The Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny Panel of Ealing Council met on 18 November 2025 to discuss panel operations, the Community Infrastructure Levy, and the Local Plan. The meeting was also scheduled to approve the minutes from the previous meeting.

Community Infrastructure Levy and Local Plan

The panel were scheduled to receive an update on the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the Local Plan.

The CIL is a charge that local authorities can place on new developments in their area, and is intended to help them deliver the infrastructure needed to support development. According to the report pack, the CIL charging schedule has been through independent examination and was scheduled to be taken to full council with a view to adopt.

The Local Plan is a document that helps shape the development of the borough over the next 15 years. The report pack states that the development of the plan follows a detailed statutory process, and the presentation sets out this process and the current stage the council is at. The council was reportedly in the examination in public phase of the Local Plan process, with the next hearings due to take place in December.

The report pack included links to further details on the documents:

• Full council paper for the regulation 19 local plan
• CIL examination page
• Local Plan examination page

Panel Operations

The panel were scheduled to discuss their draft work programme for 2025/2026. The work programme was set out in Appendix 1 to the report. The report pack stated that an updated work programme is presented at each meeting, which allows members, officers and others to know well in advance the topics of enquiry that will be addressed throughout the year, schedule items into the work programme accordingly, and track the progress of issues.

Previous Meeting

The panel were scheduled to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2025. At that meeting, Councillor Kamaljit Kaur Nagpal, Cabinet Member for Decent Living Incomes, introduced a discussion on the economy, explaining that Ealing had strengthened its industrial and town centres to support key sectors and create better paid jobs for residents, and that an affordable workspace policy had also been introduced.

Connor McDonagh, Assistant Director of Economic Growth, and Jennifer Peters, Assistant Director of Planning, Design and Sustainability, presented a report outlining progress on key targets, including the creation of 10,000 new job opportunities, 12,000 training opportunities and 5,000 apprenticeships.

Laura McLean, Area Manager for Regeneration, Investment and Jobs, spoke about West Ealing as a case study, noting that developments would bring 1,800 new homes, 400 student units, 100 co-living spaces, 270 aparthotels and 8,600 square metres of commercial space, expected to generate around 570 new jobs.

William McKenna, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Luxgrove, described his company's work in West Ealing, stating that Luxgrove had secured five development sites within 200 metres of the Broadway, all with consented plans at different stages of delivery.

The panel made the following suggestions:

1. That efforts be made to reduce turnover on the high street by supporting longer-term, sustainable occupiers and creating conditions that encourage stability in business tenancies.
2. That the Council adopt a more positive and proactive vision for the future of the area, clearly displaying this vision for both the high street as a whole and for individual sites.
3. That a coherent space policy be developed to ensure alignment between commercial and residential ambitions, avoiding an imbalance in favour of one over the other.
4. That future opportunities for improving the quality and availability of commercial office space be explored to support economic growth.
5. That greater long-term certainty be established, extending beyond a single council term, to give investors and stakeholders the confidence needed for sustained regeneration.
6. That ambitions be set out in two distinct stages: a short-term programme deliverable within one council term, and a longer-term vision for what is hoped to be achieved over time.
7. That the Council consider practical measures to make productive use of vacant property, whether through meanwhile uses, partnerships, or other proactive approaches.
8. That more dedicated work be undertaken to support and grow the creative and cultural industries within the borough, recognising their value in driving both economic and community vibrancy.