A campaign has been launched to bring some East London railway arches into community ownership to create permanently affordable commercial spaces.
The East End Trades Guild is attempting to raise £30,000 via a Crowdfunder for the first phase of a project to create a Community Land Trust to take over the aches close to the Regent’s Canal in Haggerston.
The campaign followed the attempted eviction by TFL of garage-owner Len Maloney whose rent for one of the arches had tripled, leaving him £70,000 in arrears. A meeting between the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan overturned that eviction and the Mayor later pledged his support for a Community Land Trust.
The arches are currently occupied by JC Motors, Signature Brew and TripSpace Yoga and Dance.
Krissie Nicolson, Director of the East End Trades Guild, said the project was about leaving a “meaningful legacy for the people of the East End.
She added: “Collectively, having the courage to pull off this CLT – it can be a model, a way to ensure the vital ecosystem of small independent businesses that provide the social, cultural and environmental value that Londoners depend on, will always be safe.”
JC Motors provides apprentices for young mechanics and TripSpace works closely with Hackney Council, offering dance classes for the over 55s and festivals for the whole community.
Community Land Trusts are land or buildings held in trust by local people rather than private owners. Initial funds raised in the Crowdfunder will cover the cost of employing a skilled Community Organiser to deliver the plan over the next three years.
Giuliana Majo of TripSpace Yoga said: “A Community land Trust would allow us to keep our prices down so that we could continue being accessible and inclusive.”
The Crowdfunding page concludes: “By working together we can change the rules at a local level. We can create permanently affordable spaces for the diverse communities of East London, providing accessible premises for meaningful livelihoods.”
The first 200 people to donate will receive a gift from a Guild member These include knitting and spoon carving workshops with Wild & Woolly and The Greenwood Guild, The Gentle Author’s Tour tickets, luxury food, art, books, clothing, jewellery from Tatty Devine & Stooki and much more.
To support the Crowdfunder, click here.
