Here is a summary of the scheduled discussions for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council meeting on 14 October 2025. The agenda included a motion for debate regarding the council's Responsible Investment Policy, as well as several motions for referral relating to vehicle crossover policy, the council's committee system, the threshold for member call-ins, and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Councillors were also scheduled to note the determination of a complaint against Councillor Kamala Kugan, and to note the appointment of a new Director of Governance and Law and confirm their designation as Monitoring Officer.

Responsible Investment Policy

Councillor Jamal Chohan, Deputy Leader of the Opposition; Opposition Spokesperson for Leisure and Economic Development, proposed a motion, seconded by Councillor James Giles, Leader of the Opposition; Opposition Spokesperson for Housing, Sustainable Transport, Waste and Recycling, Climate Action, Biodiversity and Planning Policy, to strengthen the Responsible Investment Policy.

The motion noted the Pension Fund Panel's decision to review the policy, its commitment to consider international best practice, and the precedent set by other pension funds that have divested from companies found to be complicit in violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It also noted that other UK Local Government Pension Scheme pools, such as the Brunel Pension Partnership, have adopted detailed responsible investment policies that include specific commitments on human rights.

The council was asked to agree that a strengthened Responsible Investment Policy, with clear and robust exclusion criteria, is the most effective way to provide a clear mandate to the London CIV¹ and fulfil the democratic will of the Full Council.

The motion proposed that the council should:

• Mandate that the final, strengthened Responsible Investment Policy be presented to the Full Council for formal approval no later than the December 2025 meeting.
• Instruct the Pension Fund Panel to immediately conduct a review to differentiate between its pooled fund holdings and any segregated or directly held investments.
• Ask the Panel, where any directly held or segregated investments are found to be in companies on internationally recognised exclusion lists (such as those published by the UN Human Rights Office), to consider whether the process of divestment from those investments should begin immediately, in line with a prudent, 'no-loss' sales policy.

Motions for Referral

Four motions were submitted for referral to the relevant committees.

Vehicle Crossover Policy

Councillor Yvonne Tracey, Opposition Spokesperson for Social Care (including Education), Public Health and Equalities, proposed a motion, seconded by Councillor James Giles, to review and amend the council's Vehicle Crossover Policy.

The motion noted that the current policy requires applicants to demonstrate a minimum space of 3x4.6m for a crossover, and that many applications are being refused where grass verges are deemed too deep beyond 2.0m. It also noted that prior to 2019, rejected crossover applications could be referred to the relevant Neighbourhood Committee for determination by elected Members.

The council was asked to agree that the crossover policy should balance highway safety with the practical needs of residents, and that decisions with a clear local impact are best made locally.

The motion proposed that the council should:

• Review and amend the policy on grass verges so that deep verges do not automatically prevent residents from being granted a crossover, where it is otherwise safe and practical to do so.
• Reinstate within the policy an appeals process whereby rejected crossover applications can be referred to the relevant Neighbourhood Committee for final determination by elected councillors.

Committee System versus Leader and Cabinet

Councillor James Giles proposed a motion, seconded by Councillor Jamal Chohan, to oppose the government's plans to abolish the committee system and compel councils to adopt a Strong Leader and Cabinet model.

The motion noted the Minister of State for Local Government & English Devolution's characterisation of the committee system of governance as being unclear, duplicative, and wasteful , and the government's stated intention to abolish the committee system.

The council was asked to agree that the committee system provides clarity, accountability, and inclusivity in local decision-making, and that imposing a one-size-fits-all governance structure undermines local autonomy.

The motion proposed that the council should:

• Oppose the government's plans to abolish the committee system.
• Continue to champion governance arrangements that put residents first and empower all councillors.
• Communicate this position through writing a cross-party letter to the Minister of State for Local Government & English Devolution and to the local MPs representing Kingston upon Thames.

Amendment to the Council Constitution – Member Call-In Threshold

Councillor Yvonne Tracey proposed a motion, seconded by Councillor James Giles, to amend the Council's Constitution so that the threshold for member call-in of decisions is reduced from nine elected members to six elected members.

The motion noted the findings of the recent Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Review into Kingston Council, which highlighted concerns regarding the current threshold for member call-in of decisions. It also noted that there are only six opposition councillors on Kingston Council, which makes it impossible for the full opposition to exercise the call-in mechanism without support from administration members.

The council was asked to agree that effective scrutiny is a vital component of transparent, accountable local democracy, and that opposition councillors should have a fair and realistic ability to exercise the constitutional right of call-in.

The motion proposed that the council should:

• Amend the Council's Constitution so that the threshold for member call-in of a decision from the Strategic Committee or a Neighbourhood Committee is reduced from nine elected members to six elected members.
• Instruct the Monitoring Officer to update the Constitution accordingly.

Stopping the Over-concentration of HMOs

Councillor Jamal Chohan proposed a motion, seconded by Councillor Yvonne Tracey, to address the rapid and unchecked growth of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)² in the borough.

The motion noted that the expansion of HMOs is eroding community cohesion, driving up antisocial behaviour complaints, intensifying parking and waste problems, and placing significant pressure on local services. It also noted that many smaller HMOs can still be created without planning permission under national permitted development rules, and that other local authorities have already taken decisive action to protect their communities.

The council was asked to agree that residents have a right to live in safe, stable, and balanced communities, and that it is the Council's duty to act swiftly and decisively to stop the further erosion of the borough's residential areas.

The motion proposed that the council should:

• Instruct officers to begin immediate work on implementing an Article 4 Direction³ to remove permitted development rights for the conversion of family homes into HMOs across the borough.
• Introduce strict saturation policies and thresholds in planning policy, including maximum density limits and buffer zones to prevent clustering of HMOs on individual streets.
• Strengthen licensing and enforcement by imposing tougher licence conditions on landlords, increasing inspections and resourcing enforcement teams, and pursuing maximum penalties against rogue landlords.
• Ensure full public consultation with residents on these measures.
• Write to the Secretary of State demanding that government urgently reform national planning laws so that all HMO conversions require full planning consent and are subject to local democratic control.

Determination of Complaint against Councillor Kamala Kugan

The Council was scheduled to note the determination of the Standards Sub-committee regarding a complaint against Councillor Kamala Kugan.

The Standards Sub-committee determined that Councillor Kamala Kugan had breached the Members Code of Conduct by:

• Failing to show respect to officers in the course of a number of emails relating to a family whose children are in Council care.
• Sharing confidential information provided to her about the family by the Executive Director of Children's Services.

The Sub-committee determined that Councillor Kamala Kugan should:

• Write a letter of apology to the Executive Director for Children's Services and his Achieving for Children colleagues.
• Attend appropriate mandatory Code of Conduct training.
• The Chair of the Sub-committee hearing will write to Councillor Kugan's Group Leader to convey the hearing's outcome and request his support in ensuring Councillor Kugan's adherence to the Code of Conduct in the future.
• Councillor Kamala Kugan's access to the all-member email distribution list will be reinstated, subject to the understanding that the behaviour which led to the Standards hearing will not be repeated.

The report noted that the complaint was made by The Executive Director for Children's Services and the Chief Executive on 19 July 2024, and related to a series of emails sent by Councillor Kugan over a period of time during April and May 2024 in which she raised concerns about the actions taken by Achieving for Children ('AfC') in relation to three children in care and was critical of the actions taken by AfC and personally of the Executive Director. It was also alleged that she had shared details of the children's circumstances with people who were not entitled to have such information.

Appointment of Monitoring Officer

The Council was asked to note the appointment of Victoria Statham as the Council's Director of Governance and Law and Monitoring Officer with effect from Monday 5 January 2026.

The report noted that a local authority is legally required to designate certain statutory officer posts, among which is the role of Monitoring Officer under the provisions of Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The primary role of the Monitoring Officer is to ensure lawfulness and fairness of decision making.