The Chiswick Area Forum met on Monday 19 January 2026 to discuss the Council's budget overview, receive an update on dockless e-bike hire schemes, and hear from local organisations. Key decisions included noting the council's budget overview and agreeing to continue tracking issues related to e-bike enforcement and other local concerns.

Council Budget Overview

The meeting included a presentation on the Council Budget Overview. While the specific details of the budget were not elaborated upon in the provided documents, this item indicates that financial planning and resource allocation were a significant topic for discussion.

Dockless E-bike Hire Update

Alexandra Crush, Programme & Strategy Manager for Hounslow Borough Council (LBH), was joined by Dominic Hughes of Forest and Michael Duc of Voi to provide an update on the borough's e-bike initiative. Concerns were raised by a member of the public regarding the safety implications of dual-directional cycle lanes and the potential hazards posed by the sudden acceleration of e-bikes. Michael Duc explained that Voi uses geofencing technology to manage speed restrictions in pedestrianised areas, with a standard maximum speed of 15.5 mph, which can be reduced to 8 mph in sensitive zones. Both Forest and Voi reported rare incidents of hacking or vandalism due to robust security measures.

A significant point of discussion was the issue of cross-borough restrictions, which led to abandoned bikes being left in inappropriate locations. Voi is actively advocating for a pan-London e-bike contract to address this, and Forest has also been involved in discussions with neighbouring boroughs. Dominic Hughes confirmed that Forest had invested in campaigns and communication initiatives to promote safe cycling and had contributed funding towards cycle training programmes.

Residents also voiced concerns about the availability of bikes and the inconvenience of needing to download multiple apps for different providers. Michael Duc acknowledged Voi's relatively new presence in the London market and confirmed ongoing efforts to increase bike availability. The pricing of Forest's e-bikes was also questioned, with Dominic Hughes explaining that pricing was not the sole determining factor in the tender process and that Forest offered promotional rates and remained competitively priced.

Contractual obligations require operators to provide monthly data to the Council, which is published on the Council's website. Hotspot lists are being developed to identify busy parking bays, and rangers will be deployed to manage bike repositioning. A resident expressed frustration with the current system, citing the need to use multiple providers and the cost implications, and mentioned a petition with 750 signatures regarding the introduction of new providers and the removal of Lime bikes. Alexandra Crush confirmed that the contracts with Voi and Forest were for two years, with an option for a one-year extension, contingent on performance and progress towards a pan-London contract.

The issue of abandoned Lime bikes was also discussed, with Alexandra Crush explaining that Hounslow Highways could remove them and that residents could report them via the 'Fix My Street' app. Hounslow Highways charges the Council for collection, with costs recovered from Lime. Councillor Todd inquired about accident data, and Dominic Hughes reported no accidents in August and one minor incident in September. Councillor Mushiso expressed concern about persistent issues like pavement riding and incorrect parking, questioning why Lime had not been retained alongside the new providers. Alexandra Crush explained that the new contracts included data-sharing and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for better monitoring and enforcement, unlike the previous agreement with Lime. Councillor Biddolph raised concerns about the potential loss of cycle bays under a pan-London scheme and the confusion over responsibility for abandoned bikes on pavements bordering neighbouring boroughs. Michael Duc confirmed that Voi's KPIs set a one-hour response time for dealing with dangerously parked bikes, apologising for any delays. Councillor Thompson questioned the council's role in agreeing e-bike capacity, speed, and price, and the decision to appoint two providers. Alexandra Crush clarified that two providers were appointed to ensure a competitive process and that current e-bike numbers were comparable to the previous Lime contract. Councillor Giles inquired about ride durations, with Forest reporting an average of 17-19 minutes. Data sharing was confirmed to comply with GDPR, with Hounslow-specific data shared only with the Council.

Introduction to Riana Development Network (RDN)

The agenda included an introduction to the Riana Development Network (RDN). However, the provided documents do not contain details of what was discussed during this introduction.

Open Forum

During the Open Forum, a representative from the Hounslow Youth Counselling Service (HYCS) raised concerns about the council's notice for HYCS to vacate its premises at 78 St John's Road, Isleworth¹ by 31 December 2025. HYCS has occupied the premises for 38 years and provides counselling to young people across the borough. The representative expressed that losing the premises would have a devastating impact and requested support in challenging the decision. The representative later updated that a response had been received from the Director of Strategy offering to discuss a new lease, and thanked the Council for its supportive response. Councillor Amy Croft, Portfolio holder for Infrastructure, Enforcement and Recycling, highlighted HYCS as one of the Mayor's chosen charities and assured the meeting that efforts were being made to secure a permanent home for the service.

A local resident expressed concern regarding the lack of progress on the Conservatory at Chiswick House and Gardens² and questioned the availability of the £423,000 allocated for works. A response from Councillor Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development, stated that the Council and Chiswick House and Gardens Trust (CHGT) were working in partnership to secure the conservatory's future, with ongoing repairs and investigations into fundamental reconstruction. Councillor John Todd, a trustee of CHGT, confirmed that the allocated funds remained in place and that the Trust had raised £6,000,000 for the project, working with Historic England.

Issue Tracking

The meeting noted the Issue Tracker. Councillor Ron Mushiso raised concerns about the recycling bins above shops, stating that while bins were emptied on time, specialist operatives needed to ensure the entire bin was cleared to prevent waste build-up and pest attraction. Councillor Gabriella Giles requested the addition of the Development of Chiswick Village to the issue tracker. Councillor Joanna Biddolph wished to add the leafing schedule, spraying and weeding schedule, and the use of glyphosate to the tracker for monitoring. Councillor Jack Emsley BEM, Chair of the meeting, noted that the issue tracker was noted.