Redbridge Council is exploring strategies to foster community wealth building and enhance economic growth across the borough. The Regeneration and Economic Development Committee met on Thursday, July 9, 2026, to discuss and agree its work plan for the upcoming year, with a significant focus on economic development and regeneration.
Director of Regeneration and Growth, Tom Dewey, presented an overview of Redbridge's strengths, including its transport connectivity and green spaces, while acknowledging challenges such as a higher-than-average economic inactivity rate of 22.1%. To address this, the council is developing an economic growth strategy encompassing employment, skills, and inward investment. This includes a wage incentive program and a bid for the Youth Guarantee, with a focus on growth sectors like construction and health and social care. The long-standing Work Redbridge
program, now in its 12th year, offers person-centred careers advice and employment support, prioritising individuals with long-term health conditions and younger people.
The committee's work plan will be structured around an economic growth strategy and a regeneration strategy. Key discussions during the meeting included ensuring that inward investment benefits the local economy and prevents capital outflow. Councillor Kallan Greybe raised concerns about capital flowing out of Redbridge, to which Tom Dewey responded that this is a key consideration in policy formulation. The council is also focusing on creating reasons for residents to stay in the borough by developing places that encourage dwell time and by ensuring the creation of housing that meets residents' needs. From a skills perspective, the aim is to foster skills that encourage employers to invest in the borough and draw from the local labour pool. The Invest Redbridge
initiative and alignment with the Local London investment approach are also part of this effort. Furthermore, the council is exploring ways to ensure residents can earn enough to spend locally, fostering a circular economy.
Discussions also touched upon the accessibility and adaptability of planned new homes. Councillor Erza Doda inquired about provisions for people with specific needs and the associated job creation. Tom Dewey responded that the need for different types of homes can be further detailed, and evidence on this can be presented. While specific job creation figures from these adaptations were not provided, the discussion highlighted social care as a key growth sector where adaptations could lead to employment opportunities. The council is planning approximately 6,000 new homes.
Councillor Stephen Adams highlighted that 94.7% of businesses in Redbridge are micro-businesses and asked about supporting their growth and encouraging them to hire more staff, a point confirmed as a key area for the committee. Redbridge has a dedicated business and enterprise team offering tailored advice and signposting. The council has also invested in and created the Queen Victoria House Business and Enterprise Hub, which provides incubation space for local businesses. The Work Redbridge
program also offers support to employers, including wage incentives, to help them find the right candidates. 
Councillor Marwan Elfallah questioned the demographic trends behind falling school rolls, given the borough's growth. Tom Dewey committed to providing more evidence on population demographics, noting that school place cycles occur over approximately 15-year periods and that growth also comes in cycles. He suggested bringing back foundational information around population demographics as an informational piece.
Community wealth building and participatory budgeting were explored as potential methods to involve residents and ensure local benefit from council spending and development. Councillor Kallan Greybe explored participatory budgeting as a way to involve residents in decision-making regarding council spending and development. Elizabeth Hannum, Economic Development Team Manager, stated that they have explored some aspects of community wealth building and participatory budgeting. She mentioned that through the economic growth strategy, they need to determine Redbridge's unique model for delivery. They are also exploring maximizing social value through commissioning and planning frameworks, and have done work around the cost of living crisis and budgeting support more widely, emphasizing co-designing with residents and ensuring their voices are heard.
The committee agreed to delegate to the Chair, Councillor Ben Cornish, in consultation with officers, to determine the specific topics for each meeting within the broader headings of the economic growth and regeneration strategies. The next meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2026. Further details on the committee's discussions can be found in the Public reports pack here.
