The Residents' Services Select Committee was scheduled to discuss crime and community safety in Hillingdon, budget and spending, abandoned vehicles, and footway parking. The committee was also expected to review the Forward Plan and Work Programme.

Here's a breakdown of the topics that were listed for discussion:

Crime and Disorder Scrutiny: Safer Hillingdon Partnership Performance Update

The Residents' Services Select Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the work of the Safer Hillingdon Partnership, as part of its statutory duty to scrutinise crime and disorder in the borough.

The report pack included a report from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and an update on the Safer Hillingdon Partnership. Superintendent Priya Shome and Chief Inspector Ben Wright from the MPS, along with Richard Webb, Director of Community Safety and Enforcement for Hillingdon Council, and Janice Noble, Head of Safer Communities and Vulnerabilities, were expected to be available to answer questions.

The Safer Hillingdon Partnership last met on 29 July 2025 and reviewed and approved a draft Community Safety Strategy for the borough. The draft strategy was scheduled to be considered by the Council's Cabinet in October, and then published for consultation, before going to Full Council. The draft strategy was also scheduled to be brought to this committee for review and comment during the consultation period.

A partnership delivery plan was being developed to focus activity on the priorities set out in the Community Safety Strategy. Two new panels were also scheduled to be introduced: the Hillingdon Enforcement Safety Panel (HESP) and the Integrated Offender Management Panel (IOM).

The Hillingdon Enforcement Safety Panel is a multi-agency meeting where stakeholders across the community safety partnership will meet to discuss and resolve complex, high-risk issues.

The Integrated Offender Management Panel will lead on overseeing partnership activities and service delivery aimed at reducing reoffending by adults (18+), including those in transition from youth to adult services and the Integrated Offender Management cohort.

The report from Chief Inspector Ben Wright provided an overview of community safety in Hillingdon, reviewing local policing structures, performance on key crime and safety issues, recent Metropolitan Police Service reforms, and strategic challenges.

Key trends outlined in the report included:

• Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG): Domestic Abuse VAWG incidents had increased by 10.7%, with 1,967 cases compared to 1777 last year. Non-Domestic Abuse VAWG related violence had increased by 7.5%, from 921 to 990 cases.
• Violence with Injury: Year-to-date figures showed a 5.2% increase in violence with injury, with 963 incidents compared to 915 last year.
• Personal Robbery: Personal robbery had seen an increase of 2.5% year-to-date, with 202 reported incidents compared to 197 in the same period last year.
• Residential Burglary: Burglary rates had seen a decrease of 21% year-to-date with 279 reported cases, down from 357 last year.
• Motor Vehicle Crime: Theft from vehicles had decreased by 21.8% year-to-date, with 764 cases compared to 962 last year. Theft of motor vehicles had increased by 11.5% from 417 to 465 offences FYTD.
• Shoplifting: Theft from shops had decreased by 6.2% from 1,327 to 1,245 offences.
• Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB): Over 3000 incidents of anti-social behaviour had been recorded FYTD.
• Drug-related crime: Hillingdon recorded approximately 600 drug offenses (possession or supply cases).

The report also detailed the New Met for London reform agenda, launched by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, and its potential impact on Hillingdon.

Budget and Spending Report

The committee was scheduled to review the Budget and Spending Report, which provided an update on the 2024/25 outturn position and the 2025/26 Month 2 budget monitoring position. Dan Kennedy and Karrie Whelan, Corporate Directors, were expected to be present to provide further details and clarifications.

The report indicated that the 2024/25 outturn position reported an adverse variance against budget of £5.7m for the services within the remit of this Committee.

As at Month 2, Service Operating Budgets that fall within Resident's Services were forecasting a net overspend of £6.8m against normal operating activities.

The savings requirement for 2025/26 was £10.2m. This position has been supplemented by a further £1.6m of prior year savings carried forward into 2025/26 as set out in the outturn section of this report, resulting in an overall programme of £11.8m savings being deliverable in year.

Abandoned Vehicles

The Residents' Services Select Committee was scheduled to discuss a report providing an overview of the reporting and investigation process for abandoned vehicles by Hillingdon Council. Joanne Howells, Service Manager, Anti-Social Behaviour Team, was listed as the officer responsible for the report.

The report noted that there is no single statutory definition of an abandoned vehicle in the UK, but it referenced guidance from the government and legislation such as the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

The report stated that Hillingdon Council does not have the powers to deal with untaxed vehicles not abandoned on the highway, Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) declared vehicles on the highway, vehicles without a current MOT, or vehicles with no insurance.

The report outlined the two classifications of abandoned vehicles:

• Class A: Taxed or untaxed with significant damage, wreck, burnt out.
• Class B: Untaxed, unregistered, stationary for a period of 30 days, lacking one or more number plates, contains waste.

The report noted that Hillingdon Council has reported a year-on-year increase in the number of abandoned vehicle reports, with over 50% reported incorrectly or misdirected.

Proposed Review of Footway Parking in Priority Areas (Phase 1)

The committee was scheduled to discuss a scoping report for a proposed review of footway parking in priority areas.

The review was proposed to focus on a small number of priority roads near schools, GP surgeries and shopping parades, and those with known accessibility concerns for pedestrians, including roads where parking enforcement is currently suspended.

The proposed terms of reference for the review were:

1. To review footway parking arrangements on a small number of priority roads near schools, GP surgeries and shopping parades, and those with known accessibility concerns for pedestrians, including roads where parking enforcement is currently suspended.
2. To check the clarity and adequacy of signage and information for residents and visitors.
3. To examine how enforcement currently operates on these roads, including those with suspended enforcement, and identify any gaps or inconsistencies.
4. To consider simple, practical improvements such as better signage, clearer mapping, and digital tools to support enforcement.
5. To look at good practice from other London boroughs.
6. To make initial recommendations to Cabinet on how to improve safety, accessibility and enforcement in these priority locations, establishing a policy framework for any wider review of this across the Borough in the future.

The report noted that footway parking in Hillingdon has evolved over decades, with over 400 roads historically exempted from enforcement. Many of these exemptions were informal or temporary, often lacking compliant signage or markings.

The report included a list of roads in Hillingdon exempted from Footway Parking Enforcement based on resolutions made by the Council at the time.