Cabinet Question Time

"Cabinet Question Time will be filmed and shared on this page after the event". Do we know when the recording will be available on this page?

Has the cabinet considered any new proposals for improving transport access from Isleworth/Brentford towards Chiswick? Currently there is no underground branch in the south of the Borough to the west of Kew Bridge. A tram service, river shuttle, even a retractable bridge from Brentford to Kew (to allow access to Kew Village and underground station) are all options.

How can residents ensure that Forum topics are ones which they want to discuss with Councillors, rather than topics which LBH wishes attenders to know about, and ensure much more time is given to the former and much less to the latter - which can be dealt with in other ways to a far larger resident audience, eg via "Hounslow Matters" online and by quarterly printed distribution.

J Cooper

(Cont. 2/2) .......There are apparent work and geographical overlaps with established Ward Panels and Area Forums’ activities, particularly those requiring a Police presence. Ward Panel Chairs are only invited to one meeting a year out of four, creating a lack of continuity. With limited Police and volunteer resources, an open review of aims and objectives of Ward Panels, Area Forums and SNB is urgently needed.

C Hume, Chair of Osterley and Spring Grove Ward Panel

LBH’s new Safer Neighbourhood Board (SNB) seems to have ambitious aims, to ensure all wards have a Panel and Neighbourhood Watch, crime victim representation, youth engagement (with a £30 ‘bribe’) and the delivery of projects funded by others e.g. Chamber of Commerce, plus much else but so far little in the way of specific proposals for action.


(Cont. 1st of 2)

As a student I value and utilise the local library in Hounslow House frequently especially during exam seasons. As a practising Muslim however, I struggle with staying there for long periods of time as there is no available prayer room facility. Instead I have to walk at least 15 minutes to the other part of the high street to another mosque. The walk there and back takes up a large part of my time so I would like to request that a permanent prayer room should be allocated within Hounslow House

As a student I value and utilise the local library in Hounslow House frequently especially during exam seasons. As a practising Muslim however, I struggle with staying there for long periods of time as there is no available prayer room facility. Instead I have to walk at least 15 minutes to the other part of the high street to another mosque. The walk there and back takes up a large part of my time so I would like to request that a permanent prayer room should be allocated within Hounslow House

Why has the Council not prioritised space in vacant sites for increasing new supply of SEND school places, particularly when developers propose only 35% affordable homes, below the 50% threshold set by the Mayor of London?

S Malik

Continuation .............. Can the Council help push for full fibre? After all they have approved thousands of flats, without the adequate infrastructure, so the least that they can do is to improve the lives of residents.

Submitted by G Andraos and OWGRA

We have fibre to the cabinet & not to the home, the connection keeps on dropping. The speed over the copper cables is extremely slow. We’re paying a fortune for unreliable connections. Many areas in London have full fibre to the home & benefit from stable, cheap & superfast fibre broadband. They can work from home & businesses can operate without connection worries. Why can’t we? ....... continued

What is Hounslow Councils housing policy? Does it take into account infrastructure, services such as schools, dentists, public transport etc. For example Brentford at present has a housing boom but those of us living here are concerned that Hounslow will not be able to provide the supportive services for this increase in the population.

We have too many cyclists using the public footpaths causing danger to the public including the elderly and disabled. Are there any enforcements in place for those who uses the footpaths for cycling?

Submitted by S Jassal

How many new flats has been built in the borough in last 8 years also known as affordable and shared ownership homes. How many of these are laying vacant?

Submitted by S Jassal

Following the announcement from Michael Gove on 19th December, the highly anticipated revised NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) is finally published, which cemented that housing targets are 'advisory' - they are not mandatory. It is also clearly stated that a local authority's Green Belt boundaries do not need to be changed to meet its housing target. The last Local Plan included proposals to build on the Borough’s Greenbelt land including a huge warehouse development on Hatton Fields. Will the next Plan now exclude Greenbelt development so generations can access these green spaces?

Thanks for all your questions for the panel for 6th December 2023, listed below. All questions listed from this point on are for Cabinet Question Time 28th February 2024.

What is Hounslow Council, Hounslow Highways doing about the constant flooding in benedict drive?
Every time it rains the road, footpath and the front gardens are flooded coupled with strong sewage smell which is having detrimental effect on the residents day to day life,
This has been reported to Hounslow Council many times over the years but to no avail,
this has also been reported through our Councillor Mr Raghwinder Siddhu but we still have no resolution or action plan,
please give this matter your urgent consideration

GK

What are you doing to attract companies that have graduate schemes so that the young graduates can get quality work experience and start their careers?
They seem to just have debt, ridiculously high rents and a scarcity of graduate jobs.

There isn't a specialist trauma service in W London. Looking at the Hounslow census 2021, it shows that there is a diverse community & a definite need for such a service. There is also a significant amount of refugees (Ukraine, Afghanistan, etc) & asylum seekers in Hounslow and they present with complex trauma & therefore, a provision for a specialist trauma service in W London will be beneficial for all those residing in the Borough. I wonder if a service like the one CNWL trust has is something that could be considered or perhaps it's already in the pipeline?

S Akram

What is the council doing about problem HMOs? We live next door to 1 & another around the corner. The latter recently had a tenant arrested for murder. The former has a woman with a young daughter living with 5 male tenants, all with behavioural problems. We live in a family area & we have a child. Both the housing company responsible & the council say they have no control over who they house. The council needs to take responsibility of these HMO's to ensure our neighbourhoods are safe, for us & the tenants.

R Clement

Every year, people from LBH who attend Higher education or University struggle to get enough opportunities to develop their knowledge or find jobs. Why is the London Borough of Hounslow not participating in the National Graduate Development Programs (NGDP) 2024, designed for new graduates from local communities?

Submitted by X Fernandes