The Respace Classification

 


 
Sign the petition available ***here*** to encourage councils to give more buildings to groups like us!
 

 
We’re asking the mayor to help promote and implement the ‘respace classification’ into planning law, which would cut red tape and make it easier for communities, councils and landlords to collaborate and make better use of empty buildings. 
 
The impact report from the first ReSpace project, Hive Dalston, has added to the growing body of evidence showing that cross-sectoral cooperation and sharing of resources makes for a healthier society. Councils are able to make use of respace projects to hold workshops, trainings and events; landlords can be assured their buildings are looked after, usually benefitting from discounted rates; the public get their buildings back. 
 
At our second conference in 2016, we held a hustings panel, prior to the mayoral elections. The respace classification got cross-party support – all candidates and representatives pledged to support the initiative. Sian Berry recognised that this would require “legislative change at a national level”, suggesting that London should lead the way.
 
The classification allows a landlord, council or community group to apply for respace status which covers the temporary use of a building by community interest, social or charitable groups – without affecting the status of the building when it returns to use by the landlord. We recommend the landlord is given a rebate on their empty building rates, meaning that they don’t pay anything whilst the building is being respaced. The Hive has shown how much value these projects can return to the community, from a space built largely from waste destined for landfill. 
 
Please sign our petition to ask Sadiq Khan to back our request and help implement the necessary changes, to give people access to free space in this busy city!
 
 
 
 
 

 

Sign the petition available ***here*** to encourage councils to give more buildings to groups like us!

 


 

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