Palmers Green and the Triangle

Following the necessary removal of the diseased horse chestnut tree Palmers Green groups, improving our place, Fox Lane Residents Association and the Green Lanes Business Association came together to discuss replacement options. They concluded a broader vision than mere replacement of the tree would be beneficial for the area.

Opportunity

The Triangle is the heart of Palmers Green, a major shopping and residential area, home to many businesses, professionals and entrepreneurs. Palmers Green Triangle and its surrounding shops is more than a village centre but not a destination shopping venue such as Wood Green or Enfield Town. This area and its surrounds bring the potential to be an iconic and powerful growth area within Enfield Borough.

Living and trading conditions are sub optimal for community development. We are proposing that the expectation of replacing the diseased tree is expanded to meet local and wider Borough needs through changes requiring a relatively small level of investment under an agreed longer term vision for the area.

Issues

The current area is seen as suffering from a number of adverse factors which reduce or may even totally remove this regeneration / growth potential.

Aesthetically the area has suffered from an absence of sympathetic treatment:

·         The Triangle area is cluttered by a range of signage, either irrelevant or non-matching

·         Long redundant underground WC’s remain closed off but dominating one edge of the Triangle.

·         A substantial electronic sign sends its largely unseen messages towards two or three shop fronts

·         Architecturally strongly designed buildings fronting the Triangle, Green Lanes and Aldermans Hill are often not exhibited to their underlying potential

The ambience suffers from traffic:

·         Vehicles are frequently stationary on the Triangle waiting on traffic lights so concentrating pollution within one area, reducing air quality and increasing noise levels.

Pedestrian and shopper convenience and safety have been subordinated to traffic:

·         Vehicles typically travel at speeds close to zero along the nearby stretch of Green Lanes but at all times have priority and act as a barrier to pedestrians free movement.

·         Traffic approaching the Triangle from the south to turn into Aldermans Hill will occasionally do so with insufficient attention to pedestrians despite the existence of a zebra crossing. This crossing has been moved once following accidents and a local campaign but was not sufficient to stop the subsequent death of a pedestrian in a similar incident. Such danger continues.

·         The approach to the Triangle from Aldermans Hill is characterised by traffic frequently exceeding the 30mph speed limit. With high levels of pedestrian activity to / from the nearby Broomfield Park and to / from the nearby Railway Station traffic is invariably breaking Highway Code guidelines for even slower speeds in such regions. A VAS appears to have had little impact

·         Traffic moving away from the Triangle up Aldermans Hill can be witnessed in seeking to attain rapid speed, often seemingly using the rail bridge as a “take off ramp”, before approaching the nearby heavily pedestrian used Railway Station and Broomfield Park areas. A VAS appears to have had little impact.

·         Two zebra crossings on Green Lanes were replaced by traffic lights some years back but neither allows pedestrians, in particular children and less mobile residents, to cross shop to shop with ease other than at these two points at opposite ends of a long stretch of shops. Free movement and fair trade are compromised.

·         A Walking Bus route to Hazelwood School crosses the road close to The Fox pub. Traffic volumes typically mean that families en route to school must cross this  road in two stages but the mid road island is inadequate for all families wishing to use it meaning buggies, children and carers can be left marooned in mid road at the mercy of passing traffic.

·         Pedestrians crossing between shops to the south of the Triangle have a similar difficulty

In summary, traffic has been allowed to take priority despite an obvious very low average speed; little care has been taken of the visual aesthetics; some traffic takes advantage of road space and speeds in areas where large numbers of pedestrians are present; and there is no useful allowance made for the younger and less mobile members of society. The overall result is that living and trading conditions are sub optimal for community development.

The recent redevelopment of Oxford Circus and the area surrounding South Kensington Tube Station show that pedestrians and vehicles can mix in a much friendlier and trader beneficial way. We support a fresh approach which will revitalise Palmers Green Town Centre to allow its development as a significant commercial and residential part of Enfield Borough and vibrant heart of a local community.

Options

We considered a number of options which are outlined for wider discussion and consideration

Option 1 Leave Alone

This option brings no future cost but retains all the current issues of the area. In addition, non action may provide an adverse local reaction towards the Council. Discussion is already evident about the impact on the Triangle’s Christmas Lights by the tree’s removal

Option 1a –Leave alone but Remove Clutter

Removing the plethora of unnecessary clutter with the exception of the historic route sign is deemed a core of all options which follow.

Particular discussion will be required about the fate of the railings. In the farther sighted options which follow these would not be required or desirable.

Option 2 – Replace the Tree

Given its maturity an equivalent sized replacement tree on day one is not possible. Underground services, a (part) underground sub station and underground WC’s all act as obstacles to roots. High volumes of passing traffic, including buses, will be physical issues for developing branches while high levels of pollution associated with the traffic will also impact.

Early suggestions are that only two types of tree are perhaps capable of acting as replacements in these circumstances, the London Plane or the sweet chestnut.

It is thought this option is the minimum the Council should undertake but it leaves all the associated issues and potential of the area untouched.

Option 2a – Replace with Several Trees

Silver birch is seen as one example of this option which however leaves the associated issues and potential of the area untouched.

Option 2b – Plant the Tree into the WC’s

The underground WC’s are a saleable asset which is not selling. The Council could accept no future capital benefit will accrue from this asset and break through the existing floor / walls to allow better root access and a larger day one replacement tree.

The location would be more central to the Triangle space than the previous tree and if both WC’s were combined this could better protect developing branches from passing traffic.

This option leaves all the associated issues and potential of the area untouched.

Option 3 Push Back the Stationary Traffic

This option would apply in conjunction with one form of Option 2, i.e. include some form of replacement tree(s).

Traffic control lights, including pedestrian phasing, apply on approaches to the Triangle from Aldermans Hill and Green Lanes (southbound). Traffic lights act close to the Triangle on Green Lanes (northbound). In each case traffic is held close to or actually on the Triangle itself to add to the roadside barriers as a blockage to easy pedestrian movement. It also concentrates pollution, and impedes any attractive ambiance of the area

Traffic approaching from Green Lanes south of the Triangle onto Aldermans Hill is allowed to approach the heavily pedestrian used area at the national speed limit before confronting a zebra crossing subject to relatively small pre-sight lines, most likely a major contributor to the death and other pedestrian injuries experienced at the site.

This option would relocate the traffic lights: further up Aldermans Hill, perhaps west of the railway bridge; further north on Green Lanes, closer to the Lodge Drive junction; and south on Green Lanes close to the first of the shops. The latter in particular would assist in slowing traffic approaching the (hidden) zebra crossing.

The overall impact would be to free up much of the Triangle space from stationary traffic, instead putting the queues further away from this pedestrian centre.

In its most basic form some slight change of road layout would be required, in particular Give Way lines when traffic from two open phases coincides.

The option improves elements of the Triangle itself for pedestrians, and may even enhance the flow rate of passing traffic as some open flows could operate in parallel, but in the main leaves the majority of the associated issues and potential of the area untouched.

Option 3a – Improve the Triangle Layout

With traffic pushed away from the Triangle to take the opportunity to improve the look and feel of the centre. There are many approaches to this from the simple to the more aesthetically pleasing. Suggestions, all with differing budget implications and benefits, could include:

·         The removal of much of the present signage, all with exception of the historic direction signpost

·         The removal of the flower beds to the south western corner to be replaced by an open pedestrian space

·         The removal of all roadside barriers

·         The area to be a non stopping zone for any traffic at any time

The area would be freed up for greater trade and social space.

Option 3b – As 3a but with Pedestrian Priority

As with many European examples and increasing numbers of examples in the UK to turn the immediate area within the newly set back traffic lights into a pedestrian priority area, so reversing the current situation where pedestrians are subordinate to drivers.

Traffic speeds are such that no deterioration in flow would be envisaged however the ambiance, accessibility and general improved trading which would result makes this a valid option.  Pedestrians would have free reign over a redesigned Triangle space with traffic slowed both by a lower localised speed limit and the legal implications following a designation of a pedestrian priority area.

Such an option is seen as setting Palmers Green apart making it clear that shoppers and visitors are welcome, that local trade and community development are fundamental but that traffic too has a role and must be allowed to pass.

This is the broad option of the “square Triangle”, i.e. a Mediterranean style centre to a highly mixed community being able to act as a true cultural meeting hub with cafes, performers and other attractions right in the heart of the Triangle.

Option 4 – Extend the Pedestrian Centric Area out from the Triangle

As outlined at the beginning various issues, primarily relating to through traffic, relate to Green Lanes and Aldermans Hill as well as the immediate Triangle area. This option would see Option 3b extended potentially as far as the Fox pub to the north, Broomfield Park entrance to the West and the small run of Green Lane shops to the south. (In view of the recent importance attached to Palmers Green Library and the desire to integrate the southern edge of Palmers Green more with its centre this area could be extended as far as the junction of Broomfield Lane / Oakthorpe Road.)

Railings and other street clutter could be removed as could traffic lights and zebra crossings (actual and as is possibly planned for citing on Aldermans Hill). Some replacement signage would be required to indicate the new area boundaries / speed limit and possibly a change of road surface colour or format.

The wide pavements of the eastern edge of Green Lanes and the northern edge of Aldermans Hill could be opened to trade as with the redesigned Triangle space. 

There are no obvious downsides to traffic, including through bus routes, whereas all the issues identified with the current area would be removed or substantially reduced. In particular trade would benefit from visitors as increased space as the access and ambiance of the area encourages shoppers to come, stay and wander more. A vision of Palmers Green becoming the viable shopping area between Enfield Town and Wood Green could be achieved and at marginal cost.

Safe, attractive locations attract people which benefit trade which will help the area. Growth is very possible and in the forecast economic climate would seem a reason requiring no other aspects to consider this as the primary option.

Option 5 Art

Generating new business growth, investment and overall activity is a challenge facing Enfield over the coming years. Palmers Green / Southgate is characterised in part by a large number of media and art based residents. Acknowledging and leveraging this base to the economic and cultural benefit of the area and Enfield Borough itself should be considered.

Rather than a replacement tree(s) one option discussed is to include in the Triangle a major art installation. Based on a competitive tender the very competition would put Palmers Green on the national (international) map with an iconic art piece subject to few of the ongoing safety / maintenance costs of a tree(s).  In turn, and with planning, it could act as the fulcrum for a wider growth of the Arts within the area – visual and performing.  A raised area within the redesigned Triangle as an occasional performance space could assist such a vision. Typically highly beneficial in acting as a catalyst to areas such a growth in the Arts would invariably bring new commerce, trade, visitors, investment and life to Palmers Green / Enfield.

At low cost Palmers Green would be rejuvenated, made safer, and expanded in its business range.  

Such an Option could incorporate some tree work within the redesigned square Triangle.

Economically it may be the time for Enfield to be bold, investing in potential local jobs, an areas rebirth and extra trade by setting an appropriate long term platform for other to leverage.

We would support the most far reaching of these various options which we would expect through our efforts would carry the backing of local residents and traders.

October 2010