Long-standing craft workers at the Manor Farm heritage site are facing the threat of closure following demands from Hillingdon Council for rent increases of almost 100%. Local artisans warn that applying a borough-wide, commercial approach to these specialized units could force them out, undermining the principles of the site’s Heritage grant and destroying its cultural value to the community.
Gifted to the community and rebuilt with £2m of public funds:
why treat Manor Farm like a commercial high street?
Manor Farm is Hillingdon’s flagship heritage and culture site, boasting a rich historical past that stretches over a thousand years. The 22-acre site was given to the people of Ruislip as a gift from King’s College in 1932 for the good of the local population.
In 2007, a major conservation project funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and Hillingdon Council secured nearly £2 million to refurbish the buildings. The core purpose of this funding was to create an educational facility that actively promotes traditional crafts.
Strict leases and bespoke crafts:
the historic Cart Sheds cannot survive commercial rents
Historically used to store horse-drawn carts, the site’s Cart Sheds were purposefully renovated into craft workshops to fulfill this heritage mandate. Located on the Bury Street side of the Great Barn, they currently host five dedicated artisans:
- The Shed, offering repair, upcycling, and creative making workshops.
- Creative Studio Ruislip, providing fine art and craft lessons for children and adults.
- Shaker Maker, producing bespoke fine furniture and free-standing kitchens.
- Little Willows, featuring hand-painted ceramics and pottery parties.
- Sumi London, designing bespoke leather and non-leather goods and handbags.
To keep these spaces affordable, the workshops are registered strictly as crafts buildings, and tenants’ leases feature strict conditions limiting the type of work permitted. The artisans warn that they are not commercial businesses capable of high turnovers, nor do they benefit from high street footfall. If the council proceeds with a “one size fits all” rent increase, current tenants warn that the only businesses able to afford the units would not fit the intended culture and heritage of the site.
how 100% rent hikes are already devastating traders elsewhere in Hillingdon
The situation in Ruislip mirrors a controversial strategy currently impacting other parts of the borough. Independent traders at Mulberry Parade in West Drayton recently received notice of rent increases exceeding 100%, with the council also seeking to backdate payments and have a petition against them.
Hillingdon Council has explained the West Drayton hikes by stating that rents have been below market value for years and that they have a duty to taxpayers to achieve “best value” from commercial properties.
There is a bitter irony in a council that just received a government warning for failing to deliver “best value” now using that same phrase as an excuse to double the rent on Ruislip’s heritage artisans.
Taking Action
The affected Manor Farm artisans have spoken directly with Ruislip ward Councillors Corthorne and Smallwood, and have corresponded with Cllr Denys, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Property, as well as Council officers.
They are currently waiting to hear back with a response to their pleas for a fairer rent review policy that respects the unique, non-commercial nature of these historic units.
We have received specific questions from the artisans ahead of our General Meeting on 15th September, which we will be submitting to our ward Councillors in advance so they are prepared to address these concerns on the night.
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