All pictures credited to Hassan Anderson, unless stated.
The main hall in Hop Kingdom skatepark when it was still open
The only indoor skatepark in central London has been forced to close down after a six-week standoff with its landlord over how to pay rent arrears.
Hop Kingdom, a community-led project in London Bridge, which also functions as a bike workshop, event space and popular craft beer bar, held its final park session on Saturday the 13th of June before vacating at the close of last week.
A bird’s eye view of the main park
The announcement comes despite a community-led effort to save the project, which has raised more than £27,000 towards rent arrears of £62,000 owed to landlord The Arch Company.
The Arch Company, which owns and manages around 5,000 railway arches across England and Wales, is backed by private equity firm Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment groups.
Ben Hopkinson, founder of the park, said: “The last six weeks have been incredibly stressful for those involved… regardless of what happens next, I am incredibly proud of the community of wonderful, lovely people we have created!”
Ben told the South West Londoner: “We are meeting [the landlord] again in three weeks to see if we can find a solution that works for all. I’m hopeful we will reopen at some point but just trying to work out the best way.”
Hop Kingdom’s Instagram post announcing the closure
Financial pressures on the venue intensified after Covid-era business rates relief ended and a national revaluation increased the site’s rateable value.
A new valuation of the archway venue on Druid Street resulted in Hop Kingdom’s annual business rate bill rising sharply from £8,000 to £27,300.
The campaign to save Hop Kingdom has drawn support from regular park users, international skateboarding professionals, legal volunteers, local MPs and the Mayor’s Office.
Donations have come from around the world through an all-or-nothing crowdfunding campaign, meaning contributors receive refunds if the fundraising target is not reached.
World renowned skate pro Bucky Lasek donates a deck to the campaign. Photo: courtesy of Hop Kingdom
Ben and his team have now vacated the premises and handed the keys back to the landlord.
They have stated that they hope the move is temporary and look forward to further negotiations with The Arch Co.
The Mayor’s Office confirmed that they had been attempting to set up a meeting between the two disputing parties.
Richard Wood, Press Officer for the Mayor of London, said: “The Mayor’s Culture and Community at Risk team has been working closely with Hop Kingdom to offer advice and support, including trying to facilitate discussions with the landlord.”
Skateboard GB, the National Governing Body for skateboarding in England and the home of Olympic skateboarding in Great Britain, have also been involved in trying to help source Hop Kingdom further grants.
Neil Ellis, Head of Growth and Engagement and Skateboard GB, said: “Hop Kingdom’s closure will be a big loss to the skateboarding community, as this is key hub for skaters in the city, as well as being a place where people can learn to skate.
“Skateboarding during the autumn and winter can be difficult (as you can’t skate in the wet), so indoor skateparks are hugely important to allow skateboarders to stay active.”
Both The Arch Company and Southwark Council were contacted for comment but did not respond.
Another factor contributing to the park’s financial difficulties is its commitment to staying affordable.
Entry to the park is £6.50, and comes with a free drink, while happy hour sees pints served at a mere £3.69, a huge attraction for newcomers who discover the venue as part of the Bermondsey Beer Mile.
What happened to Hop Kingdom… Ben’s story.
Image: courtesy of Hop Kingdom
The dispute
Efforts to try and save the park began after Hopkinson and his staff turned up to find a padlock and a notice on the door on April 20th.
Despite this, the team managed to re-enter the building without causing any damage, allowing the business to remain open, albeit with additional effort.
According to Ben, The Arch Co continued to demand that the Hop Kingdom team vacate the premises and refused to set up any further payment plans.
Further attempts were made by enforcement agents to enter the building whilst the Hop Kingdom team were guarding it.
In light of this, Ben explained in his latest social media post, how difficult maintaining the archway had become due to the 24/7 patrol needed to ward off any more attempts to evict the team.
Ben said: “Myself and my staff are tired, unsure if the bailiffs will come in one night, or if the electricity will be turned off.”
Speaking to South West Londoner about the matter, Ben said: “We’ve been in a kind of Mexican standoff for a while. We believe they’ve acted illegally and the lease is not over whilst they [The Arch Co] believe it is.”
Challenging The Arch Company in court would involve significant legal costs that Hop Kingdom says it cannot afford and would only add to its existing debt burden.
Ben told the South West Londoner: “We’ve been booted out and they [The Arch Co] have gone: “Well, if you’re not happy, take us to court”, when they know that we can’t…we wouldn’t have the means to”.
Hop Kingdom: How we got here.
Hop Kingdom’s timeline. All photos courtesy of @Hop_Kingdom
A loss for the community
The welcoming atmosphere and strong sense of community are among the reasons so many regulars rallied around Hop Kingdom when the first attempt was made to close it.
One of those supporters is 56-year-old Barry Warner…, a keen cyclist who is part of a big collective of bike couriers that regularly gather outside of the venue to do tricks, fix their bikes and catch up.
Barry said: “Where would we go if we didn’t have this place? Many of the bikers who meet up have moved here from all over: Brazil, Poland, or Europe.
“They don’t know anyone here and don’t have family.”
The idea behind Hop Kingdom
All clips courtesy of Hop Kingdom’s video archive
Many newcomers also made the effort to visit the park more when they realised it was at risk.
One of those was 32-year-old Alessandra, who began skating at the park after moving to the UK from Italy in order to make new friends.
Alessandra said: “It’s a very safe place to learn… I think the reason I continued to skate is because I came to Hop Kingdom.”
Some of Hop Kingdom’s regular visitors. Photo: courtesy of Hop Kingdom
The success in fostering a regular community through events, group lessons and affordable prices meant that Hop Kingdom qualified as a Community Interest Company status, or CIC, towards the end of last year.
A poster from Hop Kingdom advertising an adult beginner’s night at the skatepark.
This has allowed Hop Kingdom to apply for match funding through various charities meaning that all funds raised will be matched with an equivalent donation.
Ben said: “We think there is a real chance we can keep going. We want to pay rent. We want a payment plan, we’re not squatting. We’ve been here for eight years. And we’re an important part of the community.”
Hop Kingdom’s fundraising campaign to save the park is still ongoing. To donate or for more information visit Crowdfunded on the link below:
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