The NCAAP is served by a number of designated commercial centres. These locations, which tend to be well served by public transport services, act as a focus of community activity and provide important day to day retail and community service requirements for local people.

The patterns of movement and retail behaviour of local residents is highly complex, being influenced heavily by the attraction of larger surrounding retail centres of Palmers Green, Wood Green, Brent Cross and Central London beyond. Notwithstanding this, smaller centres and local parades continue to play an important role in establishing sustainable neighbourhoods. A detailed review of existing centres across the Borough was undertaken to inform the DMD and the importance of large local centres, small local centres and local parades is recognised under DMD 28 which itself supports Core Policy 17 Town Centres.

The main centres within the AAP are as follows:

These centres are broadly equidistant from each other, being no more than 1km (10-15mins walk) apart, and are within walking distance of the vast majority of local residential communities within the whole AAP area. In line with Core Strategy and DMD policies, the NCR will seek to protect and support these centres and parades where they continue to perform an important and viable role in meeting the everyday shopping and community needs of the local population.

In response to these small-scale commercial locations within the AAP area, three ‘neighbourhood places’ have been identified in consultation with local residents. Whilst these are not major retail locations, they do contribute positively to the character and richness of the area. The focus for change in the North Circular AAP area will be the three neighbourhood places of Arnos Grove/New Southgate, Bowes Road and Green Lanes. These three places represent the commercial and community centres for the surrounding residential neighbourhoods and as such are where new development and environmental enhancements will be of greatest value. It is intended that focusing on these three areas will enable stronger north-south connections to be facilitated across the North Circular route.

The approach adopted for each ‘neighbourhood place’ is as follows:

Arnos Grove/New Southgate: Identified as a Regeneration Priority Area, New Southgate and Arnos Grove benefit from a masterplan which has been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document. This masterplan will direct changes in this area delivering new employment, housing and community development. Developers have been appointed to deliver the redevelopment of the Ladderswood Estate which will spearhead the changes in New Southgate and deliver the objectives of the New Southgate Masterplan.

Bowes Road: Centred on the existing commercial Ritz Parade and the parade at the junction between Brownlow Road and Bowes Road, this central area of the AAP acts as a community hub with retail uses either side of the main road and a primary and secondary school serving the local community. There is an opportunity for new mixed use development within the revised boundary of the Bowes Road Large Local Centre which can consolidate and strengthen the commercial and community uses within the Ritz Parade.

Green Lanes: The junction between Green Lanes and North Circular Road will be a major focus for change with a number of development sites supporting the wider regeneration of the area. Whilst the existing commercial parades on the south side of the main junction remain intact and address the corner successfully, the parade on the north side of the junction is less successful. There may, therefore, be opportunities to improve this prominent location, particularly on the northern side.

In addition to boundary changes made via the DMD, it is suggested that further changes to the Bowes Road Large Local Centre are considered to exclude residential properties opposite Ritz Parade and include the former Esso Garage site and adjacent car wash site. The changes are intended to provide the scope to create a more viable commercial parade that can offer a better community and local shopping function with improved parking and access arrangements. The suggested revised boundary for the Bowes Road Large Local Centre is set out in Fig 12.

For more information please see the North Circular Area Action Plan