News, comment and features

Skills for Work Service (Enfield Council) is currently working in ten primary schools as part of a wider Market Gardening project. All schools are working hard to grow vegetables and fruit in the school grounds with parents and children. This is helping both to educate the children about growing food and also to provide food to support families. The project requires volunteers to help with food growing in schools. You would need to have an understanding and passion of how to grow and look after.......

"High Street parking might disappear under Mini-Holland Scheme!!!" is the headline on a leaflet issued by the Enfield Business and Retail Association (EBRA) and Green Lanes Business Association (GLBA), in which the two trade bodies warn that "It is highly likely that Pay and Display parking bays will be removed on both sides of the High Streets outside the local shops".  The N21 Online website uses the lurid headline "Are our High Streets about to be Sacrificed for the Mini-Holland.......

A London Assembly study has highlighted the increasing vulnerability of pedestrians in London and is critical of the policies of the Mayor of London and Metropolitan Police. Feet First: Improving Pedestrian Safety in London is a newly published report by the Assembly's Transport Committee, which comprises members from the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democratic and Green parties. In their executive summary the Committee set out the current state of affairs: More pedestrians are killed or.......

A twelve-week course on painting with oils begins on Tuesday 22nd April in Wood Green, starting at 7.30pm.  The classes, intended for people of all ages, are taught by Mick Yates and will be held at the Burghley Road Children's Centre, London N8 OQG (near Turnpike Lane). The hour-long sessions costs £10 each or £7 if you book for all twelve weeks in advance.  More information from the Big Green Bookshop in Brampton Road or you can call Mick on 07985558001........

On 4 March planning permission was granted for refurbishment of Palmers Green Library.  The official planning documentation can be found on the Council website, the most interesting documents being the Planning Statement and Design and Access Statement. The exterior of the building, now separated from the adjacent former town hall, will be renovated and a new entrance and new liftshaft built on the north-eastern corner (see illustration).  Inside the building, only about half of the.......

Local face and body artist Caroline Young, aka TropicalBird.co.uk, was the first stallholder to sign up for the 2014 Palmers Green Community Festival, which will take place in Broomfield Park on 7th September. Open air Salsa at the 2013 FestivalRegistration for stallholders began on 25th March and is open to small local businesses, charities and community groups.  At the 2013 Festival more than a hundred different businesses and organisations took the opportunity to promote their work to.......

According to the Enfield Council officers involved, last weekend's public consultation about improving the "Public Realm" in Palmers Green went well, and they were pleasantly surprised at the level of interest and the amount of time many local residents spent engaging with the 3D model of Palmers Green town centre.  They have begun analysing the information they gathered from residents and hope in the near future to be able to provide some initial information about the most important themes.......

This week there are three ways that you can influence the future look and feel of Palmers Green: On Thursday the Area Forum will discuss the proposed changes to Green Lanes and the Triangle. A "mobile consultation space" will be parked in Green Lanes from Friday to Sunday.  You will be invited in to tell the Council what you think about their ideas. You can contribute to our online discussion:  your top five ideas about improving the Palmers Green Public Realm.  As we.......

Enfield Council has published a draft document outlining how it intends to manage the various town centres within the Borough and is asking for feedback from town centre users - retailers, people running other businesses, shoppers and those using town centres for leisure activities. Enfield's Town Centres: Places for Everyone is officially described as a Draft Town Centres Management Framework, and the Council is inviting feedback via this page on its website.  The deadline for comments.......

Enfield's Mini-Holland funding bid has been successful.  The Borough is one of four that have been awarded up to £30 million from the Mayor of London to implement a comprehensive scheme to improve conditions for cyclists, with consequential benefits for everyone in terms of a reduction in traffic-related air pollution.  In addition to the cycling improvements, some of the money will be available for enhancement of the "public realm" along the cycle routes - for example, smartening up the appearance of streets and pavements and improving conditions for pedestrians.  However, an unpublicised consequence of the scheme's implementation may be the removal of the Triangle traffic island at the heart of Palmers Green.

If you've ever wondered what became of the railings around the public conveniences at the Triangle, we have now discovered that they are being stored by the Council's highways contractor at a site in Broxbourne.  The Council is open to suggestions from residents' groups about suitable sites in Palmers Green to re-erect them.  One suggested location is in front of the Conservatory in Broomfield Park.  If you like this idea or have another suggestion, you can use our Forums to air.......

 Later this month local residents will be invited to play a part in planning future enhancements to the "Palmers Green Public Realm", which we understand refers to redevelopment and public works along the stretch of Green Lanes between Bourne Hill and Broomfield Lane and to the eastern end of Aldermans Hill. The focal point of this area is Palmers Green Triangle, the future shape of which is uncertain - the last study carried out by the Council actually recommended completely removing the.......