Business Rates Leader’s Letter 2025/26
We remain committed to put our communities at the heart of what the council does, and this includes engaging with local businesses. Our popular Business Breakfast Briefing series continues to provide a platform where you can put your issues to myself as Leader of the Council, our Small Business Champion and council officers. The briefings are also a valuable opportunity for networking with other local businesses and hearing about new initiatives taking place in Barnet.
Barnet has long been a home for new businesses with more than 3,000 new enterprises registering in the borough in 2023 and a recent briefing focused on business start-up support including free mentoring from the council and an entrepreneurship competition run by Middlesex University.
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve access to services, we launched a practical toolkit last year making it easier for local businesses to navigate council services.
We want businesses to be a key part of our journey to becoming a net zero borough by 2042. In North Finchley, the council has helped 50 local shopkeepers, cafe and restaurant owners find ways to reduce their carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency with access to grants to help pay for these improvements.
This project is part of Barnet’s Shared Prosperity Fund, which in the past two years, has helped us support more than 500 local businesses and 200 entrepreneurs through business planning, digital skills, customer service skills, support programmes as well as bid writing workshops, and networking opportunities.
Work continues across our ambitious Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme. Well over 575k journeys were made through Brent Cross West station last year, connecting to central London in 12 minutes and making it easier for people to get around the area.
Brent Cross Town reached a major milestone with the first residents moving into their new homes this year. In addition, a neighbourhood square and new retailers are expected to open later this year as the area continues to grow towards providing 6,700 new homes and workspace for 25,000 jobs once completed.
Of course, throughout the huge construction task of this new town we are ensuring our residents are given every chance to benefit from skills and employment opportunities and we have achieved 40 apprenticeships and 15% of local labour supply employed across the scheme.
In addition to Brent Cross, major investment is happening across the borough. The Edgware Business Improvement District has also entered its second year, supporting the town centre with £800,000 of investment from local businesses over five years.
Where there is investment, there must also be local opportunity. Our support for local construction-related companies has helped them win more than £7m in contracts from council and developer building projects. The new Skills Centre in Edgware opened in 2024 and is helping train local people in essential construction skills and directly connecting them with employers delivering projects in Barnet.
To further support local businesses, we have introduced apprenticeship funding to help local businesses and charities hire and train staff. Almost £100,000 was allocated in 2024/25, and more is available to Barnet employers in 2025/26. Recruitment support is also available from Barnet’s employability service, BOOST.
We know that businesses continue to be impacted by the effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. While Business Rates are set by central government and we have no control over the amount, they do help pay for the infrastructure, services and improvements that make Barnet an attractive place to do business.
We are a council that cares for people, our places, and the planet, and I want to thank you for everything you do to help Barnet be such a great place to live, work and visit.