‘Desperate situation’: Artists join forces to campaign against eviction of Hackney mechanic

Artists and supporters are to come together next week in support of Len Maloney, a car mechanic at risk of being forced out of his railway arch in Haggerston.

An event at Signature Brew E8 from 7pm on 15 October will feature a DJ set from East End legend Hak Baker and live performances from Nicky Knightz & Lilith Ai.

All proceeds will go towards the campaign to save Maloney’s business, JC Motors.

The event has been organised by the East End Trades Guild, an alliance of 400 small, independent businesses and self-employed people in East London.

In 2023, Maloney was saved from eviction after more than 2,500 people signed a letter to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

Maloney recorded his own version of the Ben E King R&B anthem ‘Stand By Me’ as part of that campaign.

But in July, JC Motors was told by Places for London, a subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), to pay all of its arrears or move to a different premises.

Maloney was given a deadline of the end of November.

He said: “I find myself, my workers, my work experience students and my loyal local customers in a desperate situation due to the heavy-handed actions of my landlord.

“We must make an effort to keep the small business at the heart of our community.”

Maloney has a strong following in Hackney after two decades of service at JC Motors on Stean Street.

He is known by many for going above and beyond to help customers and for providing training and mentorship to young people through links to 12 local schools and colleges.

The East End Trades Guild is campaigning for affordable leases for its members and community ownership of three premises in Places for London-owned railway arches.

If successful, the properties will be owned by stakeholders in a community land trust, where tenants will be protected from the pressures of constantly rising rent.

Last year, the Guild secured a meeting with deputy mayor of London for transport, Seb Dance, to discuss Maloney’s case.

Dance promised to schedule a follow-up meeting to work on a business model for a social value lease for JC Motors.

Such a lease would be set at an affordable rate, taking into account the work Maloney does in the community.

Sem Moema, London Assembly Member for North East London, said: “It seems this [meeting] has got lost in the transfer to Places for London; it’s imperative that this is worked through as clearly there is merit in social value and community land trust.”

Krissie Nicolson, co-founder and director of the East End Trades Guild, said Maloney’s eviction is part of a wider picture of garages and community-focused small businesses disappearing in London due to rent rises.

“Garages in particular have been eroded and forced to close by market rent increases and a lack of a responsible and affordable rent policy,” Nicolson said.

“Places for London said they have made ‘offers of constructive assistance’ but all three offers made to Len mean displacement from Hackney and inevitable, eventual closure.”

There was a 43 per cent reduction in jobs from garages in areas with Places for London arches over the decade between 2011 and 2021, according to preliminary research from the New Economics Foundation, with a faster rate of job losses in these neighbourhoods than the inner London average.

TfL told Maloney in 2017 that his rent was tripling from £22,000 to between £60-70,000 a year.

He agreed to a stepped rent increase, but said at the time that this would put him into arrears.

JC Motors has paid an average of £43,188 per year in rent to Places for London over the last six years, totalling £259,130.

Maloney has made an offer of an affordable rent of £30,000 per year.

The Guild has requested comparable evidence of the rent in nearby arches on which Places for London bases its market rate, but it has not received this information.

Richard Enver, co-owner of a nearby black taxi garage, was given the same “offers of constructive assistance” in 2016.

Richard and his brother Hasan of Dunstan Garage were told to pay market rent or move to a smaller arch.

The reduction in space meant the brothers could no longer service enough taxis to make their business viable.

Under immense stress, Richard shot himself the day after he received the notice to vacate the original premises. The arch has been vacant for five years.

In 2021, members of the Guild met Sadiq Khan and discussed the proposal to own properties for small businesses in a community land trust.

Khan said then: “The answer is yes, but the issue is the timeline. I do not want to commit to something I cannot deliver.

“We will have to speak properly about it after the election if I am still mayor.

“For the community land trust, we need to look at the land and we’ve got to identify the best site.”

The East End Trades Guild has identified three arches for the community land trust, including Maloney’s arch, nearby Tripspace Yoga & Dance, and the venue for the fundraiser, Signature Brew E8.

Giuliana Majo, Tripspace director and physiotherapist, said that while Tripspace was not in debt, it was also feeling the strain from unaffordable rent.

“The yearly rent increases are far outpacing the spending ability of the community,” Majo said.

“To bridge the ever-widening gap between what it costs to keep our doors open and what our community can afford, we’ve had to take on additional jobs, work exhausting hours, and offer services at little or no cost.”

Places for London said Maloney’s current arrears are in excess of £112,000 and that it cannot give any special status to JC Motors, such as classifying it as a social value enterprise.

A spokesperson said: ““Despite paying well below market rent, JC Motors has built up significant and unsustainable rent arrears.

“Our offers of assistance, including offering an alternative location on our estate with lower rent, have not been accepted.

“Therefore, we have reluctantly taken the decision not to renew JC Motors’ lease.”

The East End Trades Guild is calling on Londoners to sign an updated letter to Sadiq Khan to help win an urgent meeting before Maloney is evicted. The letter can be found here.

Tickets for the fundraising event on 15th October can be bought at bit.ly /3zsMz6D.

Update: this article was amended at 5.30pm on 11 October 2024 to add a comment from Places for London.