News

Share share on facebook share on twitter share on Bluesky

At the Spring Market that will be held in Devonshire Square on Saturday 2nd March, the public will be invited to share their thoughts and ideas about preliminary work to develop a permanent layout for the square, now that the council has decided to make it permanent.

children playing in devonshire square palmers greenThe council and designers from the firm Hayatsu Architects are starting work on a permanent design for Devonshire Square. The items used to create the current (temporary) layout of Devonshire Square, as shown in this photograph, will be replaced by new surfacing and fittings

The pedestrianised area off Green Lanes known as "Devonshire Square" was created 18 months ago, when Enfield Council issued a temporary traffic order. The equipment that was installed in the space - wooden platforms for children to play on or for tables and chairs for cafe customers - was only ever meant to be temporary.

Having assessed the use to date of the area - for people to stop and chat to friends and neighbours, for children to play, for craft markets, for public art and for cafe customers - and considered feedback from residents, businesses and emergency services, along with objections to the scheme submitted during the statutory consultation phase, Enfield Council's Journeys & Places team have now decided to make the square permanent. A new traffic order comes into force on 28th February, superseding the temporary order.

Now that the continuing existence of the pedestrianised area is secure, the council is commissioning Hayatsu Architects to design the permanent Devonshire Square. Designers from Hayatsu, along with officers from Journeys & Places will be at the Spring Market in the square between 11am and 2pm, and members of the public will be able to talk to them, find out what their preliminary ideas are, and contribute their own thoughts and ideas.

The Palmers Green Town Centre page on the Journeys & Places section of the Let's Talk Enfield includes a link to the Communication, Engagement and Consultation Plan for the Devonshire Square project. It shows future stages in the redesign of the square as follows:

Online and in-person workshops engaging local communities in sharing and exploring concepts for design

February – April 2024

Engagement summary produced and shared on the project page

March 2024

Sharing detailed designs with local communities and inviting feedback

May-June 2024

Engagement summary produced and shared on the project page

June 2024

Revised design shared publicly on the project page

July 2024

Notification letter about works

Aug-Sept 2024

Launch of redeveloped square

March 2025

Log in to comment
PGC Webmaster posted a reply
12 Mar 2024 16:49


At the Palmers Green Spring Fair in Devonshire Square four ideas for redesigning the square, now that it is to be made permanent, were displayed by the design firm Hayatsu. Visitors were able to discuss the ideas with the designers and write comments on postit labels stuck to the displays.



Summing up the feedback they received from visitors, the council's Journeys & Places team have posted the following "key takeaways" in an update on their website:
  • A collective space is needed to create a stronger sense of community
  • The Square needs a clear identity - some signage or other feature will make the location recognizable.
  • The square should be level, open, welcoming; and easy to find and access
  • It would be great to expand the current uses of the Square, to include live entertainment, screenings of film and major sport event, flower markets
  • When having live events, being respectful and considerate of businesses/houses near the square is important
  • People would like to see more greenery and plants on the Square



0