Latest news with #Stonebridge
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Campaigners look to Historic England to save Black British site Bridge Park in London
The future of London's Bridge Park complex, a prominent location for Britain's Windrush generation, hangs in the balance as campaigners hope Historic England will save it from councillors' decision to close it within weeks. Bridge Park community leisure centre in Stonebridge, north-west London, was Europe's largest Black-led community enterprise when it opened in the 1980s and is cherished for its part in Black British history. But last Monday, days before Windrush Day on Sunday, which celebrates the postwar history of UK Black communities, Brent council, which took over the day-to-day running of Bridge Park in the mid-90s, decided it would close on 31 July as part of proposals to 'radically transform' the area. Lawrence Fearon, one of Bridge Park's founders, said: 'Bridge Park is not just a building. It's a testament to the dreams of the Caribbean diaspora and the legacy of my generation, who dared to build a better future against the odds.' Campaigners are looking to Historic England for a lifeline. The Save Bridge Park campaign applied to the heritage body earlier this year to have the building listed to save it from development, a move backed by the Labour MP Dawn Butler, Paul Boateng, the UK's first Black cabinet minister, and the broadcaster Trevor Phillips. In the years since Bridge Park was taken over by the local authority, the focus has shifted from enterprise to sports, leisure and events, but it remains well used, with a powerful legacy. Until 1981 it was the Stonebridge bus depot, where staff from the Windrush generation worked. When the site became disused, local young people formed a cooperative – the Harlesden People's Community Council – to transform it into a space for Black-owned businesses, with funding from Brent council and the former Greater London Council, amid high unemployment and discrimination in Margaret Thatcher's Britain. Founders included the community leader Leonard Johnson, whose philosophy – 'let's build and not destroy' – prevented disorder from spreading to Harlesden on the night of Brixton's uprising in 1981. Bridge Park was inaugurated by King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in 1988. At its peak it had 32 business units, a sports hall, theatre, training centre, recording studio, restaurant and bar. The Royal Shakespeare Company's Ray Fearon, 51, and the Premier League footballer Raheem Sterling, 30, spent formative years there, and are backing plans to save it. Brent council said it acknowledged 'the part Bridge Park had in an important chapter in Black British history', but spending £1.5m to bring it up to 'suitable safe standard' was 'not a good use for public funds'. Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Muhammed Butt, the leader of Brent council said: 'I understand the deep affection that local people have for Bridge Park, but … it's simply not financially sustainable to keep it open. Instead, we want to get on with building a brand new leisure centre for the community, which will be more than double the size and purpose-built. 'Our plans are all about transforming the area for the benefit of local people – much-needed new homes, more green spaces and new jobs.' Rebecca Markus, a researcher and co-lead of Save Bridge Park, said: 'It's a really amazing, early example of adaptive reuse. There's an idea that for a building to be of architectural merit it needs to be designed by a star architect and subscribe to a specific style, but if our heritage is actually going to reflect the nation then we have to be inclusive in the way we think about these things. 'Buildings hold a tangible connection to the past that can't be captured by words or photographs.' Historic England is expected to make a decision this summer. It was approached for comment.
Hospitality Net
29-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Blake Doran joined Stonebridge Companies as Vice President of Operations
Stonebridge, a Denver-based innovative, privately-owned hotel management company boasting a diverse range of luxury, resort, full-service, and premium select-service properties, announced today the appointment of Blake Doran as Vice President of Operations. Doran will report to Lee Palaschak, Executive Vice President of Operations. With over two decades of experience in both on-property and above-property hospitality operations, Doran brings a strong foundation in hotel leadership and a proven ability to drive financial performance, enhance guest satisfaction, and support team development. He most recently served as Divisional Vice President of Operations for Remington Hospitality, where he oversaw a multi-state portfolio of hotels and played a key role in executing operational strategies and supporting on-property teams. Doran is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University.
The Independent
25-05-2025
- The Independent
Mother and three children who died after house fire named by police
A mother and three of her children who died after a fire at two houses in north-west London have been named by police. Nusrat Usman, 43, her 15-year-old daughter Maryam Mikaiel, 15, and two sons Musa Usman, eight, and Raees Usman, four, died at the scene of the blaze which gutted the two terraced homes in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, in the early hours of Saturday. Two other family members, a woman in her 70s and a 13-year-old girl, were taken to hospital. The woman has since been released, police said, but the girl remains in hospital in a critical condition. A 41-year-old man who was arrested outside the houses has since been bailed and was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act, the Metropolitan Police said. Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in north-west London, said: 'Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened. 'Specialist officers are continuing to support the wider family who have asked for privacy at this deeply upsetting time. 'Local officers are working closely with officers from the Specialist Crime Command on what continues to be a very complex investigation. 'I'd like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers and colleagues from other emergency services for their efforts during this highly pressurised and distressing incident. 'Equally, we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days and some of the cordons will remain in place. 'We are grateful for your patience and understanding. If you have any concerns then please speak to them.' On Sunday morning, the road outside the terraced houses remained cordoned off, with two fire engines still at the scene. Bunches of flowers and a blue teddy bear were left near to the homes and crews wearing helmets and respiratory equipment were seen building scaffolding against the burnt out buildings.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mother and three children who died in Brent fire named
A mother and her three children who died after a house fire that took place in north-west London in the early hours of Saturday morning have been named by police. Nusrat Usman, 43, her daughter Maryam Mikaiel, 15 and two sons Musa Usman, eight, and Raees Usman, four, died when the house in Stonebridge, Brent, went up in flames, the Metropolitan Police said. A 13-year-old girl, who has not been named, remains in hospital in critical condition while a woman in her 70s has been discharged. A man, 41, was arrested on suspicion of murder outside the property. He has since been bailed and detained under the Mental Health Act, the Met said. Officers were called to Tillett Close at around 01:20 BST on Saturday, attending alongside the London Fire Brigade (LFB). Two terraced three-storey homes were gutted in the fire. Eight fire engines and about 70 firefighters from stations across Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden were sent out to tackle the blaze. On Sunday, flowers and teddy bear tributes were seen laid near the properties. Supt Steve Allen, from the local policing team, said on Sunday that specialist officers were supporting the family. "Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened," he said. "Local officers are working closely with officers from the Specialist Crime Command on what continues to be a very complex investigation." Extra officers will also be deployed to the area in the coming days, he added. On Saturday, the LFB said they had received more than 20 calls reporting the fire. Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster said: "This is an extremely tragic incident, and the thoughts of everyone across the Brigade are with those impacted by this incident. "Upon arrival, firefighters were met with a well-developed fire, involving two adjoining properties. Crews immediately set to work carrying out firefighting operations in order to bring the incident under control." Ms Foster added that the LFB's specialist Fire Investigation Unit would work with the Met to determine the cause of the fire.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mother and three children who died after house fire named by police
A mother and three of her children who died after a fire at two houses in north-west London have been named by police. Nusrat Usman, 43, her 15-year-old daughter Maryam Mikaiel, 15, and two sons Musa Usman, eight, and Raees Usman, four, died at the scene of the blaze which gutted the two terraced homes in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, in the early hours of Saturday. Two other family members, a woman in her 70s and a 13-year-old girl, were taken to hospital. The woman has since been released, police said, but the girl remains in hospital in a critical condition. A 41-year-old man who was arrested outside the houses has since been bailed and was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act, the Metropolitan Police said. Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in north-west London, said: 'Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened. 'Specialist officers are continuing to support the wider family who have asked for privacy at this deeply upsetting time. 'Local officers are working closely with officers from the Specialist Crime Command on what continues to be a very complex investigation. 'I'd like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers and colleagues from other emergency services for their efforts during this highly pressurised and distressing incident. 'Equally, we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days and some of the cordons will remain in place. 'We are grateful for your patience and understanding. If you have any concerns then please speak to them.' On Sunday morning, the road outside the terraced houses remained cordoned off, with two fire engines still at the scene. Bunches of flowers and a blue teddy bear were left near to the homes and crews wearing helmets and respiratory equipment were seen building scaffolding against the burnt out buildings. Neighbours said the family are of Pakistani origin and had lived on Tillett Close, in the Brent area, for a long time.
