Subscribe to updates

You'll receive weekly summaries about Hounslow Council every week.

If you have any requests or comments please let us know at community@opencouncil.network. We can also provide custom updates on particular topics across councils.

Borough Council - Tuesday, 26 November 2024 7:30 pm

November 26, 2024 View on council website  Watch video of meeting
AI Generated

Summary

The meeting included four petitions on a variety of matters, discussion of the ‘state of the borough’ report, the appointment of a new Monitoring Officer and four proposed motions for debate by members. In addition the council considered reports on treasury management, the adoption of a new gambling policy, and constitutional matters. Lastly, five written questions to cabinet members were answered.

Treasury Management Mid-Year Report 2024/25

The report was to update members on the council’s treasury activities between April and September, covering investments and borrowing, and to provide assurance that the activities in question were being undertaken in accordance with best practice.

The report identified that new borrowing of £29.7m had been taken on since April, bringing the total to £578.3 million. The council’s treasury investments stood at £80.3 million, an increase of £21.7 million. Total non-treasury investments (eg loans to subsidiaries) were £242.7 million.

Two issues of compliance were highlighted – that the council had exceeded its approved treasury limit for the total amount invested in money market funds, the limit being £100 million, and had also exceeded its limit of £250 million for loans to Lampton Investment 360 Ltd, the council’s trading company. Both issues were rectified during the reporting period.

The report identified that a strategic decision had been made to withdraw £16.117 million from Fidelity International’s Multi Asset Income Fund, which had made a loss of £3.883 million since the council had invested £20 million in the fund in 2019. This had been done to preserve the remaining capital.

Members were advised that work was underway to establish a Community Municipal Investment (CMI) scheme1, to allow residents to invest directly in local ‘green’ projects and deliver the council’s net zero targets. A similar scheme had been launched in Lewisham in June 2023. The report included a target date of June 2025 for the launch of Hounslow’s scheme.

Approval of Statement of Gambling Principles

The council were asked to approve a new Statement of Gambling Principles, a legal requirement for all local authorities, setting out how Hounslow would regulate gambling. The current policy was due to expire in May 2025 but had to be updated by January 2025.

A public consultation on the draft statement had taken place in April and May, to which five responses had been received and considered.

The revised statement included a number of measures aimed at preventing problem gambling, particularly among vulnerable groups such as young people and those experiencing mental health issues and financial difficulties.

Hounslow’s Local Area Profile (LAP) which identifies those areas of the borough which are particularly vulnerable to gambling-related harms, was to be reviewed and updated.

The LAP identifies five areas in the borough (known as ‘Gambling Vulnerability Zones’) where the risk of problem gambling is higher:

  • Chiswick Gunnersbury/homefields border
  • Brentford/Syon area
  • Hounslow central/high street
  • Heston/Osterley
  • Hounslow west

The LAP found that the risk in those areas was due to a combination of factors:

Risk in these areas is driven by a range of different factors but primarily by the concentration of younger residents and the location of facilities for younger people. Relatively high levels of deprivation as well as ethnic mix are also major driving factors in these locations.

Applicants for new premises licences would be required to undertake local risk assessments, to identify risks and outline measures to mitigate them, and licensees would be expected to provide the council with copies. Existing licence holders would also have to provide the council with their risk assessments.

Constitutional Review – Tranche Three

The meeting included consideration of a number of proposals to update the council’s constitution, following review by a cross-party member working group.

Local Choice Functions

The council were asked to agree how they would deal with a number of council functions for which they could choose which decision making body was responsible, a requirement of the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) Regulations 2000. It was recommended that most functions (other than those relating to planning and licensing) be the responsibility of the council’s Cabinet.

Planning Committee

The council’s planning committee was to be given responsibility for decisions on planning applications which met one or more of the following criteria:

  • Major applications (as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015) which did not meet the council’s planning policies
  • Applications which a local councillor or area forum chair considered would have a significant impact on their ward (known as the ‘pending list’)
  • Applications relating to council-owned land or proposed development by the council
  • Applications from council members or senior officers.

The revised terms of reference also proposed a change to the current practice of allowing only objectors to speak at committee meetings, with applicants given the opportunity to speak only if there was an objector present. Under the new proposal, applicants would be able to address the committee even when there were no objectors present, in ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Scheme of Delegation to Officers

The report proposed that the current scheme of delegation to officers be replaced with a new scheme. This would give senior officers authority to take all decisions within their remit, other than those that were reserved to the council’s Cabinet or to a committee.

The scheme also proposed that officers be given authority to agree the disposal or acquisition of assets with a value of up to £1 million (or to grant leases for up to 15 years) without the decision needing to be taken by Cabinet.

Access to Information Procedure Rules

The council were asked to agree new rules setting out how the public could access information relating to the council’s decisions.

The report contained a proposal to change the current practice of publishing all ‘Chief Officer Decisions’ which had been used to document a large number of routine officer decisions for which there was no legal requirement to do so. Instead it was proposed that officer decisions would only need to be published where the decision involved expenditure of more than £250,000 for revenue, or £500,000 for capital. In those cases, a ‘Publishable Officer Decision’ or POD would have to be produced and published.

The council were also asked to agree revisions to the wording of the existing rules to reflect other proposed changes to the constitution.

Leader’s Scheme of Delegation to Cabinet Members

The council were to be asked to ‘note and endorse’ the Leader’s proposals for how Cabinet decisions would be taken in future, a requirement of the council’s constitution. This included the proposal that individual Cabinet members could take decisions on matters falling within their portfolio, unless those decisions involved expenditure over £1,000,000 for revenue or £2,000,000 for capital, in which case those decisions would stand referred to the full Cabinet.

Cabinet Procedure Rules

The report included a proposal that the council should ‘note and endorse’ a revised version of the rules covering how Cabinet meetings are run. This would reflect changes to the decision making process contained elsewhere in the constitution and also clarify the ability for the council leader to exclude non-cabinet members from cabinet meetings when exempt or confidential matters were being discussed.

Officer Employment Procedure Rules

A new section was to be introduced to the constitution, covering the recruitment, appointment, dismissal and discipline of council officers.

This included the requirement that a member panel be convened to oversee the appointment or dismissal of senior officers.

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places in the London Borough of Hounslow: Reference from the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee held on 7th October 2024

The council was asked to agree the recommendations of the Audit and Governance Committee on the review of polling districts and polling places, a legal requirement which local authorities must undertake every five years.

The committee had carried out a four week consultation on the proposals in August and September, receiving 15 responses in total.

It was recommended that a number of changes be made, including the creation of new polling districts in Bedfont and Chiswick Gunnersbury, each of which would be allocated a new polling place. In Chiswick Riverside a polling district was to be merged into an adjacent district. The report identified that the new polling places would cost around £3,000 to hire when elections are held.

Appointment of Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The council was asked to appoint Benita Edwards as the council’s new Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer2. The Chief Officer Employment Panel had interviewed candidates for the post in October and recommended Ms Edwards’ appointment. The post was due to be filled in February 2025.

Calendar of Formal Committee Dates 2024-25

The council was asked to approve a schedule of dates for its formal committee meetings for the municipal year 2025/26, running from May 2025 to May 2026. Six meetings of the full council were scheduled. The report included a note that the dates in question might have to change for practical reasons.


  1. CMIs are a form of ethical investment allowing individuals to invest directly in local projects, receiving a modest return. 

  2. The Monitoring Officer is a statutory post required for all local authorities. 

Attendees

Profile image for Councillor Aqsa Ahmed
Councillor Aqsa Ahmed  Labour •  Heston East
Profile image for CouncillorMuhammad Shakeel Akram
Councillor Muhammad Shakeel Akram  Labour •  Feltham North
Profile image for Councillor Madeeha Asim
Councillor Madeeha Asim  Labour •  Feltham West
Profile image for Councillor Harleen Atwal Hear
Councillor Harleen Atwal Hear  Labour •  Heston Central
Jake Bacchus
Councillor Balraj Sarai
Profile image for Councillor Lily Bath
Councillor Lily Bath  Labour •  Bedfont
Profile image for Councillor Rasheed Bhatti
Councillor Rasheed Bhatti  Labour •  Hounslow Central
Profile image for Councillor Joanna Biddolph
Councillor Joanna Biddolph  Conservative •  Chiswick Gunnersbury
Niall Bolger
Profile image for Councillor Dan Bowring
Councillor Dan Bowring  Labour •  Syon & Brentford Lock
Profile image for Councillor Tom Bruce
Councillor Tom Bruce  Labour •  Hounslow South
Profile image for Councillor Ghazala Butt
Councillor Ghazala Butt  Labour •  Cranford
Profile image for Councillor Samia Chaudhary
Councillor Samia Chaudhary  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Hounslow Heath
Profile image for Councillor Unsa Chaudri
Councillor Unsa Chaudri  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Osterley & Spring Grove
Profile image for Councillor Bandna Chopra
Councillor Bandna Chopra  Labour •  Hounslow West
Andrew Cox
Profile image for CouncillorAmy Croft
Councillor Amy Croft  Mayor •  Labour •  Chiswick Riverside
Profile image for Councillor Sukhbir Singh Dhaliwal
Councillor Sukhbir Singh Dhaliwal  Labour •  Cranford
Profile image for Councillor Katherine Dunne
Councillor Katherine Dunne  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Syon & Brentford Lock
Profile image for CouncillorJack Emsley
Councillor Jack Emsley  Conservative •  Chiswick Homefields
Profile image for Councillor Adesh Farmahan
Councillor Adesh Farmahan  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Bedfont
Profile image for Councillor Richard Foote
Councillor Richard Foote  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Hanworth Village
Profile image for Councillor Gabriella Giles
Councillor Gabriella Giles  Conservative •  Chiswick Riverside
Profile image for CouncillorRanjit Gill
Councillor Ranjit Gill  Labour •  Chiswick Gunnersbury
Profile image for Councillor Ajmer Grewal
Councillor Ajmer Grewal  Labour •  Hounslow Central
Profile image for CouncillorPritam Grewal
Councillor Pritam Grewal  Labour •  Hounslow Central
Profile image for Councillor Shivraj Grewal
Councillor Shivraj Grewal  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Heston Central
Profile image for Councillor Vickram Grewal
Councillor Vickram Grewal  Labour •  Cranford
Profile image for Councillor Riaz Gull
Councillor Riaz Gull  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Heston Central
Profile image for Councillor Bishnu Bahadur Gurung
Councillor Bishnu Bahadur Gurung  Labour •  Hanworth Park
Profile image for Councillor Allan Joseph
Councillor Allan Joseph  Conservative •  Hanworth Village
Profile image for CouncillorFarah Kamran
Councillor Farah Kamran  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Hanworth Park
Profile image for Councillor Afzaal Kiani
Councillor Afzaal Kiani  Labour •  Hounslow Heath
Profile image for CouncillorGurmail Lal
Councillor Gurmail Lal  Labour •  Heston East
Profile image for CouncillorGuy Lambert
Councillor Guy Lambert  Independent Socialist •  Brentford West
Profile image for Councillor Tony Louki
Councillor Tony Louki  Labour •  Osterley & Spring Grove
Profile image for Councillor Karamat Malik
Councillor Karamat Malik  Labour •  Heston West
Profile image for Councillor Amritpal Mann
Councillor Amritpal Mann  Workers Party of Britain •  Heston East
Profile image for Councillor Gerald McGregor
Councillor Gerald McGregor  Conservative •  Chiswick Homefields
Profile image for CouncillorJunue Meah
Councillor Junue Meah  Deputy Mayor •  Labour •  Hounslow East
Profile image for Councillor Hina Mir
Councillor Hina Mir  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Feltham West
Profile image for Councillor Alan Mitchell
Councillor Alan Mitchell  Labour •  Feltham West
Profile image for CouncillorRon Mushiso
Councillor Ron Mushiso  Conservative •  Chiswick Gunnersbury
Profile image for CouncillorSamina Nagra
Councillor Samina Nagra  Labour •  Feltham North
Profile image for Councillor Shantanu Rajawat
Councillor Shantanu Rajawat  Leader of the Council •  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Heston West
Profile image for Councillor Sayyar Raza
Councillor Sayyar Raza  Labour •  Hounslow South
Profile image for Councillor Farhaan Rehman
Councillor Farhaan Rehman  Labour •  Hounslow Heath
Thomas Ribbits
Profile image for Councillor Daanish Saeed
Councillor Daanish Saeed  Labour •  Hounslow East
Profile image for Councillor Sue Sampson
Councillor Sue Sampson  Labour •  Isleworth
Profile image for Councillor Salman Shaheen
Councillor Salman Shaheen  Labour •  Isleworth
Angela Sharma
Profile image for Councillor Jagdish Sharma
Councillor Jagdish Sharma  Labour •  Hounslow West
Profile image for CouncillorMarina Sharma
Councillor Marina Sharma  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Brentford East
Profile image for Councillor Emma Siddhu
Councillor Emma Siddhu  Labour •  Heston West
Profile image for Councillor Raghwinder Siddhu
Councillor Raghwinder Siddhu  Labour •  Bedfont
Profile image for Councillor Aftab Siddiqui
Councillor Aftab Siddiqui  Labour •  Osterley & Spring Grove
Mandy Skinner
Profile image for Councillor Karen Smith
Councillor Karen Smith  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Hounslow South
Profile image for Councillor John Stroud-Turp
Councillor John Stroud-Turp  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Isleworth
Profile image for CouncillorKuldeep Tak
Councillor Kuldeep Tak  Labour •  Feltham North
Profile image for CouncillorPeter Thompson
Councillor Peter Thompson  Conservative •  Chiswick Riverside
Profile image for Councillor John Todd
Councillor John Todd  Conservative •  Chiswick Homefields
Profile image for Councillor Mohammed Umair
Councillor Mohammed Umair  Labour •  Hounslow West
Councillor Rhys Williams
Profile image for Councillor Emma Yates
Councillor Emma Yates  Labour •  Brentford West

Meeting Documents

Additional Documents

× Meeting image