Palmers Green Town Centre Improvement Project 2012: Survey responses

Question 1.  What do think is good about the area?

I love living in Palmers Green. It still has some variety of shops, and a moochable quality.

Question 2.  What do you think is less good about the area?

­  There is an unharmonious streetscape.

­  The triangle is ugly, particularly now that we don’t have a tree.  There is a lack of greenery.

­  The variety of shopping opportunities is narrowing. Charity shops, nailbars, fast food and cafes are proliferating.

­  There is a lack of community space in terms of one place being the centre of community life and activity.

­  Speeding traffic is a problem on all side streets – its not people going a bit faster than they should that causes concern ; its people putting their foot down and doing 50 miles an hour up the long straight side streets.    

Question 3. What would you like to see to improve the area?

Could railings be removed on the triangle and replaced with further planting?

Could the farmers market be relocated to in front of the job centre and electrical shop on a Sunday to give more of a sense of activity and try and increase footfall?

I would love to see part of the new river opened up more fully to residents. There is potential. Truro house (one of the few historic buildings we have) has long been derelict but has extensive gardens going down to new river. The town hall also has river access, and in the terms of sale could require an area is set aside for the community.

Sign up PG to Britain in bloom or some similar garden related/pride of place competition eg http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Community-gardening/Britain-in-Bloom or  http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Community-gardening/It-s-Your-Neighbourhood/New-to-its-your-neighbourhood/How-the-campaign-works

Question 4a. Specific aspects – traffic

Speeding traffic is a problem on all side streets – its not people going a bit faster than they should; its people putting their footdown and doing 50 miles an hour up the long straight side streets.

There could be a more harmonious street scape and fewer railings and clutter, plus more use of well maintained planting to replace railings where possible 

Question 4d. Specific aspects – look of the shops/architecture

There is a lot of unharmonious neon signage, and fascias aren’t super, but I am not sure you can change that.

Question 4e. Specific aspects – type and range of shops

PG is one hundred years old now; the building is quite harmonious, and there are nice places to eat. It has a sense of life to it, though it is hanging on for dear life.

Prestige shops like Waitrose have brought more people in, as have new businesses like Baskervilles.  Increasing the variety of businesses would enhance palmers green. Some way of reducing cost of start up, or rents would perhaps help.

Enhancing visual attractiveness, and restoration of broomfield house might bring in more visitors.

Remove railings and increase greenery in the triangle. Maintain beds, and move away from strict adherence to the ‘Council palate’ of planting where possible. There are plenty more plants that can cope with dry, poor soil eg Lavender, Russian Sage, Spanish broom   etc.