LONDON FIELDS SOLUTIONS (Solon CHS)

DEVELOPER
Solon CHS

LOCATION
Ellingfort Rd & London Lane, Hackney, London E8

STAGE
Completed summer 2003

SCALE
7 o­ne bed units, 13 two bed units, 6 three bed units, 1 four bed unit. All within Victorian terraced housing

TENURE
Assured shorthold tenancy, possible shared ownership in pipeline

FUNDING
£300,000 from ERDF for provision of workspace infrastructure, £15,000 from ESF for training for management of London Fields Solutions Ltd. Some matched funding from residents' contribution in-kind

PARTNERS
London Fields Solutions Ltd and Network Housing Group Limited (parent of Solon)

TARGET MARKET
Residents are ex-squatters, after natural wastage 56 bedspaces were available for remaining eligible members of resident-formed company – London Fields Solutions Ltd. Mixed group with bias towards creative industries and ICT

DEFINING FEATURES
Residents wanted it and had legal claim to some properties as ex-squatters. Hackney wanted to develop area. LFS has set up innovative data network for all the properties, this provided broadband access for fee of £60 per year

'There is no tenancy that serves the needs of live/work - this is a major problem. We currently use a modified assured tenancy, but given that the clause o­n commercial use has been deleted and a clause relating to the provision of workspace is inserted the legal status of the agreements is not known - it is English civil law and therefore set by precedent. We will o­nly know if this type of live/work tenancy is challenged by the courts' says Mike Cox, development director

CONTACT
Mike Cox, Solon CHS