Workshop units could be sold off in mass asset sell-off - councillors set to vote on cashing-in scheme

Published: 07 July 2011
by RICHARD OSLEY

WORKSHOP businesses and a leading photographic studio fear they could become the big losers in a mass asset sell-off ordered by Camden Council.

The Town Hall is planning to sell scores of buildings and patches of land to raise money to invest in schools, meaning companies leasing premises from them are at risk of losing their bases.

Council chiefs blame the decision to hire estate agents and sell off chunks of Camden’s property portfolio on the government’s axing of the school repair programme last year.

One of the sites set to be sold is a long-established set of workshops in Carol Street, Camden Town, and a studio next door used by photographers Fashshot, ­regularly hired by some of the country’s best-known clothing designers.

Studio manager Dean Clarkson said: “We do not know what would happen if we were forced to move. There isn’t a lot left around here for us to use. We are established here and our clients like the fact that we are in Camden.”

He added: “If you speak to the residents around here, they all want us here to stay.

“They don’t want a big block of flats built here. Camden claims that the buildings are run down – but that’s not true. We’ve spent our own money fixing them up and keeping them maintained. 

“We are a good creative business for Camden and the council should be encouraging places like this, not driving them away.”

St Martin’s Comm­unity Centre is also set to be sold and in the workshops next door there is similar concern about  the pace of the move to sell. 

A meeting with councillors last week failed to provide any reassurances and businesses say they were not properly kept up to date with the developments.

It has become a matter of urgency as councillors will vote on the proposals later this month. 

The council has a cast-iron policy not to sell council homes on the ­private market, but that guarantee does not extend to commercial properties that Camden has leased supposedly to help small businesses.

In Carol Street, the council can expect to take millions of pounds in a property deal because of its prize location as an opportunity site for developers to build expensive flats.

Many nearby residents live in homes that were grouped under the Carol Street housing co-operative and remember campaigning for the workshops in the 1980s.

One of them, Zee Nagre, said: “These workshops are so useful, so important and they feel part of the community. There must be other places, empty places which the council can sell – here they are selling off a community.”

Labour ward councillor Thomas Neumark said he supported the plans – on the condition that a small green space is retained and the community centre gets new premises in Plender Street.

“I understand people’s concerns,” he said. 

“I contacted people in February about what was being proposed and didn’t get any response. I then went knocking on people’s doors to get people’s views. 

“I understand why people are upset. Nothing will happen quickly but the council has to look at all the options.

“One option would be for the businesses there to club together and buy the buildings themselves from the council. 

“Camden does provide a lot of business space, an awful lot compared to other local authorities, but we have to look at how the council is going to pay to repair our housing and schools stock.”

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