'Sadiq, Sadiq, stand by Len': Mechanic serenades mayor in bid to stop eviction from his garage

Joined by a ample radical of his customers and supporters, Len Maloney, who has worked astatine JC Motors successful Haggerston for implicit 40 years, sang his ain mentation of Ben E King’s ‘Stand by Me’.

The landlord of Mr Maloney’s store is Places for London, a spot institution owned by Transport for London (TfL). It was hoped by those singing extracurricular City Hall that, arsenic president of TfL’s board, Mr Khan would hold to halt the institution evicting him connected Tuesday, November 12 owed to his rent arrears.

The mechanic says that his rent has go unaffordable, arsenic it was much than doubled successful the abstraction of lone 2 years conscionable anterior to the pandemic.

Up until 2017, Mr Maloney had been paying a rent of £22,000 per year, but his rent was accrued to £35,000 that year. In 2018, it was raised again to £45,000 and successful 2019 was accrued for a 3rd time, to £55,000, wherever it has remained since. The mechanic said helium had been paying what helium can, but his rent arrears present beryllium astatine much than £112,000.

Places for London told Mr Maloney that helium could either wage the afloat acceptable of arrears and stay successful his arch, wage fractional of what is owed and determination to a smaller arch with a little rent successful Mile End, oregon person the arrears waived and permission his arch.

But the businessman said that moving would bring a “big risk” with it, arsenic his existing customers mostly unrecorded locally successful the Haggerston area.

Places for London says that since comparable businesses connected their property are capable to proceed paying their rents, the institution cannot springiness Mr Maloney a peculiar status.

“I’ve travel down to effort and halt the eviction of my business, which is simply a concern that serves the section community,” said Mr Maloney.

He argues that his store should beryllium recognised by Places for London arsenic a ‘social value’ endeavor and frankincense enabled to wage a little rent than different tenants. JC Motors is said by the East End Trades Guild to person “links to 12 section schools and colleges providing apprenticeships, enactment acquisition and informal mentorship to young radical successful request of guidance”.

Mr Maloney added: “I deliberation businesses that service the assemblage should person a just rent, to proceed supporting community…

“I privation the politician to astatine slightest talk to Places for London and explicate to them, oregon re-programme them, to recognize that societal worth businesses are precise important to the assemblage - we are the ones that support the assemblage together.”

Mr Khan, who had conscionable finished participating successful a nationalist gathering of the London Assembly, did not travel retired of City Hall to conscionable with Mr Maloney. The mayor’s bureau was invited by the Standard to remark successful effect to Mr Maloney’s protest, but they did not respond.

A Places for London spokeswoman said the institution had nary further remark to marque successful summation to what it told the Standard past month. The institution said successful October: “Despite paying good beneath marketplace rent, JC Motors has built up important and unsustainable rent arrears.

“Our offers of assistance, including offering an alternate determination connected our property with little rent, person not been accepted. Therefore we person reluctantly taken the determination not to renew JC Motors’ lease.

“We are committed to moving successful concern with our tenants, 95 per cent of whom are tiny and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“We recognize that the closure of immoderate concern tin beryllium distressing, and we ever bash our champion to enactment tenants truthful that we tin debar these situations.”