Looking Ahead: Delivering for Residents in 2025

As we step into 2025, it’s a great time to reflect on the work we accomplished last year and to outline our vision for the year ahead. The Conservative Group has been steadfast in its mission to represent the interests of residents across Hounslow, ensuring their voices are heard loud and clear at every level of decision-making. Our commitment to holding the Labour administration to account, campaigning on key issues, and standing up for our communities remains as strong as ever.

Reflecting on 2024

Last year was a busy one for the Conservative Group. We:

Challenged the Labour-run Council on financial mismanagement, highlighting overspending and inefficiencies that have affected essential services. Through rigorous scrutiny, we uncovered areas where taxpayers' money was not being wisely spent and demanded greater transparency.
Fought for local residents on critical issues such as housing, planning, and transport. Whether it was standing against overdevelopment, opposing poorly thought-out Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes, or advocating for fairer parking policies, we were always on your side.
Delivered solutions through casework for countless residents who came to us for help with housing repairs, council tax issues, and more. Our councillors worked tirelessly to resolve these problems and ensure residents received the support they deserve.
Engaged with communities through campaigns and outreach events. From addressing local concerns in Hanworth Village to ensuring residents in Chiswick and beyond felt represented, we worked hard to connect with as many people as possible.

2025: A Year of Opportunities and Challenges

This year, we’ll continue building on our successes and addressing the pressing issues facing our borough. Here’s what’s on the agenda so far:

Council Budget Setting: Putting Residents First

With the budget-setting meeting fast approaching, the Labour administration is once again set to present their financial plan. We’ll scrutinise every line, ensuring that wasteful spending is called out and taxpayers’ money is redirected to front-line services. We’ll fight to protect funding for essential services, particularly in areas like social care, housing, and environmental management.

The Local Government Settlement outlines a Settlement Funding Assessment of £67.2 million for Hounslow, which includes £23.77 million in Social Care Grants and additional funding for market sustainability and improvement. While these measures are welcome, they fall short of addressing the borough’s rising costs and service demands. Hounslow’s financial strategy raises concerns, as the council plans to rely on reserves (£14.7 million) to close a £28.3 million budget gap for 2025/26. This reliance on one-off measures is unsustainable and risks future financial stability.

We’ll question the council’s proposals for a Council Tax increase of up to 4.99% and new fees like emissions-based parking charges, which are likely to disproportionately impact low-income families. Furthermore, the continued financial support for underperforming ventures such as Lampton 360, which projects a loss of £11.3 million, highlights poor prioritisation of taxpayer resources. Our focus will be on advocating for better financial management and ensuring essential services are safeguarded without placing undue burden on residents.

Holding Labour to Account

The Labour administration’s policies have had significant consequences for residents across Hounslow. We’ll continue to question their decisions, challenge their priorities, and offer alternative solutions where they fall short. Expect us to shine a spotlight on issues such as:

Mismanagement of housing repairs and maintenance contracts.
The ongoing challenges in waste collection and street cleaning services.
Questionable planning decisions that disregard community feedback.

Campaigning for Change

2025 will see us redoubling our campaigning efforts across the borough. Whether it’s pushing for better local transport, fairer council tax, or improved access to green spaces, we’re committed to advocating for the changes residents want to see. Look out for our team at your local high streets, knocking on doors, and hosting community forums.

Representing Residents Every Day

Our councillors will continue to take on casework with the same dedication as always. No issue is too big or small, and we encourage residents to reach out if they need support or advice.

Preparing for 2026 Local Elections

While 2026 might seem far off, we know the importance of planning ahead. We’ll use this year to engage even more with residents, ensure our policies resonate with the community, and prepare for the next local elections. Our goal is clear: to provide Hounslow with a fresh Conservative vision that puts residents first.

Speak to us

If you’re passionate about making a difference in your community, there’s never been a better time to get involved. Whether you’re interested in campaigning, sharing ideas, or simply lending a hand, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can make 2025 a year of real progress for Hounslow.

As always, we’re here to listen, act, and deliver for you. Let’s make this year a great one for our borough

Cllr Peter Thompson

peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk

07977 395810

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).

Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery). 

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS

Chiswick Gunnersbury ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446

Cllr Ranjit Gill ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702956

Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821

Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823

Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810

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