A plaza for PG?

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  Category: Palmers Green Town Centre

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Devonshire Plaza artists impressionAn artist's impression of what "Devonshire Plaza" might look like

Enfield Council is proposing to create "plazas" in Palmers Green and Enfield Town with the aim of providing outdoor trading opportunities for businesses, encouraging "café culture" in the two town centres and creating a space for children to play and for community and cultural events. The site selected in Palmers Green  - "Devonshire Plaza" - is at the junction of Green Lanes and Devonshire Road.

A statement about the proposals was provided to Palmers Green Community. It makes it clear that the PG project will only go ahead if the Fox Lane low-traffic neighbourhood trial is made permanent.

Text of information supplied to Palmers Green Community

Enfield Council have allocated £200,000 of Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding to deliver outdoor trading sites at Devonshire Road, Palmers Green and Fountain Island, Enfield Town. The ARG is funding from central government to support business and provide business support activities post-COVID.

The exciting proposals for Devonshire Road will involve facilitating outdoor trading opportunities for local businesses, helping them to extend their offer and encourage café culture in the town centre. The proposals will also involve delivering: an enhanced public realm, greening, informal children’s play and space for community and cultural events.

Jan Kattein Architects have recently been appointed to develop the design for ‘Devonshire Plaza’. Enfield Council and the architects have begun engaging with local residents and businesses to discuss aspirations for Devonshire Road and are expecting to deliver the project by Spring 2022 dependent on the outcome of the Fox Lane QN Trial.

Local residents can get in touch to share ideas or ask any questions by emailing

This report was amended on 24th November to clarify that information about the proposed plaza was provided separately to PGC and was not taken from a press release.

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Posts in discussion: A plaza for PG?

Adrian Day's Avatar
Adrian Day posted a reply #6218 17 Nov 2021 19:32
Great news - fingers crossed the trial becomes permanent
Martyn Rowe's Avatar
Martyn Rowe posted a reply #6219 17 Nov 2021 22:15
Completely disagree - the LTN is a disaster and a complete failure, anyone who doesn’t live in it (and a great many that do) want it gone! It’s grossly unfair - This smacks of desperation and a last gasp attempt by the Labour council to drum up some support for their failed scheme - they’re making it up on the fly, it was only recently that we were told that the parklet was going in there. They know, and we know, the LTN is dead!
Sue Beard's Avatar
Sue Beard posted a reply #6220 18 Nov 2021 07:25
I don’t really understand why, whatever people’s views on the ltn, the Devonshire idea is out the window. This is a residential street that was unequivocally being used as a cut through to avoid junctions in pg and cut off a corner. It isn’t something the council has only just suggested as the post above has suggested. It was in the consultation event in the old Starbucks 2 or three years ago for starters. It was notably something that people seemed to like the idea of and Devonshire is distinct from the fox lane etc estate- it’s the other side of a train line for starters. And no I don’t live there
Sue Hicketts's Avatar
Sue Hicketts posted a reply #6221 18 Nov 2021 08:13
Making the space at the end of Devonshire even more attractive for local businesses and community enjoyment can only be positive.
Ediz Mevlitt's Avatar
Ediz Mevlitt posted a reply #6222 18 Nov 2021 09:40
Palmers Green is bigger than just the affluent part that’s been given utopia. The splitting of our once great area is sad to see. Palmers green spreads far and wide yet it’s always the same part and same people that get looked after …. Why is that ?
John Phillips's Avatar
John Phillips posted a reply #6223 18 Nov 2021 09:49
This is a great idea and will help local businesses.

The LTN has been a resounding success. Rat running on residential streets has been stopped and the traffic on surrounding roads has decreased markedly in recent months.

Ediz, is right, LTNs should be extended to other areas.
Darren Edgar's Avatar
Darren Edgar posted a reply #6224 18 Nov 2021 10:27
Feels like a fop to encourage support for the LTN.

I love the idea of plazas in general but the economics simply do not stack up for Palmers Green (Enfield may be different). PG is blighted by being over-retailed (like much of the UK). The "high street" is arguably already an incredibly elongated 1.2km if you take it from 90 On the Green round to Yasar Halim. PG does not need an increased retail presence, it will just cannibalise the existing offer.
John Phillips's Avatar
John Phillips posted a reply #6225 18 Nov 2021 10:59
It's true retail space is no longer in such demand thanks to online shopping and many towns centres are dying. But many are thriving because they can evolve into what consumers want: a place that is good to visit for leisure as well as shopping.
The key is adaptabilty and the willingness to suit new types of consumer. Progressive towns and cities across the world are creating good environments to be in. Curtailing car use is often part of this. Change is hard to accept but its a case of do or die for many shopping centres.
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