The Hounslow Borough Council meeting included discussion of the council's long-term vision, treasury management, and committee appointments. Councillors were also scheduled to consider motions relating to the Lampton Group¹, tenant wellbeing, and gambling reform. Additionally, the council was asked to approve a waiver to a councillor attendance rule.

Taking Action on the Lampton Group

A motion proposed by Councillor Jack Emsley and seconded by Councillor Vickram Grewal addressed concerns about the Lampton Group, a business venture owned by the council. The motion noted that the group had never made a profit and had accumulated over £15 million in losses. It also stated that the council had loaned the Lampton Group over £230 million.

The council was asked to resolve to:

• Publish the external report into the Lampton Group that was commissioned last year.
• Commission an independent review of the Lampton Group.
• Create a new Shareholder Scrutiny Committee.
• Disqualify members of the Shareholder Committee who fail to attend half of meetings in a municipal year.
• Require any future loan or cash advance to Lampton above £99,999 to be submitted to full council for a vote.

Providing Tenants With A Place That Feels Like Home

A motion proposed by Councillor Emma Yates and seconded by Councillor Sue Sampson welcomed a judgement by the Regulator for Social Housing, in which Hounslow received a C2 grade. The motion noted that the council was judged to be meeting its obligations in relation to landlord health and safety compliance, delivering an effective repairs service, working effectively with partner agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour, and treating tenants with fairness and respect.

The council was asked to resolve to:

• Welcome the positive judgement made by the Regulator for Social Housing.
• Continue acting on all the recommendations made in the report and the five priorities set out in the Housing Strategy.
• Welcome the introduction of Awaab's Law² and continue working to improve the safety of homes and the wellbeing of residents.
• Ensure every council tenant has the security they need to thrive in a place that feels like home.

Support National Gambling Reform

A motion proposed by Councillor Farhaan Rehman and seconded by Councillor Gurmail Lal addressed gambling addiction. The motion noted that there are 57 gambling premises in Hounslow, and that councils are effectively powerless to stop the rise in betting shops due to outdated legislation. It also noted that section 153 of the Gambling Act 2005 enshrines the 'Aim to Permit' principle, which requires councils to approve gambling licences where minimum criteria are met.

The council was asked to resolve to:

• Join with the coalition of Councils demanding urgent gambling reform and support the six recommendations set out in the Social Market Foundation's report, High Streets at Stake, sponsored by Brent Council. These include granting greater licensing powers to local authorities, including Directors of Public Health in the gambling licensing process, reviewing the current premises licence classifications, increasing the cap on annual licence fees for gambling premises, clarifying the balance of responsibilities between local authorities and the Gambling Commission on enforcement and inspection, and reviewing and ultimately removing the 'Aim to Permit' rule from the Gambling Act.
• Write to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and other relevant government departments expressing support for these proposals and urging immediate legislative reform.
• Join and promote the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) and any similar national or local campaigns aimed at reducing gambling harm and reforming the law.
• Work with local health and voluntary sector partners to signpost residents to gambling addiction support and education initiatives.

Hounslow's Vision 2050

Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of the Council, presented a report regarding Hounslow's Vision 2050. The cabinet agreed to adopt Vision 2050 as the council's long-term vision at a meeting on 11 November 2025, and referred it to the council for noting and ratification.

According to the report, Vision 2050 is intended to provide a long-term vision and serve as an organisational and partnership 'North Star'. The report stated that the process for the development of Vision 2050 has been as important as the product, and that the insight derived from conversations with over 2,000 local people will be stored in a digital archive.

The report noted that Vision 2050 adopts a life stage approach, focusing on six components of the life course: care, education, work, living arrangements, reproduction, and older adulthood. It also identifies forces of change that affect this life course, including longer lifespans, birth rate, changing social norms, data and AI-powered systems, rising anxiety about existential threats, migration, work, wealth, and people's expectations.

Treasury Management Mid-Year Report 2025/26

Councillor Shantanu Rajawat also presented the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report 2025/26. The report summarised the council's treasury management activity, borrowing, and investments for the six months ending 30 September 2025.

Key points from the report included:

• All activity was in line with the Treasury Management Strategy approved by Borough Council on 25 February 2025.
• Total borrowing reduced from £608.1m to £594.8m, a net decrease of £13.3m.
• Treasury investments decreased from £66.2m to £49.6m, a net decrease of £16.6m.
• Non-treasury investments increased slightly from £231.2m to £231.3m, a net increase of £0.1m.
• The first Community Municipal Investment tranche successfully raised £1m between June and September 2025.
• No breaches of prudential indicators occurred during the reporting period.

The report also included an update on the Lampton Group, stating that while the group continues to face cashflow pressures, it has made three consecutive quarterly payments on time.

Waiver of the Six Month Councillor Attendance Rule

The council was asked to consider a report regarding a waiver of the six-month councillor attendance rule, as Councillors Jagdish Sharma, Richard Foote and Afzaal Kiani had not been able to attend any council or committee meetings since 22 July 2025 due to ongoing health, wellbeing and family concerns.

Section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 requires a member of a local authority to attend at least one meeting of that authority within a six-month consecutive period, in order to avoid being disqualified as a Councillor. This requirement can be waived if the failure to attend was due to some good reason approved by the authority, in advance of the six-month period expiring.

The council was asked to agree to waive the six-month rule in relation to the non-attendance at council meetings of these three councillors in respect of their absences since 23 July 2025, and their prospective absences for the foreseeable future.

Calendar of Formal Committee Dates 2026-27

The council was asked to agree the schedule of formal committee and council meeting dates for the municipal year 2026-27, as detailed in the appendix to the Calendar of Dates Report. The proposed calendar included six meetings of the council, including the budget setting meeting in early March 2027 and the statutory annual meeting of the council in May 2027.

Appointment of Statutory Scrutiny Officer

The council was asked to ratify the appointment of Dr Paul Probert, Head of Policy and Insight, as the Statutory Scrutiny Officer. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 introduced a new statutory position of scrutiny officer - an officer of the council with responsibility for promoting the role of overview and scrutiny. The act stipulates that the Statutory Scrutiny Officer cannot be the Authority's Head of Paid Service, the Monitoring Officer or the Chief Finance Officer. Mandy Skinner previously held the role, but relinquished it upon being formally appointed to the position of Chief Executive.