The Hillingdon Council cabinet met to discuss the borough's financial challenges, approve an investment plan for Uxbridge, and implement additional licensing controls for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), among other items. The cabinet approved recommendations to address the council's budget shortfall, reallocate capital funds, and seek exceptional financial support from the government. They also adopted the Uxbridge Vision as a framework for future investment in the town centre.

Council Budget and Financial Strategy

The cabinet reviewed the Council Budget - Outturn 2024/25 and Month 2 Monitoring 2025/26, which revealed significant financial challenges. The Outturn 2024/25 position reported an adverse variance of £31.5 million, while the Month 2 Monitoring 2025/26 update projected a £16.4 million overspend. These challenges were attributed to accounting adjustments, demand pressures in social care and homelessness support, and historic underfunding from central government.

Councillor Martin Goddard, Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation, apologised for the late delivery of the report, citing the complexity of ongoing issues within the finance function.

The cabinet approved several recommendations to address the financial situation, including:

• Releasing the General Contingency Budget of £0.5 million.
• Rephasing £27.417 million of General Fund capital programme budgets and £14.922 million of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme budgets from 2024/25 into 2025/26.
• Releasing capital receipts previously held to contribute to the Schools Budget deficit to fund transformation activity.
• Authorising the Director of Planning & Sustainable Growth to allocate and release £1.5 million of section 106¹ planning contributions for homelessness support.
• Approving a budget virement² within the Schools Budget to set a budgeted deficit of £12.5 million for 2025/26.
• Approving a budget virement to transfer government grants managed by service areas from the Corporate Funding budgets to Service Operating Budgets.
• Approving a budget virement of £1.356 million to transfer savings that are required to be written out of service operating budgets back to the corporate centre to be funded in the 2026/27 Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).
• Noting the proposed release of the 2025/26 General Contingency budget of £10.5 million into the 2025/26 monitoring position.
• Approving revised fees and charges for the Music Service for 2025/26.
• Approving revised fees and charges for court costs for council tax and business rates from 1 October 2025.
• Approving the council to go out to consultation on in-year (2025/26) fees and charges changes in August, reporting back to cabinet for decision.
• Approving acceptance of gift funding in relation to a Planning Performance Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003.

The cabinet also noted the building safety situation at the Union Park Estate, Brindley Place, Uxbridge and authorised the Director of Operational Assets to take the necessary decisions required to ensure the safety of over 250 private sector properties and to enable residents to remain in their homes while emergency works are progressed.

Councillor Ian Edwards, Leader of the Council, expressed concern about asylum-related costs, historic underfunding, and the council tax system. He welcomed the Fair Funding Review consultation and hoped Hillingdon would receive the funding it deserved.

Uxbridge Vision

The cabinet adopted the Uxbridge Vision as a strategic framework for the regeneration and future growth of Uxbridge town centre. The vision focuses on building economic resilience, better serving local communities, and enhancing the environment. It was developed through extensive public engagement, with 73% of respondents supporting the overall vision.

The cabinet also noted the intention to use the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support the delivery of short-term actions and the increase in the council's approved capital programme budget by £315,000, fully funded by grant.

Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

The cabinet agreed to progress the next steps in developing an Additional Licensing Policy for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and to consider extending the Article 4 Direction³. This followed a motion passed at full Council in July of the previous year.

The cabinet noted the programme of works and timetable to progress collating and analysing the evidence base and drafting of a proposed Additional Licensing Policy, and the progress of the Housing Tenure Survey to provide robust data and evidence on a number of complex data sets which will inform policy options.

The cabinet delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Homes & Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Economic Growth, to agree the draft policy for consultation and public consultation approach, based on supporting evidence assessed during the first stages of the project.

The cabinet noted the need for relevant fees and charges and scoping of service resources to support the implementation of any policy proposal supporting additional licensing, and that the outcomes of any consultations relating to the formation of an additional licensing policy be reported back to Cabinet in February 2026 for consideration and determination.

Environmental Street Enforcement Service Contract

The cabinet approved the tender from APCOA Parking UK Limited for the provision of an Environmental On-Street Enforcement Service to the London Borough of Hillingdon for a five-year period from 16 December 2025 to 15 December 2030 at the total value of £2,907,653.63. This included the provision to extend the contract for a one-year period (6 years in total), delegating approval of any extension to the Corporate Director of Homes and Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Environment.

Community Equipment Service Contract

The cabinet approved the direct award of a contract to Medequip Assistive Technology Limited for the provision of an integrated community equipment service to the London Borough of Hillingdon for a period of two years from 1 August 2025. This decision was made under special urgency provisions due to the cessation of trading of the current provider, to ensure continuity of service for residents.