The Ealing Business Partnership meeting was scheduled to discuss the council's budget and medium-term financial strategy for 2026/27, alongside an update on business rates. The meeting's agenda also included the approval of minutes from the previous meeting.

Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2026/27

The meeting was scheduled to consider the council's budget and medium-term financial strategy for the upcoming year. This included a review of the financial challenges facing local authorities, such as increasing demands for Adult Social Care, Child Social Care, and homelessness services. The report pack indicated that central government funding for Ealing Council had significantly decreased since 2013. The strategy proposed balancing the budget through an increase in Council Tax, with a combined rise of 4.99% including a 2% social care precept. The report also highlighted the impact of inflation on council contracts and outlined contingency plans for unpredictable financial variations. Ealing Council's reserves were noted as being £140.2 million as of 31 March 2025, a decrease from the previous year. The report pack also mentioned that the council intended to protect its Council Tax Reduction scheme, which provides support for residents on lower incomes.

Business Rates Update

An update on business rates was scheduled to be presented, detailing Ealing's position as the 13th largest borough in London for collectable rates. The report pack outlined changes to business rates multipliers for 2026/27, with the introduction of five separate multipliers for different property value bands. The Cross Rail Supplement was set to remain at 2p. The report also detailed the phasing out of private schools' charitable relief and a reduction in the retail discount from 75% to 40% from April 2025. Information was provided on government plans for business rates in 2026, including permanently lower multipliers for retail and hospitality properties. The report pack also mentioned the introduction of a 12-month instalment plan for business rates and the Ealing Discount Scheme, introduced in 2016 for businesses accredited with the London Living Wage. The report pack indicated that Ealing Council would retain 30% of the business rates revenue collected in the current year, with 33% going to central government and 37% to the Greater London Authority. The report pack also noted that the number of business rates properties had decreased from the previous year, with splits and mergers being a contributing factor, and that the overall rateable value had declined year on year due to successful appeals to the Valuation Office Agency.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The meeting was scheduled to agree the minutes of the previous Ealing Business Partnership meeting, which took place on 6 February 2025.