Forum topic: Regenerating Palmers Green town centre

A1? How long has Starbucks been there to get away with a coffee shop serving hot & cold food for eat in or takeaway to come under A1 of a 1987 Use Classes Order, especially with the number of covers in that cavern?! I'd also expect funeral directors and internet cafes, now, to come under sui generis than open A1.

It's amazing to see how many of you have become passionate and do care about Palmers Green Town Centre and the other surrounding areas that have declined over these years.

My wife Kaye Castanheira and I who were born and bred in Palmers Green first started this topic of conversation had tried to suggest alternative retail shops into the area we were mocked and belittled at the time, now because it has been mentioned on the News everyone has taken a interest, it's amazing how heads turn when social media takes over, its unfortunate when its mentioned by the public everyone i.e like us, people were saying Oh you cannot have a haberdashery, oh you cannot have a traditional sweet shop or a department store like Pearson or even more Greenery that brings beauty and wellbeing to us and to our environment which all counts to building a once again stronger community.

We are overwhelmed that Peter George and I have had many discussions on LinkedIn and things will be progressing and moving forward to a once sophisticated Hamlet area prosperous and thriving.

We must fight to keep our high street a place where social gatherings are important for all and for our country, we only need to look at Europe they also buy online but also their high street and communities are booming and very important to them and we should feel the same way and feel proud of our country too.

Joe, I don't appreciate your comments. People may have different opinions on how to get there, but everyone posting on this subject has the same goal of wanting PG to be a thriving town centre. Irrespective of how long we have been here, we're all invested in some way and we are all Palmers Greeners. For what it's worth, I don't believe a department store like Pearsons would be a success in Palmers Green, nor a traditional sweet shop (these are failing even in seaside towns) and your suggestions focus on 'retail' rather than the new thinking that high streets need more focus on 'social and leisure' which has been the recent discussion on this forum and the media. I think you've missed the point. There are a lot of people working in the background trying to stimulate change for Palmers Green - residents, shop owners, businesses, the Council - no one is going to win the last brownie for caring the most. Positive changes are already starting to come through so there is a lot to expect from the future - especially where everyone is so passionate to see PG succeed.

It's amazing to see how many of you have become passionate and do care about Palmers Green Town Centre and the other surrounding areas that have declined over these years.

My wife Kaye Castanheira and I who were born and bred in Palmers Green first started this topic of conversation had tried to suggest alternative retail shops into the area we were mocked and belittled at the time, now because it has been mentioned on the News everyone has taken a interest, it's amazing how heads turn when social media takes over, its unfortunate when its mentioned by the public everyone i.e like us, people were saying Oh you cannot have a haberdashery, oh you cannot have a traditional sweet shop or a department store like Pearson or even more Greenery that brings beauty and wellbeing to us and to our environment which all counts to building a once again stronger community.

We are overwhelmed that Peter George and I have had many discussions on LinkedIn and things will be progressing and moving forward to a once sophisticated Hamlet area prosperous and thriving.

We must fight to keep our high street a place where social gatherings are important for all and for our country, we only need to look at Europe they also buy online but also their high street and communities are booming and very important to them and we should feel the same way and feel proud of our country too.

No Morris I don't think I missed the point. I think it's everyone else and those in the Council that missed the point.

If I did not bring this discussion to the table, no one else would of even mentioned our debilitating areas, I don't care about winning or losing...I care about us Brits being and showing more love respect and enthusiasm to each to our communities and building a stronger unit that's all I care about.

Lets see if the suggestions and ideas to Peter George and Sophia Bromfield that they asked for will follow through...

Fortunately, that's not true.

I have to go very much with No Morris on this one for the depth and breadth of voluntary activity in PG, its town centre and wider, over more than a decade by so many individuals and groups has been huge – and noticed well beyond Enfield’s council offices; note for instances last years decision to make PG London’s trial centre for Play Quarters, essentially based on that very (successful) voluntary network. Simply look at the last decade’s worth of PG festivals in the park, itself based on earlier activity, which was developed from nought. And this time round there’s strong interest from the high street outlets to take part in some manner as yet to be determined. Most wheels have already been spun and on that point, two things surface for me:
It’ll be worth Joe locking into GLBA and eg commercial agents and landlords (absent as well as present) because if there’s a lot of ideas being developed behind a screen they’ll mean nil if those with the assets to invest shrug their shoulders; and linked
I’m tempted to suspect no one will complain about an incoming sweet shop, haberdashery, department store or the like, but there’s a world of difference between a personal want and someone (else) actually putting their assets into the field. (Relatively) PG centre is holding up very well versus the current retail turmoil (eg today Mothercare and Carluccios join the very sick list with lots more store closures) so it would be most interesting to see the / any research supporting any new retail sectors / outlets being PG-viable. I’m personally hanging on in there for a relaxing bookshop offering a full range of broadsheets with a coffee and snacks side-line run by the Rick Stein conglomerate but to date no luck.
Planning wise, all focus is on a (significant) reduction in London’s high street retail space over the next generation, partly driven by the UK’s very clear lead (vs Europe) in internet enabled shopping use.
Time will tell, as will any hard local research I hope will be forthcoming later this year.

Joe - your haberdashery suggestion is still just as ridiculous. People have always wanted better for PG town centre, just because they do not support some of your more ill thought out proposals does not mean there's not a lot of love for our local little town centre.