Aire Street Workshops: Statement from LCVS Enterprises Ltd

LCVS Enterprises Ltd is a not-for-profit company set up to provide affordable business units.

It is run by a Board of Directors who are not paid. They are supported by three members of staff.

We run two buildings, one on Dock Street which is owned by the company and the other on Aire Street which is rented from Leeds City Council.

We wanted to clarify our position for the purposes of accuracy:

  • Leeds City Council has leased the Aire Street building to LCVS for more than 40 years through a succession of short-term leases. We have never had security of tenure, meaning that we have never been able to consider the long-term future of the building.

  • Whist the building is sound and meets the needs of our tenants, we appreciate that upgrading is required, not least to meet forthcoming mandatory energy efficiency requirements. These improvements are the responsibility of Leeds City Council and in any event are unaffordable for LCVS.

  • We met Leeds City Council on 29th September at which we were informed that the Council was considering options for the building, that an options appraisal would be prepared and that we would have sight of this document. Without a clear statement from Leeds City Council at this point that our lease would be terminated, it would have been inappropriate to inform tenants that our lease was coming to an end.

  • We received notification that the lease was to be terminated on 19th February 2024. This followed a decision of the Council’s Executive Board on 7th February 2024. We were not informed that the matter was being brought to the Council’s Executive Board for decision in advance.

  • After a short period of reflection by the Board about the implications of this decision and whether it could be contested, we released this information to the tenants. The information was communicated alongside a communication from representatives of the tenants who we consulted immediately prior to the release of the information to all tenants.

We understand that Leeds City Council feels unable to invest the sort of money in the building that would bring it up to the standards required by legislation. We are equally unable to fund these works.

However, the Aire Street Workshops provide a valuable and valued service to small business in Leeds. There are no guarantees that alternative accommodation can be found and there is every chance that some of these businesses may have to cease trading. In view of this, we feel that a pause in the sale of the building is required to ensure that all of the alternatives have been considered by all interested parties.

LCVS Enterprises Ltd

1st May 2024