Economic Development Framework engagement - Phase 1
Read more about this engagement
We asked
Barnet wants to refresh its economic development strategy with a new framework that responds to current and future challenges and opportunities and aligns with the priorities outlined in Our Plan for Barnet.
We wanted to hear from residents, businesses and communities on your challenges, priorities and ideas on how the council can better support the local economy and attract more people and businesses to Barnet.
You said
During public engagement (8 July to 18 August 2024) we had 770 page views and 512 unique visitors to our Engage Barnet page. 50+ people attended one of seven workshops (three for residents and businesses, two for young people (Barnet Youth Board), two for voluntary sector. Further engagement was held with council services, strategic partners and key business sectors such as arts and culture, construction and health and social care.
A questionnaire attracted 106 responses (random sample) with responses from residents (78%), business owners (7%), workers (7%) and charities (5%).
Engagement comments were grouped thematically and ranked by frequency. Our findings:
Barnet’s strengths to build on:
- Diversity: of businesses and people in the borough
- Businesses: local and independent
- Green: lots of space and parks
- Community: spirit and participation
- Education: strong schools and highly educated residents
- Transport: connectivity into central London
Barnet’s weaknesses to address:
Infrastructure: lack of investment, potholes
Shops: low quality and few independents
Transport: moving across the borough, inconvenient
High street: cluttered and unattractive, greedy landlords
Workspace: offices disappearing for homes
Poverty: pockets of deprivation, run down neighbourhoods
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and mobile coverage
Council: comms not reaching people, website hard to use
Young people: few leisure choices or career development options
We did
We are drafting an economic development framework (EDF) for the next five years that responds to these comments and the economic evidence base that illustrates Barnet’s economic strengths and weaknesses.
Barnet’s economy is affected by London and the UK and vice versa. A London Growth Plan is due for publication in 2025 and UK Government strategies on key business sectors and on welfare, skills and employment reform are all being developed. Barnet inputs into to these initiatives, contributing intelligence from engagement completed above. The EDF will take London and national needs and priorities into account in its content.
The EDF will also meet Barnet Council’s corporate ambitions of tackling inequalities and reducing poverty, growing local wealth. These priorities are informed by a better understanding of how growth is experienced in the borough and its effect on residents, businesses and communities.
This is why community wealth building is central. We’ll focus on those most in need, least well served by the economy. The council can’t do this work alone. Its approach is to work in partnership to have impact at scale and pace.
The council will use its unique position to bring this about, but this is an economic development framework for the borough and all its economic stakeholders to deliver together.
We will consult on a revised Economic Development Framework in March 2025 and it is expected to go to Cabinet in Summer 2025 for public scrutiny.
