Artist collective buys ‘creative quarter’ studios from council for £1.1m

The Ashwin Street site. Photograph: Bill Parry-Davies

A local artist collective has bought back a studio block in the heart of Hackney’s ‘cultural quarter’, bringing relief to those fearful of a “private sector carve-up”.

Last week the local authority announced that organisation V22, which has long used the site at 10-16 Ashwin Street for affordable studios, workshops and exhibitions, had purchased the building from the Town Hall “at market value”.

The sale agreement included provisions to “protect the site’s long-term future as a home for Dalston’s creative and cultural life”.

Today the collective said the purchase price was £1.1m, and revealed the wording of the contract’s “restrictive covenant”.

A V22 spokesperson told the Citizen the building was not to be used “other than as a workspace and/ or event space for artists and/or creatives and/ or entrepreneurs and/or community-focused organisations until 2040 and not to use other than commercial thereafter”.

The terms also include an overage or “clawback” clause, in place until 2040.

This means that if V22 decides to sell at a future date/in the next 15 years, it would have to pay Hackney a percentage of any profit made.

Hikes in land value are driven by a “trigger event”, typically when councils grant planning permission for sites.

V22’s chair, Edward Benyon, said the organisation was “thrilled” to have reached the agreement.

“We have been part of the Ashwin Street community for nearly 20 years, and we’re proud to have supported so many artists and grassroots organisations during that time,” he said.

“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Ashwin Street, one in which affordable creative space is protected for the long term.”

Hackney’s mayor Caroline Woodley said the site had been “at the heart of Dalston’s journey towards becoming an exciting creative hub”.

“We fully support and share the creative vision for art and nature presented by V22 and neighbouring Dalston Eastern Curve Garden.

“This agreement for V22 to take ownership of the building and create a permanent creative hub is therefore really good news, offering a bright future.”

In March, Hackney Council moved to sell off the buildings which were flagged at risk after having fallen into “dangerous” disrepair.

The Town Hall previously delegated powers to officers for them to sell the property for “best consideration” without any restrictions to the sale.

At the time, Mayor Woodley and her finance chief said the council would instead use planning rules throughout the process to safeguard against “detrimental impacts”, adding that she was “excited” by V22’s vision.

The following day, a new association named Friends of Ashwin Street, represented by local solicitor Bill Parry-Davies, applied to nominate the site as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

He said that, in negotiations with V22 to purchase the site privately, the council had then U-turned following the ACV application and now required the restrictions, including “continuing community use for creative arts”.

Under the Localism Act 2011, once buildings are listed as ACVs with the local authority, the community has a right to bid for the property if the council decides to sell it.

In response to this and further assurances around the building’s heritage, the Friends withdrew their ACV application.

Parry-Davies said: “After years of our campaigning for the cultural and environmental legacy which these buildings and the Curve Garden embody, it is wonderful that key parts of Dalston’s cultural hub have finally been recognised and secured and will hopefully benefit future generations.

“Ashwin Street holds its breath.”

Parry-Davies had earlier warned against the cultural quarter being “thrown to the wolves” of private developers, putting the nearby Curve Garden in peril if a future buyer moved to demolish the dilapidated building.

The Ashwin Street site encompasses parts of the garden’s sole indoor space, its office and a WC.

V22’s plans include assisting Café Oto and Eastern Curve Garden to “expand their businesses”, with the ambition to create an Ashwin Arts Centre.

The block at 10-16 Ashwin Street first came into the hands of the local authority in 1985, after community groups secured government funding and private donations to set up a space for promoting the arts for public benefit.

Since 2005, it has been managed as creative workspaces by V22.

Update: this article was amended at 2.45pm on Saturday 7 June 2025 to add clarifications.