Alice Billing House, The Creative Land’s Trust

Creative Land Trust was established to be part of providing a lasting solution – a social enterprise that will own the buildings in which studios are housed so they can be used by artists and makers in perpetuity. Their goal is to build a portfolio of space for more than 1,000 artists across London: spaces that will be available to artists and makers forever.

When property owner Newham Council was unable to find any viable long-term future use for Alice Billing House, a unique former firefighters’ home and hosepipe drying tower, the heritage asset was without investment in its maintenance or conservation for decades, resulting in closure to the public due to its condition.

Creative Land Trust proved through viability studies and business plans that a proposed use as artists’ workspaces, with a project space for a heritage-led programme of community engagement would give Alice Billing House a vibrant sustainable future.

In February 2024, the first artists moved into Alice Billing House’s south block after its restoration and development where a thriving, diverse local community of artists and makers is being created. The Trust’s vision from the outset was to save a unique, heritage asset in the centre of Old Stratford. History has been brought out of the archives to be better understood and will be added to by present and future residents.

The renovation of Alice Billings House was funded by the Architectural Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, along with the London Borough of Newham, the Greater London Authority, the London Legacy Development Corporation and the Levelling Up Fund.

This case study was produced as part of The Heritage Alliance’s 2025 report, ‘Heritage Creates: Heritage and the Creative Industries’.