The Heston and Cranford Area Forum met to discuss community issues, hear presentations, and address resident concerns. The forum heard a presentation from SheWise, a charity supporting vulnerable women, and received updates on waste and recycling plans, as well as transport initiatives in the borough. Residents raised concerns about public transport, cycling infrastructure, traffic, and community facilities, with councillors responding to questions and committing to action on various issues.

Waste and Recycling Collection

Jim Perkin and Rob Histl from the council's waste and recycling team presented an update on plans for waste and recycling collections in the borough. New legislation is coming into force that requires an expanded range of recyclables to be collected, as well as weekly food waste collections and the introduction of soft plastic recycling by April 2026. These collections must be provided to all borough households, including flats above shops and communal areas.

The council has surveyed 1,500 areas to assess the needs of different locations and is procuring a new refuse collection fleet to meet these needs. Solutions will vary depending on the area, with some using sacks, some using grit bins, some using near-entry systems, and some using traditional build bins where space allows. The council is also working on a communications strategy to ensure residents understand how to use the new services.

The presentation noted that the council had received transitional funding from DEFRA for food waste, but is still short of the funds needed for vehicles, bags, bins and communications. Over the next six months, residents will see grit bins being removed and new bins being put in place.

A resident asked how the council would tackle the behaviour of residents who do not recycle properly and drop waste on the street. Jim Perkin responded that the council has an effective enforcement strategy for fly-tipping, but is also focusing on enabling good behaviour through clear communication and accessible services.

Another resident suggested that the council should consult with the Heston Action Group, which was set up in 2018 to help green and clean Heston. Jim Perkin said that he had reached out to the group and was awaiting a response.

Transport and Road Safety Updates

Rob Hislop, Head of Transport Planning and Road Safety, provided an update on transport initiatives in the area, including:

• Priority Cycle Route 7: Most of the route on Southall Lane has now been delivered, providing a key link to Heathrow Airport. Two elements are still outstanding: the bridge over the motorway and a bus stop.
• Cycle Training: A cycle training hub is open in Heston Park, offering sessions on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Saturday sessions are women-specific. There is also a Sunday cycle club for 11-16 year olds. The council delivers bikeability training in schools for all year six pupils.
• Dockless E-bike Hire: The council has changed e-bike providers, with Forrest and Voi replacing Lime. The contracts started in August, committing the providers to more affordable pricing, better parking compliance and faster response times. Lime bike users are not permitted to start or end rides in the borough, or ride through it. Problems with the bikes can be reported using the Fix My Street app.
• Bus Routes: Transport for London (TfL) has no plans to expand the bus network at the moment. Existing routes provide links to Southall: route 105, 423, H32 and 120. The council is starting work on a public transport plan, with more information to follow early next year.

Residents raised a number of concerns and questions, including:

• A resident said that the frequency of the 111 bus service had been reduced, despite the area having a low PTAL[^1] rating. Rob Hislop said he would raise this with TfL. [^1]: Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) is a measure of the accessibility of a location to public transport.
• A resident said that the cycle path on the Great West Road from Hounslow West towards Brentford was unsuitable and needed to be refurbished. Rob Hislop said that TfL is responsible for the cycle paths on the Great West Road and that he would raise the issue with them.
• A resident said that the cycle lane on Southall Lane was not being used and that the roadworks had made traffic worse. Rob Hislop said that the council puts in cycle infrastructure to avoid impacting traffic and that the change to people cycling will come gradually.
• A resident asked what traffic calming measures were in place on Alderney Avenue, as it is used as a speeding shortcut. Rob Hislop said that there is already a petition regarding a controlled parking zone (CPZ) for that area and that he would be happy to support a petition for traffic calming measures.
• A resident asked whether cycle training includes educating cyclists about not riding on pavements and having lights on their bikes at night. Rob Hislop said that the training is aimed at making sure people don't cycle on the pavements and that they have the skills to cycle on the road.
• A resident said that many cyclists in the area do not have lights at night and asked whether the council could run an awareness campaign. Rob Hislop said that the council is aware of the issue and is looking at a campaign to work with e-delivery drivers.
• A resident asked whether cycle lanes are monitored to assess whether they are being used and whether they will be taken away if they are not. Rob Hislop said that the council is looking at monitoring the use of cycle lanes and that the Southall Lane cycle lane is a key link from Heathrow Airport.

SheWise Presentation

Selma Ulla, one of the founders of SheWise, gave a presentation on the work that the charity does in the borough of Hounslow. SheWise is a women-only community-led charity supporting the educational, economic, and social development of vulnerable women and young girls, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The charity provides trauma-informed, culturally competent services in domestic abuse, health and well-being, skills development, enterprise readiness and business start-up support, and youth empowerment. 80% of their service users come from South Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

Selma Ulla said that women from ethnic minority communities experience domestic abuse differently, with added layers of female genital mutilation (FGM), dowry-related crimes, marriage abandonment, and women trafficking. She added that distrust of the authorities and immigration and legal barriers also contribute to the problem.

Councillor Vickram Grewal asked how the council could support SheWise. Selma Ulla responded that it is sometimes difficult to reach out to councillors and that small organisations often struggle to get funding. She said that the council should open up different portal areas of getting funding and supporting local organisations, especially in the area of training.

A member of the public thanked SheWise for their presentation and said that Hounslow has a tradition of trying to support groups like this. They added that they were impressed that SheWise offers education as well as refuge.

Open Forum

Residents raised a number of issues during the open forum, including:

• Cranford Lane Cycle Track: A resident asked about the position of the planned cycle track in Cranford Lane.
• Low Voter Turnout: A resident asked what the council was doing to engage more people, particularly young people, in the electoral process. Councillor Hira Dhillon responded that the council was trying its best to engage with the younger generation, but was not having much response. Councillor Vickram Grewal added that he works with youth charities to talk to schools about politics and that the council is considering a pilot scheme to allow people to vote over a few days instead of one day.
• Nitrous Oxide: A resident asked what the police were doing to stop nitrous oxide being used in Hounslow. An officer responded that nitrous oxide is a class C drug and that it is difficult to police. He added that the police can deal with people for littering if they leave the canisters on the street and that they can refer underage users to their parents.
• Cranford Library: A resident raised concerns about the future of Cranford Library, saying that it is a community building and that it should not be lost to flats and houses. Councillor Vickram Grewal responded that no decision has been made about the future of the library and that the council is aware of the need for both community facilities and housing.
• Christmas Tree: A resident asked for the council's support in providing electricity for a Christmas tree in Cranford. Councillor Vickram Grewal responded that the council would do its best to provide the electricity.
• Rectory Farm: A resident complained that councillors had not responded to emails about the Rectory Farm proposals. Councillor Karamat Malik responded that he had attended the consultation event and had forwarded the email to local residents.
• Hub: A resident asked whether they could use the hub for their organisation, which delivers services to special needs children.
• Council Ecologist: A resident asked whether the council was going to refill the position of ecologist, after the previous post holder left.
• Brentford Football Club Security Lights: A resident complained about Brentford Football Club's security lights being on all night long.
• Barclay Avenue Traffic Lights: A resident complained about the traffic lights at the Barclay Avenue and Bath Road junction, saying that they cause traffic jams and that there have been two fatalities in the area.
• Public Rights of Way: A resident complained about the lack of maintenance of public rights of way over Heston Metropolitan Land.
• Spaceway Closure: A resident complained about the closure of Spaceway for six or seven weeks over the summer.
• Public Footpath Replacements: A resident complained about the lack of consultation on the programme of public footpath replacements.

Area Forum Action Plan

Councillors provided updates on the Area Forum Action Plan, including:

• Councillor Shivraj Grewal said that some shopkeepers were co-operating with the council to help monitor the use of bins, but that one business was continuously obstructing payments and leaving overflowing bins. He added that flooding on the zebra crossing during rain had been reported to highways and that parking enforcement had been implemented on people parking on the pavements.
• Councillor Vickram Grewal said that funding was being sought for improvements to Avenue Park, including an all-weather perimeter pathway, new and improved park entrances, improved tennis courts, new bins and benches, and a dedicated space for volunteering activities. He added that the council was trying to address the condition of Church Road, including fly-tipping.
• A councillor said that the council was planning to transform the existing play area on the Heston Farm Estate into a new mixed-age playground.

Taz Virdee reported that residents were looking to form a residents' interest group, called Friends of Rectory Farm, to petition the Rectory Farm landowners against the proposed development of the site.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 21 January 2026.