Workspace and employment objectives

What you’ve told us... 

• The current creative and cultural success of Dalston has grown organically and can be built upon through careful consideration of the needs of the types of businesses and organisations that preside there. Gillett Square and Ashwin Street make particularly positive contributions, off the high street.
• Many of the key stakeholders in the town centre are keen to work with the Council to establish appropriate workspace requirements and collaborate as partners and / or developers and take on the management of new workspaces.
• Rent increases are threatening some local organisations and preventing new creative businesses from opening, with affordability highlighted as an integral component to Dalston’s culture of community and art.
• A range of lease lengths are needed to suit the variety of business' needs, with short-term leases helping new start-ups and long-term leases required for established organisations.  
• Rigid use classes and inflexible new spaces are not adaptable to the range of businesses and organisations that require to use them.

What else we know…

• Hackney has experienced rapid economic growth over the past decade and has been the fastest growing London Borough for employment over the last five years, and the third fastest growing for businesses.
• Dalston is one of Hackney’s key employment locations, with some of the highest level of office rental growth. 
• 3,425 people are employed in Dalston in 538 businesses, which makes Dalston the fourth largest centre in Hackney based on employment. 
• There is a high demand for workspace in Dalston and it is well placed for productive activities such as co-working spaces, small offices and community spaces
• 19% of the town centre is office space and is increasing, with continued growth needed to meet demand.
• There is also a strong night-time economy in Dalston, which accounts for around a third of employment. Dalston is also home to a wide range of creative businesses including makers, musicians, architects and designers. 
• The council has an important role to play in supporting long established creative, cultural and community organisations to stay and flourish in the borough.

What the LP33 says…

• The number of jobs are predicted to rise by 24% by 2033, and there is a minimum need of 117,000sqm new office space in the borough.
• Dalston is a major town centre and designated employment area, where employment floorspace will be protected and promoted.
• New major employment or mixed-use development in Dalston should re-provide any existing low cost workspace in the new development. 
• At least 10% of new employment floorspace in Dalston will be affordable, provided on site and at no more than 60% of the locality’s market rent, subject to viability.