Hounslow Council Can and Should Do Its Budget Differently

The last few weeks have been as busy as ever for Chiswick’s Conservative Councillors, as we not only continue to stand up for residents, but also prepare for the council’s annual budget setting meeting next week.

Two weeks ago the Conservative Group on the Council met to discuss our response to Labour’s budget proposals. I should start by magnanimously saying that I’m glad they’ve nicked a few of our ideas from previous budget debates: reducing the subsidy paid to Lampton (even though they promised taxpayers weren’t having to foot the bill in the first place!) and commercialising space in the empty eyesore that is Hounslow House.

Unfortunately that’s where the good ideas stop, for the most part.

Fines and Cuts

Despite some naughty Labour press releases to the contrary, the government’s financial settlement for Hounslow still leaves the council having to find tens of millions in cuts. In a recent Scrutiny Committee session, I asked about two areas that should alarm residents - a reduction in funding for frontline housing staff, and a reduction in the budget for the council’s domestic violence team.

Cutting these areas, which provide vital services for residents, is the wrong priority. With the council spending nearly a million pounds on PR officer salaries, hundreds of thousands on duplicated jobs, and sitting on a co-working space asset on Brentford High Street that is perennially empty, there are plenty of other areas to make savings which wouldn’t impact core frontline services.

As a recent Evening Standard investigation pointed out here, London councils like Hounslow aren’t just wasting our money on vanity projects like extra PR officers, many also don’t actually know where a lot of their corporate spend is going full stop.

But we’re not just facing cuts to services to plug Labour’s multi-million pound budget gap. In addition to a maximum rise in council tax, Hounslow are also planning an additional £5 million in revenue from fines levied on residents. We’ve all seen the devastating stories of local people handed thousand pound fines for accidentally leaving a paper envelope in the wrong recycling bin, or the council erroneously issuing fines to drivers on days they promised roads were open.

In order to balance their budget, Hounslow Labour are relying on more revenue from these sorts of fines. Surely that can’t be right, particularly given Hounslow Councillors seem to be able to break the same rules with impunity (maybe the trick is to drive a Lamborghini?).

The alternative

As widely reported, there is a sensible, fully costed alternative to all of this. On Tuesday, Conservative Councillors will present an amendment to the budget which reverses cuts to the domestic violence team and frontline housing services. To pay for this, we would halve the amount of money spent on PR officer’s salaries, sell the loss-making Digital Dock and stop the duplication of council jobs across different departments.

With the proposals we’re making, we’d have enough money saved to invest in resident priorities, including increasing the level of leaf clearance during the autumn and investing in a rapid-response team to stop industrial-scale flytipping.

But this is just the start. Hounslow Council needs proper change if residents are going to see an end to the vicious cycle of council tax rises and cuts to frontline services - May’s elections could well see that change.

Chiswick Area Forum

As the Chair of the Chiswick Area Forum, I’m concerned to learn that all other Area Forums in the Borough scheduled to take place between now and the election have been cancelled by their Labour chairs.

It’s a huge privilege to be able to organise and chair these meetings for residents in Chiswick, giving our community the chance to learn about new projects, engage with local groups, and scrutinise the work being done by both councillors and the council. Chiswick will be the only part of the borough where the last Area Forum before the election goes ahead, on Tuesday 17th March at the Town Hall.

It’s regrettable that no other part of our borough will have their meetings - in May, again, residents in other parts of the borough will have the chance to vote for local representatives who are unafraid of giving an account of their public service to local residents.

Cllr Jack Emsley

jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk

07977 396017

DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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.

Principal meetings are broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel

Council Meetings

Next Borough Council Not Till March!

Tuesday 10 March 7:30 pm Budget Setting Meeting for the Annual Budget 2026/27 (moved from 24 February 2026). Including setting the Council Tax for April 2026 onwards

There is public access for this meeting via a direct lift from the ground floor to the Council Meeting Room, so come and see your elected representatives in action. 6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

Chiswick Area Forum

Tuesday 17 March

Normally at Hogarth Hall, Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, Turnham, W4 4JN, but moveable around Chiswick (please check the website) 6.30 for 7.30pm

Informal Meeting at 6.30pm Formal Meeting commences at 7.30pm

Both meetings are open from 6.30pm allowing residents to meet officers of Hounslow Council in Adult and Child care Social Welfare, Education, Housing and other Services (Residents are encouraged to stay on for the main agenda)

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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