This meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to receive reports from the Metropolitan Police and about the financial status of the council. It was also scheduled to receive updates from its scrutiny panels and the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and to review the council's Forward Plan and Work Programme.

Metropolitan Police Service update to Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to be provided with an update from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The report to be provided to the committee included a section about the challenges currently facing the MPS - these included financial, operational and cultural challenges. It highlighted crime figures for Hounslow, noting that whilst most types of crime had reduced, ‘theft from the person’ had increased. The report highlighted four key focus areas for the MPS in 2025:

• The ongoing delivery of ‘A New Met for London’ priorities of building trust, reducing crime and maintaining high standards.
• Reducing knife crime and domestic abuse, along with other types of community crime such as robbery and burglary.
• Working with Hounslow Council to reduce people’s fear of crime in the borough.
• Exploring how communications with local communities can be enhanced particularly where the MPS are working in partnership with Hounslow Council and other agencies.

The report also scheduled to be provided to the committee an update on Stop and Search, including the outcomes of searches, the ethnicities of people stopped and the number of interactions recorded using body worn video cameras. It was also scheduled to include information about the number of 999 and 101 calls made to the MPS in the borough so far that financial year, how these calls were graded, and the MPS' response times.

The report also provided an update about neighbourhood policing, highlighting some of the activities that were taking place, including:

• Operation Nightingale - we have used crime and ASB data to identify long term hotspots and are tasking resources to these at peak times to prevent and disrupt offending.

It was also scheduled to include information about the MPS’ work with schools, stating: The Safer Schools offer is evolving with Safer Schools Officers being embedded into the relevant SNTs (instead of a separate schools function). This will broaden their scope for activity in the areas around schools to keep young people safe beyond the school gates.

The report ended by drawing attention to considerable alignment of partnership priorities and the shared ambitions of A New Met for London and the [Hounslow] Safer Communities Strategy.

One Hounslow Financial Strategy (OHFS) - 2025/26 Budget Proposals

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to be provided with a report about the council's draft budget proposals for 2025/26.

The report included two appendices. Appendix 1, the One Hounslow Financial Strategy Update, provided an update on the council's medium-term financial plans to 2027/28. It highlighted a number of risks and pressures on the council's budget:

• It noted that temporary accommodation was continuing to cause a budget overspend across London.
• It reported that West London Waste Authority (WLWA) had reported that residual waste tonnages had grown by 3.5% over the 12 months to September 2024 across its six constituent boroughs, compared to a budgeted expectation of 0.5%.
• It stated that the Council's Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2024/25, which had been set in February 2024, was forecasting a reduction in its contribution to HRA reserves, from the budgeted £3.4m to £0.5m. This was mainly due to overspends in repairs and maintenance budgets, driven by costs associated with clearing a backlog of void properties and disrepair cases, alongside a £1m overspend on interest costs due to higher-than-expected interest rates.

The report said that although Hounslow had historically been well managed financially it also recognised that its reserves are only one-off in nature and must be replaced with permanent savings that will put it back on a sustainable footing. This will include a plan to replenish risk reserves. It noted that the financial monitoring update for Quarter 2, which had been reported to Cabinet in November 2024, had included demand-led pressures in the current year, especially for adult social care.

The report included an update on the Dedicated Schools Grant, which funds schools. It noted that whilst 13 of the council's maintained schools had ended 2023/24 with deficit balances, this was a reduction from 15 schools the previous year. The report said that falling pupil rolls is cited as the main reason for the deficits of most of the schools with deficit balances, but that other reasons included inflationary increases, insufficient SEND funding, and unfunded pay awards. The report explained that whilst these deficits were currently ringfenced to the DSG, there is a risk to the General Fund where schools are mandated to convert to academy status or amalgamate.

Appendix 2, the 2025/26 budget proposals, included a detailed list of 48 proposed savings totalling £12.088m to be made in the 2025/26 budget. The report explained that balancing the budget would require the use of reserves, and that future OHFS updates would include a requirement for those reserves to be replenished. It said that this reflected a strategy of using the Council’s reserve position to deliver savings in a responsible manner and avoid large scale service changes in any single period. The report said that this reflected a strategy of using the Council’s reserve position to deliver savings in a responsible manner and avoid large scale service changes in any single period. The report noted that it is estimated that only 13% of the 2025/26 proposals would represent any form of reduction in service levels.

Climate Emergency Action Plan - Fourth Annual update

The committee was scheduled to receive a report about the progress being made in delivering the council's Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP).

The report provided an update on the council's operational emissions, which fit into four categories:

1. Corporate buildings, including council offices, leisure centres and schools.
2. Council vehicle fleet.
3. Non-direct emissions arising from supplies and services, staff travel, staff commuting etc.
4. Social housing, which includes communal and tenant areas.

The report noted that inaccuracies and inconsistencies in data in 2018/19, which was used as the baseline year, meant that comparing current performance to the baseline was challenging. The report explained that net zero emissions to heat and power buildings is reliant on a shift from gas to electricity for heating, but that the electricity grid was still an emitter of CO2. It noted that central government had a plan to deliver clean power and decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030.

The report highlighted a number of activities undertaken by the council to reduce its operational emissions.

For corporate buildings:

• The council has invested £23.9m in decarbonisation measures for 21 council operational buildings, 43 schools and 6 leisure centres.
• 16,500 streetlights have been changed to more energy efficient LED lighting.
• The council has completed net zero carbon surveys on 76 corporate buildings, showing that a £47m investment could reduce gas emissions by 3,164 tCO2e.
• Solar PV surveys have been completed, showing that a £1.5m investment could allow the council to self-generate 25% of the electricity it uses.

For the council vehicle fleet:

• The council has invested in a vehicle management system that allows it to track vehicle usage, helping to reduce emissions.
• The council has ensured that its vehicles meet ULEZ standards.
• The council has trialled using Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a cleaner fuel.
• The council has replaced end-of-life vehicles with cleaner vehicles.

For non-direct emissions:

• The council has introduced waste and recycling facilities across 22 buildings.
• The council has been promoting sustainable modes of travel to its staff.
• The council has introduced pool cars for business travel.
• The council has reduced print volumes by approximately 60%, or 3 million pages, since 2018/19.
• The council has adopted the West London Procurement Toolkit, which aims to encourage suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint.
• The council has updated its Contract Procedure Rules to ensure that contracts with a potential expiry date after 2030 support its goal of achieving net zero emissions.

For social housing:

• The council has invested £2.1m from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) to retrofit 25 council-owned homes, and 126 homes that are not council owned.
• The council has supported tenants and leaseholders to reduce their energy usage through the Better Homes, Better Health Scheme.

The report then provided an update on the council's progress toward its target of influencing a reduction in wider borough emissions, explaining that these principally fit into four categories:

1. Domestic - primarily electricity and gas used to power and heat homes.
2. Industrial and Commercial - fuel consumption and energy use from industrial processes and industrial sites; electricity and gas used to power and heat industrial and commercial buildings
3. Transport - movement of persons and goods by road, rail and aviation.
4. Waste - waste collection, treatment, disposal and materials recovery

For domestic emissions:

The report highlighted a number of measures taken by the council to reduce domestic emissions:

• The council has run behaviour change campaigns to encourage residents to reduce their energy usage.
• The council has supported residents to retrofit their homes.
• The council has published guidance for residents about how they can improve the sustainability of their homes.
• The council has been using the planning system to deliver new homes with low carbon emissions.

The report also explained two key projects being undertaken by the council to reduce domestic emissions:

• The Net Zero Neighbourhoods (NZN) feasibility study, which is looking into making the case for installing decarbonisation technologies for between 500 and 1,000 homes. The report said that the NZN approach is designed to mobilise blended finance, including private sector investment, to deliver place-based climate and community infrastructure, centred around home retrofit.
• The District Heat Network (DHN) project, which is in the detailed project development stage. The report said that the aim is to develop an outline business case for the project by early 2025, with the first phase of the network expected to start providing heat in 2029. The report said that the DHN will be 67km long, and that its first phase will provide heat from Mogden Sewage Treatment Works to thousands of homes and businesses.

For industrial and commercial emissions:

The report highlighted the following activities and projects that could help to reduce industrial and commercial emissions in the borough:

• The NZN approach, which could help SMEs to decarbonise their buildings.
• The District Heat Network, which could provide heat to large industrial and commercial properties.
• A new project that is being planned to help SMEs to decarbonise their operations.

For transport emissions:

• The council has implemented 37 schools' streets in the borough, which restrict motor traffic and reduce car use for school journeys.
• The council has been developing active travel infrastructure.
• The council has been working to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

For waste emissions:

The report highlighted two initiatives being undertaken by the council to help reduce waste emissions:

• Heston-in-the-Loop, which is a demonstrator ‘circular economy’ neighbourhood in Heston focused on encouraging local residents to reduce their waste and recycle more.
• The council's commercial waste service campaign, which has been contracted to 226 businesses at 262 collection locations.

The report then explained the council's plans to make the borough more resilient to the impacts of climate change. It explained that the council was developing a Climate Change Resilience Plan (CCRP), and that it had already taken a number of steps to support the borough to adapt to climate change:

• Since 2021, the council has planted over 25,000 trees.
• The council has completed six Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDs) schemes.
• The council has been working to increase flood resilience in partnership with the Environment Agency.
• The council has been working to increase its preparedness for wildfires.
• The council has opened cool spaces for vulnerable people to use during heatwaves.
• The council has launched the Nature Recovery Stakeholder Board, which aims to increase biodiversity in the borough.

The report concluded by explaining that the council was planning to review its Climate Emergency Action Plan in 2025. It explained that in order to achieve net zero emissions, it would be necessary to offset some of the council's residual carbon emissions, and that it was planning to develop an Investment Plan to help it achieve its target of net zero emissions by 2030. It also explained that the council would need to unlock private sector capital financing to support the reduction of wider borough emissions, especially the decarbonisation of domestic properties.

Scrutiny Panel and JHOSC updates

The Committee was scheduled to receive updates from the Chairs of its three Scrutiny Panels about the work they had carried out so far:

• Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel. This panel, which is chaired by Councillor Emma Siddhu, is focusing on disadvantage and school performance among primary-aged children.
• Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Panel. This panel, which is chaired by Councillor Riaz Gull, is focusing on commissioning and contract management for adult social care providers.
• Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel. This panel, which is chaired by Councillor Samina Nagra, is focusing on flood resilience in the borough.

The committee was also scheduled to receive an update from Councillor Nagra about the work of the North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (NWL JHOSC), which has met twice since the last meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Forward Plan Review

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to review the council's Forward Plan.

Work Programme Review

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to review its Work Programme.