Solutions

Create affordable workspaces

Create affordable workspaces

Affordable workspaces are essential to the survival of independent businesses.

The East End Trades Guild Affordable Workspace Manifesto was developed through a democratic process led by its members, and with assistance from the New Economics Foundation. While written for London, where dramatic rent rises are squeezing out independent businesses, many of the measure are relevant to other cities struggling to maintain the diversity of their economic ecosystems.

They include:

A working rent for small businesses
We need a flexible formula of rental affordability for small and micro businesses.

Small business community land trust 
A small business-led community land trust can provide genuinely affordable workspaces for small and micro businesses in perpetuity. CLTs are a viable long-­term solution to the workspace crisis.

Landlords’ register
Create access to comparable rental evidence to support small businesses in keeping rents reasonable, and enable stronger more accountable relationships with commercial landlords.

Tags Better work, more leisure

Find out more

Key documents

Policy in practice

Projects that demonstrate the benefits or may be helped by polices like this.

  • The Exchange
    This community arts centre has plans for workspaces, exhibition space and housing in neglected local buildings.
  • Space4
    Space4 is a co-working space for social enterprises and worker co-operatives in the digital tech sector.
  • Friendly Families nursery
    This brand new nursery provides affordable, child-centered care co-produced by parents and staff.
  • North Ayrshire Community Wealth Building
    Scotland’s first community wealth building strategy aims to spread prosperity in an area with historically high poverty rates.
  • Scallywags nursery
    Parents collaborate with skilled staff to provide high-quality affordable care at this well-established nursery.
  • Sovereign Harbour
    Threatened by corporate developers, a fishing community took control of their harbour.
  • East End Trades Guild
    Alliance of 300 small businesses and independent traders takes on landlords and big business.
  • The Larder
    This workers' co-operative connects local growers with businesses in the fightback against food poverty.
  • Grasshoppers In The Park
    Parents and staff work together to provide high-quality, affordable childcare at this co-operative nursery.
  • Preston Community Wealth Building
    Preston, recently named the UK's "most improved city", has pioneered more democratic ways to build local wealth.