Question 1. What do think is good about the area?
Very little. We have a mini-Waitrose. Store 21 is Ok. My optician is still there.
Question 2. What do you think is less good about the area?
Everything, now that the old shops have gone. We used to have a large and interesting department store – Evans &Davis; Grouts; fishmongers, butchers; Tesco, Sainsbury; a bookshop; a good wine merchant. All gone. No pleasure in wandering around down there now. It looks so scruffy. It smells of bacon fat, or did today. It feels cheap and run down. People playing loud, horrible music from cars doesn’t help the ambience. Too many cafes and pubs. Not enough interesting shops.
Question 3. What would you like to see to improve the area?
If it turned into something like Muswell Hill, with upmarket, independent shops, lots of variety, smarter shop fronts, something interesting to look at other than Pound Shops, charity shops and scruffy pubs. One more traffic island between Boots and the Devonshire Road zebra. More planting. Trees. Shrubs in pots – azaleas for bursts of colour. Roses with big thorns to discourage vandalism/theft. Or perhaps these could go in the two permanent raised planting areas. Window boxes on the railings. Small blossoming trees on the Triangle.
Question 4a. Specific aspects – traffic
This has never bothered me. There are places to cross easily, but if I choose to cross between them, I can generally manage. Quite often traffic stops to allow me to get across in the main shopping area close to the Triangle. Though not the case in stretch between station and the park gates. But I have for 40+ years crossed without problem just beyond the gates towards the lights at top of park as there is always a clear space outside rush hours. There are stretches where it does go too fast, so you have to be careful, which is only sensible, but I am not a very old person – they get very scared by traffic when they can’t judge speed or can’t make eye contact with drivers. Traffic speeds up between the park zebra and PG station - there should be traffic calming measures there. It's dangerous. I wish people would not play their nasty music so loud. There is much more traffic and congestion in Muswell Hill – it’s a larger area, there are many buses coming through and using the central bus garage, the traffic jams are larger and longer, though it does not speed. More difficult to cross the road. Comparatively, Palmers Green feels – as both a pedestrian and a driver – easier to negotiate, less congested, fewer traffic fumes. And yet, Muswell Hill is a far nicer shopping/relaxing area.
Question 4b. Specific aspects – parking
): Difficult if you need disabled parking. We usually walk or use the bus. If needing the car for unloading for the charity shops, it is impossible to find a spot nearby. Almost impossible to park near the Post Office. If shopping in Morrisons we use their car park. At the moment you can park in the library if using it. You need disabled parking for the library – I used to take my mother. You can’t park near the doctors’ surgeries in Old Park Road and near Hedge Lane. A nightmare for older and disabled people.
Question 4c. Specific aspects – clutter
Hate those terrible advertising things on stalks. They are ugly and no one wants to see advertising everywhere. Hate this year's Christmas ‘tree.’ Can’t bear all the studs all over the pavements, makes it difficult to walk without turning an ankle or losing balance. My elderly mother couldn’t go out to post a letter because she couldn’t cross the studs even using her walking frame, without losing her balance. Don’t know why they have to be all across the pavement near the Triangle. I like the railings, they add a certain formality to an otherwise raggedy area, they are smart, they have a retro feel. As I don't need to dash across roads they don't hinder my progress. They could have flower boxes attached to them. I think the old finger posts have been removed - '12 miles to London' - they were fun. Would like to see those back. Perhaps they're still there, I haven't looked recently.
Question 4d. Specific aspects – look of the shops/architecture
Ghastly. Unrelieved gloom. Some of the old shop fronts remain, but they are not celebrated by the occupants.
Question 4e. Specific aspacts – type and range of shops
Currently useless and cheap – Needs to go upmarket. Surely this will depend on the available custom in the area. We used to have a large department store – Evans &Davis; Grouts; fishmongers, butchers; Tesco, Sainsbury; a bookshop; a good wine merchant. All gone. Should be like Muswell Hill, with upmarket, independent shops, lots of variety, smarter shop fronts, something interesting to look at other than Pound Shops, charity shops and scruffy pubs.
Question 4f. Specific aspects – amount and use of pavement space
No problems with this, though if too many cafes put out tables it will make it harder in the narrower areas. Not pleasant to have to walk through all the smoke when people sit outside cafes.
Question 4g. Specific aspects – the Triangle public space
Currently ghastly. We mourn our old tree.
Question 4h. Specific aspects – Greenery
There are public planting spaces which could be 100% more attractive if properly planted with attractive and not merely utilitarian perennials. Possibly a few bulbs and annuals included. These used to be gardened twice yearly with annuals. Azaleas – evergreen with a burst of spring colour. Smallish blossoming trees in the planters on the Triangle central area. Window boxes on the Public toilet railings. . Trees in the wide areas of pavement towards Hedge Lane. Shrubs in pots – azaleas for bursts of colour. Roses with big thorns to discourage vandalism/theft. Or perhaps these could go in the two permanent raised planting areas. New trees with blossom and autumn colour. Window boxes hooked on the railings, planted with annuals - which they have in Muswell Hill.
Any other comments