Decision details

This report seeks approval under delegated authority for the award of a loan to Blackhorse Lane Atelier Limited in the sum of £120,000.00 (one hundred and twenty thousand pounds) for the purpose of the expansion of the current business at 114B Blackhorse Lane, E17 6AA, and the purchase of a new industrial denim washing facility (the first in the UK) to provide services to the fashion industry in the UK. The business has partnered with University of Arts London (UAL) and has been awarded £88,682.00 grant by UAL to undertake research and development and offer training opportunities to its students. The company and UAL will also carry out research into a more sustainable laundering and washing aesthetic.

The proposed expansion of the business will take place by refurbishing and bringing back to use an underused section of the current premises and creating an extra 1800 sqft workspace to house an industrial denim washing machine and other associated machineries.


The project will:
• create 16 jobs across the term of the loan,
• create 5 apprenticeship placements across the term of the loan,
• create work experience and training opportunities for UAL students,
• create an extra 1800 sqft of employment space

Officers’ recommendation was approved by the PVF Advisory Group on 6th October 2021 meeting following evaluation of a funding application by officers and review and assessment by an independent external agency.

The recommendation is to award Blackhorse Lane Atelier Limited a loan for the value of £120,000.00

This project has been recommended for approval based on the evaluation of an application and business plan solicited through an open bidding round.

The evaluation process is set out in the application pack and assesses applicants’ proposals on the contribution to core criteria of the fund, LBH’s strategic objectives as set in the Economic Priorities of Haringey’s Borough Plan and the financial and operation competency of the applicant.

PVF has been set up on the recommendations in the Upper Lee Valley Productive Valley Strategy and Opportunity Area Planning Framework, developed by Haringey, Enfield and Waltham Forest to help small local businesses gain access to affordable finance to enable them to grow and new businesses to locate in the area, addressing the major market failure of a decrease in the supply and affordability of commercial space, particularly in industrial estates, creating wider positive benefits through the intensification of employment areas and increasing business rates income. It will protect and enhance the commercial viability of these industrial areas by providing affordable loans for premises' refurbishment and increased/more efficient production.

Not offering this loan to the applicant will result in the company not being able to carry out its proposed expansion and introduce washing facilities into its operation. The three PVF borough partners are actively supporting the expansion of garment manufacturing industry in the area. Declining this loan application could result in the company relocating to outside the Upper Lea Valley area. Such a move will be detrimental to the regeneration of the area and will undermine the efforts of the cross-borough partnership and the Upper Lee Valley Productive Valley Strategy and Opportunity Area Planning Framework to regenerate the area and improve productivity