Difficulties for inner-city garages revealed after whopping rent rises forces out London garage.
PMM has spoken recently to London garage owner Len Maloney, who was evicted from his site at the end of last year after a lengthy battle with his landlord, Transport for London.
Maloney, who runs JCM Motors, has decried the unreasonable rents being imposed on local businesses, after his rent beneath railways arches in Hackney more than doubled from £22,000 to £55,000. He ended up owing £112,000 to Places for London, which is the commercial property division of Transport for London.
Maloney had been celebrated as a key member in the East Ends Trade Guild, an organisation set up to defend small businesses in a rapidly gentrifying area, and the organisation jumped into action once Places for London served Maloney with notice to leave. Campaigners petitioned Sadiq Khan to intervene on Maloney’s behalf, arguing that the garage represented a “social value” enterprise, with links to schools in the area as well as being one of the few independent garages left in the area.
Maloney’s case highlights the increasing pressure independent garages are facing as inner-city rents continue to skyrocket, with labour rates unable to keep pace.
PMM’s Kieran Nee visited Maloney at his new site, sharing space with 1st City Self Drive, a van rental company in nearby Leyton, to find out more.
You must have been very heartbroken when you found out you were being evicted.
It was heartbreaking from the beginning all the way through. And then you realise, okay, I’m going to fight this. This is wrong. What they’re doing is wrong and I know what I’m doing is right. I think the most heartbreaking part though is when they said leave at the end of November and then they moved it to the 7th.
Is a new business in there now?
There’s no-one. It’s up for rent for £91,800. The grass is growing outside and it’s just sitting there empty.
How disappointed are you that Sadiq Khan and the council didn’t back you?
I’m very, very disappointed because so many people got involved and so many people were asking for this thing to be saved and why he didn’t come out of City Hall to say hello or something to all of these fantastic people who gathered to speak to him I have no idea. He didn’t even acknowledge us.
With rents as high as they are, do independent garages have a future in London?
They’ve got no chance. These people have manipulated the rent and they want to keep it there. They’re not thinking about the damage they’re doing to people like me who are serving the local families, local people.
Should councils and landlords take into account the social value that garages bring to the community?
Garages should be at the forefront of their thoughts. Instead, they’re wiping out the glue that keeps the local community together – that’s what they’re doing. It’s just money. And that is why I think it’s very disturbing for them, and for Sadiq, not to recognise that.
We’re not in their scope. We’re not in their agenda. And we should be in the biggest part of the agenda, which is to protect businesses that serve the local community. And that is just outrageous.
Are you hopeful for the future?
I am hopeful that a change will happen. I’m hopeful for that because enough noise has been made, a lot of people are involved and we have created vibrations in the GLA, the council, everywhere that we possibly can. I’m happy the media is involved. So yeah, I’m optimistic that some changes will happen, some recognition for businesses that have social value.
