Finances, Casework and a Fun Weekend Ahead
Chiswick Homefields councillor Jack Emsley reports back
Cllr Jack Emsley
August 30, 2025
Even with last week’s bank holiday, the past few days have been as busy as ever. As summer draws to a close, councillors are preparing for a busy end to the year, both with an eye on next year’s elections and what is shaping up to be a very difficult local budget.
Hounslow Slipping into the Red
Early last week a number of important council reports were published giving an update on the state of the borough’s finances and major projects - it doesn’t paint a very good picture.
As councillors, it’s our job to read through these reports and scrutinise how the borough is being run, and I was grateful that Conservative councillors were also given a full briefing by the council’s Executive Director for Finance on Thursday to talk us through the 500+ page report.
The headline from the Financial Monitoring Update is that the council is currently forecasting a £10.5 million overspend this financial year, just months after it originally set its budget. This is despite the council making £12 million of cuts to services in February, hiking up council tax and dipping into reserves to try to balance the books.
There are a number of reasons for the overspend - increased demand for adult social care is a big one, and continues to require additional funding from the local authority. As a statutory duty, it’s important and right that this is properly funded.
Increased demand isn’t the only reason the council is struggling, though. Rachel Reeves’ decision to hike up national insurance has cost local authorities an estimated £1.8 billion, of which £1.3 billion they have had to pay for themselves. That added quite a substantial amount of pressure to Hounslow’s budget, not just for in-house employees, but to pay for the costs passed onto the authority by third party contractors.
The Lampton Black Hole
The infamous Lampton Group is also continuing to drain the council’s finances. This is a company wholly owned by the council which, to date, has been loaned over £200 million of taxpayer money. Lampton has made a cumulative loss of over £13 million to date, and taxpayers are liable.
The Financial Monitoring Report states that Lampton is already experiencing an “adverse variance of £1 million” this financial year - which is technical speak for things are still not improving.
A local Chiswick Labour councillor wrote earlier this year that Lampton had “reduced the need for further immediate support” and that it would have to “cover its own losses” going forward. Unfortunately, that has turned out not to be true - the cabinet reports reveal that Lampton is in such financial difficulties that the council had to give it a cash advance just to pay off debt interest.
Think about that - taxpayers have been forced to loan this loss-making company hundreds of millions of pounds, and now we are being asked to give them even more in order for them to pay the interest on the debt they owe us.
It’s the responsibility of the council’s shareholder committee to provide oversight of the Lampton Group - the membership of that committee is currently four Labour councillors: the leader of the council, Shantanu Rajawat, his deputy, Tom Bruce, and two other cabinet members (Sue Sampson and Lily Bath). Given the financial peril the group is in, and the impact it’s having on public finances, you’d be forgiven for thinking they might not be doing a very good job.
Councillor Casework
The figures for casework completed by councillors were also published last week, showing that Chiswick’s councillors continue to be amongst the hardest working in the entire borough. Since the last election, Chiswick’s Conservative Councillors have cumulatively solved thousands of pieces of casework, from housing issues to potholes and everything in between.
Of course, casework is just one measure of how hard local councillors are working. As above, we also have numerous briefings and reports to read; committees to sit on and, in my case with the Chiswick Area Forum, to chair; and plenty of other in-person local community engagement.
It’s such a privilege to be elected to serve our area!
Bumper Chiswick Weekend Ahead
Next weekend is another example of a bumper few days in Chiswick. On Saturday 6th, Abundance London will host the Chiswick Apple Day outside the library between 11am and 3pm - pop along for apple pressing, fresh local juice and a very special book launch all about Chiswick’s long association with great apples!
Then on Sunday 7th, it’s the usual brilliant market day. In Dukes Meadows, the Food Market will run as usual with an amazing array of fresh produce and street food. On the High Road, it’s the Flower Market’s fifth birthday, so don’t miss the free cake and prosecco to celebrate!
Cllr Jack Emsley
07977 396017
DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2025
Monday 13 October: Chiswick Area Forum - Normally at Hogarth Hall, Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, Turnham, W4 4JN, but moveable around Chiswick (please check the website). Meetings are open from 6.30pm allowing residents to meet officers of Hounslow Council in Adult and Child care Social Welfare, Education, Housing and Services
Council Meetings
Planning
Borough Council
- Tuesday 16 September 7.30pm
- Tuesday 25 November 7:30 pm
Overview and Scrutiny Panel
There is public access for these meetings via a direct lift from the ground floor to the Council Meeting Room
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Council Meetings – Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- Monday 18 September 2025 7.00pm
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Council Meetings – Audit and Governance Committee
- Tuesday 4 November 7:00 pm
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Anyone can attend public meetings of the council. Most meetings take place on the 6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, TW3 3EB. Hounslow House is fully accessible. The nearest tube is Hounslow Central which does not have step-free access. Parking in local roads is limited.
Emergencies
You can report emergencies outside office hours by ringing the council on: 020 8583 2222.
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES
Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the seven 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 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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