Chalkhill Estate

It was originally one of three large council estates built in the London Borough of Brent by the early 1970s, along with Stonebridge and South Kilburn.

The estate is located just east of Wembley Park tube station and adjacent of the former Brent Town Hall.

Many larger semi-detached and detached houses with large gardens lining the road opposite Brent Town Hall were demolished to build Chalkhill.

This led to charges of a deliberate manipulation of area demographics so that Brent North – traditionally Conservative voting – would become a marginal parliamentary constituency, with the goal of a Labour-controlled council returning a Labour MP.

[2] Chalkhill Estate also contained recreational facilities for children and the elderly, such as playgrounds and seating areas with flower beds, much like a public park.

[3] All dwellings had what was quite modern technology at the time, including central heating and "Garchey" systems (a waste-disposal machine in the kitchen sink).

Children's' play areas, such as the paddling pool and sandpit, became unsafe due to the prevalence of broken glass.

The 1980s brought safety initiatives such as door entry systems and walkway closures, but did little to deter crime and overall deterioration.

[9] Rivalry between the Press Road Crew and South Kilburn gangs resulted in the murder of 29-year-old Jason Greene in 2006.

In January 2010, a young man was shot on the estate and left with a fractured skull after an incident on Chalkhill Road.

[11] In 2011, three high-ranking members of a £20m drugs network, which included Charlotte Church's former lover Kyle Johnson, were jailed for a total of 22 years.