The General Purposes Committee of Ealing Council is scheduled to convene on Tuesday 23 June 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the Food and Health and Safety Service Plans for 2026-2027, as well as the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting.

Food and Health and Safety Service Plans 2026-2027

A significant portion of the meeting is expected to focus on the proposed Food and Health and Safety Service Plans for the upcoming year. The report pack outlines the activities planned by the Food and Workplace & Public Safety Teams, seeking endorsement for their approach. These plans are designed to ensure the Council meets its statutory obligations in relation to food safety and health and safety law, overseen by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) respectively.

The Food Service Plan details how the Council will discharge its duties under the Food Safety Act 1990¹. Ealing is noted to have a high number of food establishments, estimated at around 3,500, presenting a complex regulatory environment. The plan forecasts approximately 1,994 interventions for the 2026-2027 period, with delivery dependent on maintained resources and the absence of service threats. The report highlights that failure to discharge these duties could lead to performance management programmes by the FSA, potentially resulting in a substitute authority taking over Ealing's food functions. The plan also addresses workforce pressures within environmental health services, with the service adopting a grow your own approach through graduate and apprenticeship pathways.

The Health and Safety Service Plan focuses on the enforcement of health and safety law across various premises, including offices, shops, warehouses, and hospitality venues. Ealing is home to an estimated 19,000 active businesses, with 90% being micro-businesses. The plan outlines the team's functions, including accident investigation, complaint investigation, and proactive inspections of high-risk sectors. For 2026-27, the service delivery will focus on reactive work, with targeted plans for proactive delivery in problematic areas. The report notes that irregular or significant reactive work could negatively impact the delivery of the service plan.

Both service plans are presented as essential for the Council to meet its statutory responsibilities and maintain an effective regulatory service. The report indicates that there are no direct financial implications from adopting the plans, but risks to delivery, such as unforeseen increases in service demand or incidents, may require reprioritisation of existing resources.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee is scheduled to review the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 24 February 2026. The minutes from that meeting indicate that discussions included polling place changes for the local council elections on 7 May 2026. Ross Jackson, Head of Elections and Member Services, briefed the committee on four polling stations that were unavailable and proposed temporary alternatives. The discussions noted that each polling district would be reviewed individually, with specific considerations for polling places in District DR and District YS. The minutes also detail assurances provided by Mr. Jackson regarding poll card communications and contingency planning for polling station changes.