Hounslow Council passes budget as political rows erupt

Hounslow Council this week approved its 2026/27 budget amid clashing claims from the administration and the opposition. While the Labour administration hailed the plan as a ‘turning point’ for the borough, the Conservative opposition argued that residents are being asked to ‘pay more for less’.

The approved budget features a multi-million-pound investment strategy alongside a series of tax and charge increases aimed at balancing the council's books.

Key investments include:

• Housing: £125 million for new council homes and £32 million for estate improvements.
  
  
• Environment: £10.5 million for a green heat network and a doubling of street cleaning.
  
  
• Leisure: £4 million for a new leisure centre and £3 million for parks.

Financial measures and costs:

• Council Tax: A significant increase, which the Opposition claims will total 15% over a three-year period.
  
  
• Efficiency Savings: A target of £2.9 million in internal savings.
  
  
• Revenue Generation: An increased reliance on fines, fees, and service charges to offset reduced central government funding.

The Conservative Group, who submitted the only formal amendment to the budget, argued that their proposals focused on streamlining ‘council overheads’ to protect taxpayers. Their plan, which was ultimately defeated, included saving £375,000 by reducing the Resident Experience Team, £400,000 from the communications budget, and £75,000 by removing cabinet assistant roles. The Conservatives proposed redirecting these funds into three ‘priority pillars’: £400,000 for domestic abuse services, £700,000 for homelessness prevention, and £500,000 for a new ‘prevention-led’ fly-tipping strategy using AI-powered CCTV. A major flashpoint in the debate was the Digital Dock in Brentford. Labour argued that selling the community workspace would put partner organisations at risk, while Conservatives maintained that questioning whether council property delivers value is ‘responsible financial management’. Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat described the budget as a positive, ambitious plan based on ‘fairer choices’. He was, however, highly critical of the Conservative amendment, which he claimed was ‘shambolic’ and based on ‘fanciful efficiency savings’.

Cllr Rajawat said: “Every year [the Tories] get the chance to set out an alternative vision for this borough, and every year they come up short. Their fag-packet amendment fell apart on impact with reality. Worse than that, it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the work done by the council. They want to make a £375k cut to the ‘Community Solutions Team’ – a team which has not existed since 2024.

“Nothing could be more Tory, however, than their proposal to sell off community assets like the cost-neutral Digital Dock to pay for the very redundancies they are proposing! I am proud to have presented such a positive, ambitious budget... I just wish the Opposition would do the same.” Councillor Peter Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group, replied: “Labour can throw around insults, but residents know the real issue is that this budget still asks them to pay more while delivering less. Council Tax is set to rise by around 15% over three years, yet Labour is still cutting or scaling back frontline services.

“Our amendment identified almost £2 million in savings from council overheads and redirected that money into things residents care about, including support for victims of domestic abuse, preventing homelessness and tackling fly-tipping. We think it’s inappropriate for Cllr Rajawat to attack council officers. Residents deserve a council that looks at its own spending first, rather than simply asking them to pay more.” The Conservatives also accused the administration of misleading the public regarding the ‘Community Solutions’ team, stating the name was used to avoid confusion over a recent ‘expensive rebrand’ to the Resident Experience Team.