Aire Street Workshops: Indie businesses fight back after Leeds Council shares plans to sell creative hub
Independent businesses in Leeds have launched a fight to save their home after being told of plans to sell their building.
Aire Street Workshops, near Leeds City Station, is home to more than 30 independent businesses and 150 people working in creative industries.
Owned by Leeds City Council and managed by not-for-profit enterprise LCVS, Aire Street Workshops was founded in 1981 to provide affordable units for small and medium-sized businesses in the city centre.
In February, the property was placed on the council’s disposal list. Tenants were informed of the decision by LCVS on April 18, with a notice to vacate the premises by January 31, 2025.
The council explained that the sale of the property would help cut its budget deficit and reach its Carbon Neutral 2030 target.
In February, the authority reported a £36.3m overspend as it struggled with rising costs. A spokesperson for the council confirmed in April that it now expects to have reached a break-even position on its general fund in month 11 of the financial year.
Businesses in the workshops took to social media to express their frustration and said they felt blindsided by the news. A petition by Aire Street Workshops tenant Rose Dufton, designed to halt the sale, has reached 5,273 signatures so far.
Zac Rossiter, a freelance artist and illustrator, moved into Aire Street Workshops two months ago. The 26-year-old, who said the property was attractive thanks to its 24-hour access and proximity to the train station, said he is "gutted” that the future of the building is at risk.
He added: “I've been working to promote Leeds as this beautiful and positive place to live for three years now. I know that multiple councillors have bought artwork from me in the past.
“I think for those same people who celebrate us and commission us and buy work from us to simultaneously be trying to sell our building for the sake of budgeting is really unfortunate. I think it doesn't show insight into what we actually bring to the city and the economy as a whole as well.
“We have built our businesses up to this point where it's not tenable to do it from home and we need studio space.
“I've worked in studio spaces where there's accountants and IT people around - and it is not the same. It is really nice working around people that can help you with things. It's naturally collaborative, it makes sense for us all to be in one space.”
Another tenant, the co-owner of film laboratory Take It Easy, Joe Singleton, said the workshops have helped to nurture many independent businesses in Leeds.
The 36-year-old explained: “This building is one of the reasons why we're able to become a successful business. If we didn't have this space, in the location that we are in, I don't think that we would have really got as far as we have done.
“We would like to get the attention of people that might have the power to be able to put the brakes on [the sale] a little bit and allow us to explore some alternative options. At the minute, the only option that we seem to have is to leave in January.”
And relocation would be “difficult” for the small business, Joe said. He fears that moving the company out of the city would be inconvenient for his customers, and cause the business to lose its appeal.
In a lengthy statement released on April 26, Leeds City Council said it was “determined” to support the site’s tenants and help them find new premises in the city.
It also confirmed that it was open to various offers as part of the sale selection process, including options allowing the building to operate in its current arrangement.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We estimate that, for its present use to continue, the building would require a seven-figure investment to ensure it meets regulatory and energy performance standards.
“The unprecedented budget pressures facing the council mean we are unfortunately not able to fund that level of investment.
“Furthermore, even if the necessary funds were to be found and the work carried out, we anticipate that the improvements to the building would have to be reflected by rent rises that would place an unfair burden on the current tenants.”
The council also accused the building’s leaseholder of delaying communication with the tenants to inform them of the likely sale.
In a statement, the LCVS board of directors said they were “sorry” to have informed tenants that their lease would end in January, 2025, and that they were happy to speak to licensees to discuss any concerns.
LCVS did not comment on when it had informed the Aire Street Workshops tenants that the building was likely to be sold.
Graphic design company Saul Studios moved into Aire Street workshops in March. The business was forced to relocate after its previous premises, The Tetley, an artist-led space in Aire Park, announced closure in September 2023.
Director Dan Pilgrim and managing director Joey Barritt, who were the last remaining tenants of The Tetley, said they would not have moved into Aire Street Workshops had they known the building was also at risk.
Joey, 29, said there has been a “ridiculous” acceleration in closures in recent months that has left Leeds without creative spaces that are also affordable - and the loss of Aire Street Workshops will be another blow to the city.
He added: “There has to be a conversation about where those people go and how that scene can continue to exist. We have to go somewhere.”
Dan, 31, said: “It’s disheartening. These places are the beating heart of the city centre and we are being evicted for what? A short-term fix for funding for the council, which I think is short-sighted.
“The money that we are not spending on rent here, we are spending elsewhere. I’m buying lunch wherever, I’m going to Laynes Espresso for my coffee, revenue is being split by the 150 plus people that are in the building. That’s what I mean by short-sightedness. Yes, you will get a quick buck for selling the building, but in the long term surely that makes a negligible difference.
“It’s not entirely Leeds City Council’s fault, the central government has stripped back funding, but this just doesn’t seem like the right solution to me.”