Over ten years since it was damaged by two arson attacks, Dollis Hill House remains a frustrating eyesore in one of Brent’s landmark sites. This historic building, occupying a prime position overlooking the borough and towards the new Wembley Stadium, has to be restored. Such a goal is still very popular with the local community. The house is an integral part of Gladstone Park, which originally formed the estate of the house. We believe the local community wish to see this house retained as a facility for the whole community.
We in the Dollis Hill House Trust has actively progressed proposals for the future of the house over recent years. These plans are based on a mix of commercial exploitation of the house’s prime and dramatic location, balanced with a positive vision of the house’s future as a cohesive focus for the growing and increasingly diverse population of the surrounding area. Dollis Hill House Trust has put considerable care into developing and refining a business plan that mixes commercial and community use. This business plan has been examined and approved by independent experts, but cannot be finalised until we have confirmed business partners in place. At that point, we believe that the plan will provide a robust basis for the future of the house both in terms of commercial viability and the wishes of the local community. The principal elements of this plan are; A café/restaurant. Offering a range of high quality refreshments and a place for the community to meet, to relax, to plan, to learn and to engage with the activities of the house.
Weddings and other large functions. Market research contained in the business plan, including discussions with the Brent Registrar, have shown a significant gap in the local market for such facilities in the area.
Rooms for hire to community groups. Recent studies by Brent Council have identified the pressing need for such public facilities in the area.
An outreach programme. To establish the house as a cohesive focus for the rapidly expanding population of the local area. An outreach programme aimed especially at drawing in and bringing together young people from the area’s increasingly diverse communities. Brent Council’s own studies have identified the pressing need for such facilities and programmes for young people in the area. The focus of Dollis Hill House would be to bring together the youth of local communities through the arts, especially music. The popularity of such initiatives in Brent has been shown by the success of the “Gladstonbury Festivals” organised by Dollis Hill House Trust over the past six years. Projects in other parts of Britain, and in other London boroughs have proved the power of the arts as a force both for economic regeneration and community cohesion.
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