20 Jun Strong ambitions and driven people are key to a thriving borough

“Our people in this borough and in our region, are what makes us great,” said Councillor Shama Tatler, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Growth at Brent Council in her keynote at the Capital West London Growth Summit 2023, on 20 June.

She was discussing why West London is a great place to do business and to invest, and her answer was simple, the people. With over 50% of Brent’s residents, according to the last census, born abroad and speaking over 160 different languages, the borough “has a wide cultural offer”.

With local communities attracting and retaining talent, Councillor Tatler said: “We celebrate cultural diversity and want to build on the growing creative sector here in Wembley and Alperton.”

Examining the built environment, Brent, with 330,000 residents, is much like West London as a whole, with a thriving economy that includes small shops, small startups and large multinationals.

Brent is “a borough with a lot of ambition,” Councillor Tatler commented.

The local plan, adopted last year, outlines their clear vision until 2041, with the aim to build 46,000 homes and create 80,000 new jobs. Progress is being made at the Alperton and Wembley housing zones, South Kilburn with its own estate regeneration scheme, and Northwick Park with its One Public Estate programme. She also encouraged delegates to look at Brent Design Awards as they set principles of good design and high-quality development for Brent by also responding to the character of Brent’s places.

“We’re working across the region to push for the West London Orbital, which is hugely important and we are having conversations about any opportunity to lobby for this piece of infrastructure to come forward,” Councillor Tatler added.

Acknowledging her brilliant team, she said: “Our residents hold us to account because they want to see the best for their families, who want to reach their potential. Residents want to thrive and access the opportunity investment brings.

“In turn, we as political leaders want to enable those opportunities for our residents, better jobs, better housing and a more sustainable future.”