Ealing Council's cabinet has approved two new strategies aimed at significantly boosting the borough's economy.

The jobs and skills strategy, along with a separate plan to enhance the borough's economy after 6 pm, were both given the green light on Wednesday, 18 September 2024.

These strategies, which have been developed following extensive consultations with residents and local businesses, will guide the council’s industrial approach in the coming years.

They outline how the council will collaborate with partners and community organizations to stimulate economic growth, create quality jobs, and help residents gain the skills needed to seize these opportunities.

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Enhancing the Evening Economy

The evening economy plan aims to make Ealing a more vibrant and inclusive place to live, work, visit, and run a business after 6 pm. It focuses on creating a unique and diverse offering in each of the borough’s seven towns by:

• Diversifying and safeguarding current businesses in Ealing
• Directing future investments in Southall and Acton.
• Enhancing local amenities and services in Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale, and Greenford.

This initiative will enable residents to access new and existing jobs, services, and amenities within a 20-minute round trip from their homes, whether by walking or cycling, during the evening and night-time hours.

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Strengthening Business and Job Opportunities

The jobs and skills strategy seeks to solidify Ealing’s position as a major economic hub in West London, contributing £11 billion to the regional economy. While continuing to support key sectors such as high street retail, health and social care, and construction, the plan also emphasizes growth in three emerging sectors:

• Creative and digital industries.
• The green and circular economy.
• Life sciences.

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Community Engagement in Strategy Development

The strategies reflect the input of over 6,000 residents who participated in the consultation process. The jobs and skills strategy was also shaped by the council’s new jobs and skills forum, which includes over 25 representatives from educational institutions, training providers, businesses, and public sector partners.

Vision for the Future

Councillor Peter Mason, leader of the council, emphasized the importance of these plans for the borough's future prosperity:

"Our new plans will be key as we look to invigorate the local economy in our borough, and deliver on our commitment to creating 10,000 new good, and well-paid jobs by 2026."

"We want to leverage the cultural and industrial history that we are so proud of in Ealing, create communities filled with pride and identity, making it so that our residents have the opportunity to work locally, and earn a decent living income for their families."

"With these new plans for jobs and work in our borough, we are ensuring that regardless of where and when you work in the borough, everyone can experience the economic prosperity that we are creating for each of our 7 towns."

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Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, cabinet member for decent living incomes, highlighted the strategic focus on new growth areas:

"These new strategies are a key milestone in our journey towards building a stronger economy for the borough which provides opportunities for all."

"In addition to supporting sectors that already provide a vast number of jobs, we will now focus the borough’s efforts on supporting businesses and workers in 3 new priority sectors."

"Working with residents and employers, we will create thriving evening and night-time economies in each of our 7 towns, where people, businesses, and communities can succeed together."