Edmonton Green refurbishment will bring 'growth and jobs' (From Enfield Independent)

Edmonton Green Shopping Centre refurbishment will bring 'growth and jobs', says Andy Love

2:40pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in News By David Hardiman

The £3million redevelopment of part of Edmonton Green Shopping Centre is “very positive” for the area’s regeneration, a politician has said.

Edmonton MP Andy Love said he was pleased at news that home and garden retailer Wilkinson had signed a 15-year lease to move into the centre’s North Square – meaning a major refurbishment of the site can go ahead.

He said: “The redevelopment of the shopping centre’s South Mall and the addition of the Travelodge have been a success – bringing much-needed growth and jobs to the area.

“I’m confident that the upgrade work on the North Square, boosted by the brand new Wilkinson, will have the same effect.”

The South Mall went through a £1.5m redevelopment last year to replace the roof and improve access to the library and Enfield Homes office, and a 73-bed hotel was built.

Building owner St Modwen, who bought the centre from Enfield Council in 1999, said that the work had increased footfall to around 200,000 per week – a rise of ten to 15 per cent in the last two years.

Centre manager Roger Allan said: “Wilkinson signing up to open in Edmonton Green is a great way to start 2012 – it’s the perfect retailer to join us at the centre and I know it’s going to be very popular with all of our shoppers.

“The North Square is going to look fantastic once their new shop is open and the improvement works we have planned have been completed.

“The regeneration of Edmonton Green is really coming on now, with South Mall looking great now it has finished and these new works in the pipeline.”

It is hoped the upgrade work will help regenerate the area, which is one of the most deprived in the borough with unemployment rates at around 10 per cent and 39 per cent of children rated as living in poverty.

Last summer, Edmonton missed out on a joint bid with Tottenham for an Enterprise Zone - areas that have up to 100 per cent discounts on business rates, free fast broadband, and relaxed planning restrictions – while a bid to turn the Upper Lea Valley into a business gateway for London was snubbed by the Government in November.

Had the bid been approved, deprived parts of Edmonton and Tottenham would have received a major boost as incentives were laid down for major businesses to bring jobs to the area.

The work includes improvements to shop fronts, flooring and street furniture – as well as the knocking together of smaller shops to make the 22,000sq ft Wilkinson store.