A new planning application in the High Street, has some implications for Broadfield’s shops. The owners of the building Iceland is in want to turn it into a bar or club. This means that anyone who wants to go there for bulk buying of frozen food will be coming down to Broadfield.
The thing is, I suspect Iceland might be breathing a small sigh of relief at having this closure forced on them if it happens. Already it loses a lot of business to the Broadfield branch because the parking provision is terrible at the High Street one. One reason we get a lot of visitors to the Barton is that it has the combination of Iceland and lots of parking.
The High Street Iceland did have a useful purpose though. When I lived in Southgate it was an extremely convenient place to go shopping – a local shop without corner-shop prices – but I lived there before Asda opened. Having that Iceland shop so close enabled me to sell my car and go without, unlike now where just to buy a newspaper on Saturday I have a 30-minute stroll down the hill and back up again and so end up driving a lot more again, so I’ll be sad to see it go for sentimental reasons.
You will have to get a bike!
I do have a bike. I might have to think about getting a newer one though – mine is about 20 years old. The thing is that we live at the top of a hill which is totally soul-destroying to cycle up, and I am nowhere near as fit as I was 20 years ago.