide the spaces they want and need, we can create vibrant, mixed-use spaces. In the near future, South Kilburn could deliver 2,400 new homes, a further 5,000 homes could be built at Alperton and Neasden Station South, Church End and Staples Corner – all offer chance for communities to be integrated into existing networks.  

The view of development needs to be holistic. Drawing on her own public engagement background, Councillor Benea invited those who want to develop and invest in Brent to be open in their conversations and innovative in their engagement. As well as the council doors always being open for discussion, she shared with the room how we need to stop sending tick box flyers and complaining when people don’t show up and instead “build trust, listen and take people on a journey”. This is as much about education and upskilling as it is about the physical doing and building.  

To support this, Ruth Skidmore, Social Impact Lead at Meeting Place, shared some learnings from our Impact of a Home report. Using this research, we are able to show that there could be up to £14.4m of impact from every 500-home development within Brent due to wider placemaking impacts such as improved safety, removal of blight and infrastructure improvements that benefit both new and existing residents. A further £2,600 of impact could be delivered for every lone parent with two children moving from overcrowded accommodation into a rented home that suits their needs. Additionally, there would be £17,000 of wellbeing impacts for every person who is moved from homelessness into secure housing. when we share these facts and figures, alongside the genuine stories of lives changed, we can start to shift the conversation to build a coalition of support and amplify the voices who do want to see good development in their area. 

So, what does it mean to be open for business in Brent? It means meaningful dialogue, grassroots engagement, strategies for delivering impact and change and, for Councillor Benea, it means putting the people she serves at the forefront. It is absolutely the place to invest and the place to build but only when we are delivering the homes, spaces and services these dynamic communities need to “improve the quality of life and life chances of Brent’s residents”.