The Hounslow South, Isleworth and Osterley & Spring Grove Area Forum met on Monday 14 September 2026, where councillors and residents discussed a range of local issues. Key topics included updates on highways maintenance, community initiatives, and concerns raised during the open forum regarding planning, road safety, and local amenity.

Highways Update

Tim Hurley, Service Director of Hounslow Highways, presented an update on various highways matters. He reported a positive trend of decreasing fly-tipping incidents across all wards, attributing this to improved resident behaviour, better access to waste disposal sites, and enhanced council enforcement. Cleansing complaints and weeding complaints have also seen a significant reduction, with increased resources and a more effective cleansing programme contributing to these improvements. Mr Hurley noted that while chemical weed control was reintroduced in 2025, leading to a decrease in complaints, trials for non-glyphosate solutions are ongoing. Leafing complaints have shifted to the summer months due to climate change, impacting younger trees. Pothole reports increased in early 2026 due to harsh winter weather, a trend seen across London. Hounslow Highways has implemented a whole street cleansing programme, which has significantly increased the number of gullies cleared. A weeding trial in Isleworth did not proceed as planned due to weather conditions, but manual removal teams were deployed as a compensatory measure.

Community Spotlight: Isleworth Society

Anne Jackson, Secretary of the Isleworth Society, provided an overview of the organisation's aims, which include being a voice for Isleworth and surrounding areas, preserving local features, and promoting high standards of planning and architecture. The society has been involved in renovating the war memorial and producing a book on its history, as well as advocating for the preservation of Park Road allotments. Ms Jackson highlighted the society's need for new members and volunteers to help with their work, including delivering newsletters and assisting at events.

Open Forum for Questions from the Public

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the open forum, where residents raised a variety of concerns.

Castle Development and South Street Traffic: Barbara, Chair of the Herons Place Residents' Association, raised concerns about the development of the Castle pub into a nursery and pub, citing potential traffic issues on South Street due to increased drop-offs and pick-ups by nursery-age children, with no provision for parking or drop-off areas. Councillor Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio holder for Regeneration and Economic Development, stated that the application had not yet been determined.

Litter Bin Emptying: Christine enquired about the ongoing emptying of two litter bins between John Day House and Holland House, which had ceased at the end of the previous year. Tim Hurley confirmed he was aware of the bins and would discuss the plans with Martin Waddington, and that the bins were on private land. He advised residents to use the Fix My Street app for reporting such issues.

Cycleway 9 Expansion: Dominic West of the St John's Resident Association expressed concerns about the consultation process for the Cycleway 9 extension from Brentford to Isleworth and Hounslow, noting that TfL was carrying out the consultation with limited input from Hounslow officers. He highlighted potential issues with the cycle route running through the shopping parade by Isleworth Station, describing it as a suicide risk. Councillor Salman Shaheen, Portfolio holder for Environment, Transport and Public Realm, acknowledged the concerns and stated that while the council supported the general objectives of Cycleway 9, specific concerns would be raised with TfL. Councillor Unsa Chaudri offered to work with Dominic West to organise a residents' meeting on the matter.

E-bike Safety and Injuries: A resident raised concerns about the dangers of e-bikes, citing a BBC London News report about a cyclist who was seriously injured by an e-bike. Councillor Shaheen noted that the council offers e-bike training and works with providers to fund training, acknowledging a learning curve for e-bike users. He also mentioned the potential for a London-wide licensing scheme for e-bikes.

Isleworth Bowls Club: Questions were raised regarding the status of Isleworth Bowls Club and the use of a £196,280 grant awarded to them. Councillor Bruce confirmed that a planning application for a crazy golf facility had been rejected, and another application was currently in progress. He clarified that the lease from Hounslow Council was in the process of being transferred to the Park Inn, but the planning application was in the name of Isleworth Bowls Club. Councillor Bruce stated that if the planning application did not proceed, any remaining funds would be clawed back.

Academy Place Open Space: Councillor Tony Louki addressed concerns about the management of the Academy Place open space, which is owned by agents of a property developer. He confirmed that a clause in the Section 106 agreement allows the council to take ownership if the space is not properly maintained. Officers are currently scoping options to sustainably resolve the long-standing issue of poor management and maintenance.

Homebase Site Development: Councillor Tom Bruce provided an update on the development of the former Homebase site in Sion Lane. He stated that previous plans had fallen away, and the landowner, Barclay, was looking to bring forward new plans. He confirmed that the council's purchase of 164 homes for social rent on the site had not proceeded, and the money had been clawed back and would be used for other council house building projects. Councillor Bruce also addressed concerns about the consultation process for the new plans, stating that officers were liaising with the developers to ensure adequate publicity.

Shoplifting and Anti-Social Behaviour: Pauline Marsh raised concerns about shoplifting and anti-social behaviour on South Street, including incidents of nitrous oxide inhalation. Councillor Roger Crouch acknowledged the concerns and mentioned the development of a Shopwatch project. He highlighted the lack of police resources as a contributing factor and stated that the council would continue to raise this issue with the Mayor of London and the government. Elliot Brooks, Director of Communities, confirmed that the council meets with the police regularly and would raise these specific concerns.

Transport Plan and E-bike Hire Bays: Councillor Tom Bruce provided an update on the transport plan, stating it was in its final stages and expected to be published in the autumn. Regarding e-bike hire bays and overcrowding, he noted that while most bays were well-managed, five problem bays had been identified, primarily in border wards. He explained that this was often due to bikes being left by users crossing the border, rather than operator overstacking. Councillor Bruce stated that the council was working with operators to move towards a fine-first system for improperly parked e-bikes.

Good News Stories & Updates From Ward Councillors

Councillors shared a range of positive updates from their wards. Councillor Scott Hill, Chair of the Area Forum and a new councillor for Hounslow South Ward, introduced the new action tracker system designed to ensure that questions and topics raised at forums are followed up. Councillors Roger Crouch (Isleworth), Sue Sampson (Isleworth), Tom Bruce (Hounslow South), Karen Smith (Hounslow South), Tony Louki (Osterley & Spring Grove), Salman Shaheen (Isleworth), and Ranjit Gill (Osterley & Spring Grove, Mayor) provided updates on local events, community initiatives, and casework. Highlights included the Spring Grove Resident Association's summer social, events at Thornbury Park, progress on traffic consultations, support for local groups like the Mulberry Centre and the Spring Grove Resident Association, and the successful campaign to save Park Road allotments. Councillor Salman Shaheen also highlighted the borough becoming the first in West London to support the right to grow initiative. Councillor Sue Sampson mentioned continuing estate walkabouts and weekly surgeries for housing casework. Councillor Karen Smith spoke about attending ward walkabouts and police meetings.

Action Tracker

Councillor Scott Hill introduced the new action tracker, a system designed to log unanswered questions and feedback from area forums to ensure follow-up. The tracker, which will be appended to the minutes, will be a rolling document updated for each meeting. An example provided was the commitment for Councillor Tom Bruce to present on Section 106 money in the January meeting. Residents raised questions about the accessibility of the tracker, with a commitment made to publish it on the Let's Talk platform by the following afternoon.

Other Discussions

• Cycleway 9: Concerns were raised about the consultation process and the proposed route of Cycleway 9, with Councillor Shaheen acknowledging the need for improvements and offering to raise specific concerns with TfL.
• E-bike Injuries: The dangers of e-bikes were discussed, with Councillor Shaheen noting the council's provision of e-bike training and the potential for future London-wide licensing.
• Bus Stop H37: A resident requested the reinstatement of the H37 bus stop on Twickenham Road, citing a faulty consultation process. Councillor Shaheen stated he supported a compromise proposal and had tasked officers with working on it.
• Isleworth Bowls Club: The status of the club and the use of grant funding were discussed, with Councillor Bruce confirming a planning application was in progress and that funds would be clawed back if it did not proceed.
• Academy Place Open Space: Councillor Louki confirmed that officers were scoping options to resolve issues with the management and maintenance of the open space.
• Homebase Site Development: Councillor Bruce provided an update on the development plans for the former Homebase site, confirming that the council's purchase of homes for social rent had not proceeded but the funds would be used elsewhere.
• Shoplifting and Anti-Social Behaviour: Concerns about shoplifting and anti-social behaviour on South Street were raised, with Councillor Crouch and Elliot Brooks discussing potential solutions and ongoing work with the police.
• Transport Plan: Councillor Bruce confirmed the transport plan was nearing completion and expected to be published in the autumn. He also addressed issues with e-bike hire bays, noting that most were well-managed but that a fine-first system was being explored for problem areas.