A Focus Group for Palatine Road

The Northenden Lib-Dems have started a "Palatine Road Focus Group" which aims to give our high street a wider variety of shops and services.

The Farmers Market has taught us all, even the traders, that if we get the shops right on Palatine road, we can have a thriving centre of shops, services and amenity.

Many residents have told us over the years that they are disappointed in the lack of certain shops - butchers, fishmongers, shoe shops etc. They complain that we have too many fast food takeaways and bars.

It was always difficult to respond - apart from reacting to planning applications or inviting other shops to set up business, it would be difficult to step in. How could we convince the existing traders to support a scheme to add other shops on the road, even if they weren't in direct competition?

Since the traders (even the new grocers) have had extra trade on Farmers Market day, they have now realised how beneficial it would be for them to have a wider variety of shops.

I spoke with the Chair of the Northenden Civic Society (NCS) about a joint tenants and traders meeting to discuss all the issues facing Palatine road. We didn't want it to be overtly political, indeed we thought the best way forward is to attract the Councillors and Council Officers to this meeting to make it more useful.

He suggested the NSC adopts it as a formal sub-committee, effectively "de-politicising it". I'm pleased to say that when he put it to the Civic Society on Tuesday, it was agreed that it would become a formal sub-committee.

We now have the extra clout and access the NCS can give this group which is a great start for a meeting yet to happen!

If you live or Trade in Northenden and would like to attend the meeting, please meet us at:

Northenden Methodist Hall

Victoria road (just off Palatine Road)
Northenden

8pm, Thursday 29th November