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

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Key documents

Policy in practice

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

  • Marine Dream Hub
    Coastal hub brings together marginalised communities to make the most of their marine environment and boost their local economy.
  • The Clipper
    Local residents bought an empty pub and turned it into the city’s first community-owned market.
  • East End Trades Guild
    Alliance of 300 small businesses and independent traders takes on landlords and big business.
  • Rock House
    A community-rooted development company transformed a run-down office block into a creative, collaborative, mixed-use hub.
  • Guardians of the Arches
    Railway arch-based small businesses fight for affordable rents.
  • North West Mutual
    Community bank will help local businesses and individuals neglected by mainstream banks.
  • The Larder
    This workers' co-operative connects local growers with businesses in the fightback against food poverty.
  • Friendly Families nursery
    This brand new nursery provides affordable, child-centered care co-produced by parents and staff.
  • Preston Community Wealth Building
    Preston, recently named the UK's "most improved city", has pioneered more democratic ways to build local wealth.
  • Homebaked
    Residents saved their iconic neighbourhood bakery and transformed it into a thriving community run-business.