Cabinet Question Time

Many thanks for your questions for CQT on 8th April, the chair is now selecting some as featured questions (all questions will have a response published on this page). We have now closed submissions in advance but you can still book a ticket to be at the event in person and raise your hand on the night.

In the Labour 2022 manifesto, the council committed to a 50% recycling rate by 2026 [1]. According to the latest performance monitoring report, this has recently dropped to 37.9% [3]. There does not appear to be an adequate plan to get this up to 50% in the next year. Shouldn’t this item be reported as Red in the performance report. (Submitted via email)

In the Labour Party 2022 manifesto [1], they said “We will build 1,000 council homes and buy 1,000 social rent homes” by 2026. With the latest quarterly performance reporting [3] showing only 533 homes built so far and 215 bought, shouldn’t these lines be indicated as red in performance reporting. That is 748 out of 2,000. Can the council let me know how many of these homes are actually built (not just “secured”) and how many of the bought homes are actually “social rent homes” as per the original commitment? The language in the performance report [3] appears to be obscuring how the original commitment is being met. Shouldn’t these line items in the performance report be indicated as Red? (submitted via email)

Why has the council made so little progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions? With the best available data, council emissions have only fallen 2% per year since the Climate Emergency has been declared [2]. This is far too slow to get to zero any time soon. Why has the council dropped their 2022 Labour manifesto commitment to be half way to net zero council by 2026 [1]? Why has the council dropped their commitment to including social housing in the council’s climate targets [2]? Does n’t this collectively amount to a massive U turn by the council in addressing the Climate Emergency? (submitted by email)

Do you know what the plans are with regard to the land by the new pedestrian bridge under Barnes Bridge is / where Chiswick Boathouse was in Dukes Meadows (Dan Mason Drive)? Thank you.
Nigel Brophy
Chairman
Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club

Continued:
5) What are the council's plans on crime prevention? The Neighbourhood Watch Scheme gave the sense of security amongst the community, however it has faded away over the years. Crime is rising at alarming rates in Hounslow.
6) Why don't councillors respond when we send a direct email asking for help? Should requests be formalised through the council website for tracking purposes?
7) What is the council doing to preserve Hounslow's history & heritage and promote it? Many years ago we had lovely metal Spitfires by the Southall Lane bridge to honour the aerodrome heritage, however the council took them down.
8) What about dumped Lime Cycles? The cycle parking areas introduced don't work
9) Why is the council not investing more in parks? Look at the large Sutton Playing Field.

Been a resident for many years, and seen huge decline in standards and environment for the past decade. 5% hiked council tax ever year is the norm unfortunately.However,we should get the gold standard service.
I have the following questions to put forward to the cabinet:
1) What are you doing about fly tipping, as its getting worse every year? What are you doing to support private landlords who are victims of fly tipping?
2) What are you doing about gridlock traffic (causing pollution) and illegal parking around school peak times? An example is Edison and Springwell Schools.
3) Why don't we get timely responses when completing online complaints forms?
4) What are you doing to increase the level of green belts, plants, trees to help tackle carbon emission and make it nice for the public?

Why don’t the council take action on all the people parking on a drive/garden with no dropped kerb. We paid thousand pounds plus yet they drive over paths etc and park. Safety issues plus unfair to those that paid. Easy to see just issue fines to the car parked with no dropped kerbs. Be fair, take action

Why do the Hounslow not act on illegal beds in sheds? 3 homes near me have permanent residents in what should be a brick outbuildings:shed. Yet no action taken, They produce rubbish, take school places and don’t contribute to council tax. Plus the rent paid is unlikely to be declared to HMRC.

We residents of Coates walk have requested to have bike storage. Bikes are constantly stolen by being left outside of the buildings. To prevent it we have allocated spaces for it right in front of the building, as so called "flower beds" are just dead branches and not maintained by the council. Not only that, they actually overgrow and block building entrance, causing harm, when entering on a daily basis. To avoid this, bike storage would be an ideal solution for our children and for us, to leave our bikes, without carrying them up the stairs(no lift). Why do we see bike storage sheds around Chiswick on so many points, and not around Brentford? It has been requested by residents and nothing has been done yet?

While there are regeneration plans and masterplans in place for Hounslow, Brentford and Feltham, what are the plans and vision for Chiswick? Despite Chiswick being a more affluent area of the borough, it still requires investment and attention - we are now seeing more shops and restaurants close on the High Road and there are a lot of vacancies. What do you propose to remedy this and increase the footfall, vibrancy and vitality of Chiswick?

What are Hounslow Council's plans to continue to uplift perceptions of the Borough and to reinforce it as a positive place on the map?

What steps is Hounslow Council taking to ensure that resources, focus, and finances are spread equally across the Borough?

Are you planning to increase the council tax again? If so by how much and how the increase will actually support local services? Since pandemic we have seen a constant decrease of services like street cleaning, rubbish collection services and recycling centres etc.

What is the progress with The Council's lifelong learning initiative? And would The Council be willing to explore how organisations such as Chiswick Pier Trust (of which I am a Trustee) could support and develop this project.

Why is the Waterman's site being sold off when it's a prime London riverside site owned by Hounslow residents and could generate substantial income for generations to come?

Business cases for building flats to pay for an arts centre within the site would bring in much needed revenue over the longer-term. Why is this option not being considered given that the Police site would charge us/Hounslow Council rent, if not initially, then certainly in the longer term.

Please provide a proportional breakdown of what the $1 million fee is intended for. Does it include any legal advice to alter the need to provide arts space before selling and demolishing the current Waterman's site?

Why does the Council not assign any importance to SEMH needs when it comes to children with SEN? I can see a Q from 1 year ago where a child was not deemed autistic enough to get her preferred placement and now the child is suicidal. It is really concerning that the mental health of young autistic girls who are cognitively able is not assigned any importance by the council and children are left to reach crisis point. The safety valve agreement relating to EOTAS is particularly concerning. Does the Council realise that unless this is prioritised, it will later become a social care issue as the children with unmet needs will become adults who won’t be able to function later? We are facing a similar situation. 3rd appeal (2won) going into 3rd year and yet no provision implemented yet.

1. Why does the Council not enforce their policies against rogue landlords in Hounslow? Why does the Council not investigate people who are not paying council tax and rogue landlords who do not have HMO licenses and/or are not allowed to let out ‘beds in sheds’?
2. What is the Council doing to ensure that as part of the EV strategy, disabled people are not at a disadvantage in relation to having accessible charging posts?
3. Why do certain staff members openly purport that the council can only consider applications (eg dropped kerb applications) ‘as per the policy’? Is there a reason why the Council refuses to use discretion in the application of their policies, especially when it relates to significant disadvantages disabled people are subjected to?

Why is Chiswick’s treated differently to Hanworth Village, Hounslow. I’ve lived and currently live in both. It’s definitely treated more favourably. Is it because people complain more in Chiswick. It is really rather sad.

Can you please make provision for more parking in central Hounslow?
I understand the council wants us to use more public transport but for some people that isn't an option and there are fewer and fewer parking options available for people in those cases ..
Also related - When will the Treaty Centre and its car park close? Because from that point on, working in Hounslow will become very difficult and almost impossible..