Tracey Emin is among Brit art who made Hoxton trendy

Artists are fed up with moving into run-down areas like Brick Lane and Hoxton, helping regenerate them, only to find themselves quickly priced out of the property market.

It is estimated that for every studio in London, there are four artists clamouring for the space.

Artists met with planners and studio providers at a conference at the Tate Modern this week to discuss possible solutions to the problem.

They want developers to recognise artists make areas more popular and to persuade them to include studios in big developments.

Sound economic reasons

But conference organisers say most developers and local planners do not see how artists have "historically added value to areas like the East End" and continue to do so.

Jonathan Harvey, from Acme Studios, which builds affordable artists' studios in London said it was a struggle to convince landlords that artists make reliable tenants.

He told BBC London: "I don't think there would be any attempt to suggest that affordable workspace is as important as social housing, but I do think it has got a place.

"We are aware that culture is increasingly important for our economy, unless we invest in individual artists and their work space, our economy won't thrive so I think there are sound economic reasons for that support."

Among projects already underway to address the balance is the creation of 50 new artists' studios on at the Boss Business Village in Stratford, east London.