Forum topic: Regenerating Palmers Green town centre

David - Surprise Surprise its the man who has a phobia of buttons and needles.

You find everything ridiculous, we're not bothered about your needs more those that love and have a interest in arts and crafts or just a day to day mending of clothing and home furnishings, just because your not interested in mending your stuff many others do.

What do you know what the public needs anyway when I've had people especially women stop and ask my wife if there is a haberdashery in PG...we tell them there is one in Enfield...Pearsons...but they find it a distance to travel too, so they have to order online which they said its not the same as seeing the item in person and it takes far too long delivery to arrive.

They are my thoughts and that's to give a variety to all that want it and enjoy recreational arts and crafts, it maybe not for you but there are others who enjoy it and also they can teach their kids a life skill which they can enjoy as a family.

My wife and I were born and bred in PG and still reside so we know what people like and want because we take a interest in our community so we ask the public and our neighbours and they want Peter George to bring back similar shops i.e Grouts and Woolworths having haberdashery, so I don't know who your communicating with about I having ill thought proposals??

People of course want better! we all do! that is why I started this discussion on the 1st place with my wife, just look around PG and we have several take aways, several Turkish eating places, several betting shops, several supermarkets, several coffee shops etc, so tell us what have the public asked you what they would like to have??

I've discussed it with Peter George and his happy with my list of suggestions, we must give the

You need to get your head out of the clouds because its not all about you...its what residents and the public want and need so there is a huge market for it in once Hamlet PG.

I guess the market will adjudicate on whether David or Joe is correct. The Council has relatively little influence on who will invest in the empty shops (from my following of Council budgets they certainly can't invest themselves). At the moment the market is telling us there isn't sufficient demand for a department store or haberdashery - if there was a financially sustainable demand we'd have them. Palmers Green's rejuvenation rests with converting some of the huge amount of retail space into much-needed housing along with places offering services that can't be bought on the internet- such as repairing, food and beverage outlets, health services, well-being, fitness, education and training, social centres, live entertainment, and personal services.

It's perhaps illuminating that Alderman's Hill's 'Park Parade' appears to be thriving (no empty units there). And most (not all) outlets are services - including dry cleaners , coffee shops, vets, accountants , restaurants, takeaways, tea shops, burger joints, flower shop and estate agents. An insight into the future perhaps?

Article on this very theme in today’s Times

Mark - it is you that needs to get your head out the clouds. You've this tremendously arrogant perceived monopoly on love for PG. Just because you & the missus have never left PG gives you no right to assume your opinions are any more relevant than those of others on here. In fact, possibly quite the opposite, as you are more likely to be outdated and living in the past - something your posts on this topic would appear to support.

I've agreed with lots of people on this thread, N Morris and Adrian Day for starters (whose last para above is particularly spot on) - just not you. And there's a reason for that. As multiple people have pointed out - if your bizarre haberdashery obession had any weight to it, then there would be one already. And a very successful one by the sounds of it.

Or, as I've said before, go set one up yourself if you truly believe it's a viable business proposition. You won't for the same reason noboy else has.

Adrian - really interesting comment re Park Parade. That's the nearest section of PG 'town centre' to me and I really like it. I use the dentists and the florists there (got a cracking Christmas tree last year!) and love both Baskervilles and 90 on the Green (super burgers, good fair priced wine). It's just a pity Starfish doesn't seem to go for evening openings.

The absence of bookies and trashy salons etc is a massive bonus of the Parade, it's great to see it thrive.

Been absent from these pages a little while but I’m a tad gobsmacked to hear a corespondent on the site saying no one in PG cared about regeneration before he raised it. There is an astronomical amount of community effort being put in in PG. Still, all hands to the pump and all that

Joe, before throwing stones it might be worth finding out eg who set up and runs the PG history focused web site Jewel in the North, who constructed Enfield’s first and successful application to make The Fox a ACV, who acts as an advisor to many involved in PG improvement work, who was a key player behind a community / LBE bid to secure a multimillion pound HLF grant to improve PG centre and a whole lot more. You will find all such routes, and a few others going back over a decade, will lead to the same gobsmacked individual. Then consider if yourposted comments help or hinder this community.

Getting paid lip service by a council officer you incessantly pester counts as caring more now does it......

I might start spamming LBE staff, try improve my PG rating.