Hounslow Council 'Aloof, Out Of Touch And Uncaring' Says Survey

Cllr John Todd blogs on the current financial overspend and attitude to residents

Tree pollarding by Dukes Meadows

Council Finances

Council finances have elicited a damning verdict from London Borough of Hounslow chief executive citing “significant and unmitigated overspend in some key areas … and unrealised savings.”

In June 2019 our new chief executive, concerned at what he found, instituted the #1Hounslow programme of cultural change – from the ground up – to help LBH become the best it can and become an outstanding council. This includes a systematic review of all services led by a champion, a consultant and a new assistant chief executive who arrives in early 2020.

In his report to the LBH cabinet, he raises a number of worrying matters. Most important is his statement of “significant and unmitigated overspend in some key areas … and unrealised savings”. He adds, “This cannot continue … a robust performance framework will be established”.

Dealing with customer services he says, ”There’s much to do. Our recent residents' survey indicated that our approach was aloof, out of touch and uncaring. Our interactions with our residents and businesses lacked personal attention and was characterised as being dismissive”.

Drilling into the detail

We had a meeting of the borough council on Tuesday evening to approve the administration’s medium term financial strategy. Disappointingly, the overspending continues unabated. The Lampton group of (in-house) companies still fail to contribute any profit and their outstanding loans of £50m will be paid back by 2037.

We drilled into some of the items. Disappointed to learn that we have 30-plus vacancies in our specialist SEN-D schools. The cost of educating these pupils outside the borough was highlighted as a growth item without evidence of awareness of these vacancies.

The brown garden waste wheelie bin charge was recommended for an increase because “we hadn’t done so for some years” and a comparison, not seen, highlighted the need to do so. I examined the related costs. The profit, or surplus as officers describe it, for this year is circa £45.5k and next year I estimated it’s £180k. The huge variation is because when people join their initial fee only covers the cost of the bin. In the following year, undiluted creativity especially when our waste operation is frequently requiring additional funds to survive.

Climate emergency

Utility costs. The council publishes its plan next month. In an interim paper to our scrutiny team they mentioned current negotiations to procure electricity which was 50% renewable. I’ve advised the cabinet member that a company located in Chiswick Business Park can supply 100% renewable and beat our current costs.

Carbon offset fund. I recently asked a question at council about the sum of £300k lying dormant in a carbon offset fund. We charge £60 per tonne to developers to mitigate their carbon obligation. The leader said the funds were used in 14 schools in the borough – a statement he later retracted. Other local authorities in London charge up to £114 per tonne and using these funds reduces pollution and conserves energy in a number of schools. An amended charge of £100 per tonne is under consideration by LBH. Andrea Carnevali, the dynamic instigator of the St Mary’s School green wall alongside the A4, told the area forum that LBH had now completed its tests on the filtration equipment installed in the school and found they reduced pollution by 40% plus. Others believe the figure is higher. Whatever, five schools in Hounslow feature in the list of school with the highest level of pollution in London. Carbon offset funding must now be used to protect our children.

Dukes Meadows

Barnes new footbridge. The recent soil tests are satisfactory. More needs to be done on the footpath near the Emanuel boathouse. We now have a projected timescale of end 2020. A value engineering assessment (linking construction materials, etc, with budget) is under way.

Tree pollarding. Pollarding shown in the photo has opened up the footpath and been done to a high standard.

Dukes Hollow. This unspoilt piece of river embankment is described by the Wildlife Trust as the last area of natural river frontage on the Thames.

DATES FOR DIARIES

Chiswick Clean Up: Sunday, 26th January 2020

The future of policing in Chiswick public meeting: date to be announced soon

 SURGERIES

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in the private room.

Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.

 Councillor John Todd

Chiswick Homefields ward

Email: john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk

Phone: 07866 784651

November 30, 2019