This meeting included reports from the Metropolitan Police and discussions on the financial position of the council. It also included scrutiny of the Climate Emergency Action Plan. Updates were provided on the work of the council’s scrutiny panels and the North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Metropolitan Police Service

Superintendent James Rawlinson, Neighbourhood Policing Lead for Hounslow, provided an update on crime and policing in the borough.

The Metropolitan Police Service report, [Metropolitan Police Service slide deck: Hounslow Overview and Scrutiny Committee 23 January 2025](https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/s198334/Appendix+1+Police+Presentation.pdf), set out the challenges being faced in delivering policing locally.

“CHALLENGES:

• Financial – The MPS has publically highlighted a significant funding gap which will require difficult decisions about services in coming months if not addressed. • Operational – The MPS continues to police significant protest activity and events across London alongside significant demand from 999/101. • Cultural – the MPS is changing how we police London and responding to the findings of the Baroness Casey Review ¹.” The report also identified that, although reported crimes in most categories were reducing, theft from the person was increasing in Hounslow.

The Committee was also provided with an update on the Metropolitan Police Service's plans for 2025.

“2025 PRIORITIES

• Ongoing delivery of A New Met for London ² priorities – More Trust, Less Crime, High Standards. • Focus on knife crime and domestic abuse (alongside community crime types such as robbery and burglary). • Working with Hounslow to reduce the perceived fear of crime on the Borough. • Exploring how communications with our communities can be enhanced especially where we are working in partnership with Hounslow and other agencies.”

One Hounslow Financial Strategy (OHFS) - 2025/26 Budget Proposals

The Committee was asked to note the draft budget proposals for 2025/26, and provide feedback on them.

The report set out a number of financial challenges facing the council.

“As noted at Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 24 October 2024, the budget setting process for 2025/26 has been adjusted to provide greater opportunity for the committee to have oversight of both the financial assumptions that underpin the Council’s medium-term financial strategy and the proposals being taken forward to balance the 2025/26 budget.”

It highlighted that the council is legally obliged to set a balanced budget for the forthcoming year.

“By law, the Council is required to set a balanced budget for the following year. In setting the budget, the Council considers all available resources to ensure that it fulfils its statutory obligations.”

The Council was proposing to use its reserves to balance the 2025/26 budget, with a plan to replenish them in future years.

Based on this quantum of savings for the first year of the OHFS, balancing the 2025/26 budget will require a one-off application of reserves. OHFS updates for future years will include a requirement for those reserves to be replenished over the medium-term to ensure that Hounslow’s financial position remains robust in the long-term. This reflects a strategy of using the Council’s reserve position to deliver savings in a responsible manner and avoid large scale service changes in any single period.

The report also highlighted the risks to the council if it failed to take the necessary steps to address its financial challenges.

“The Council’s ability to undertake high quality scrutiny is reduced.”

A detailed appendix to the report, [APPENDIX 2 - 2025-26 Budget Proposals](https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/s198366/APPENDIX+2+-+2025-26+Budget+Proposals.pdf), set out the proposed savings to be made. These included efficiencies in services and increased charges for residents.

The report also acknowledged that the council’s financial challenges are shared by other councils, particularly those in London.

“The financial stresses facing local authorities have increased with an increasing number of authorities in crisis. There have been several high-profile financial failures of councils across England, where Section 114 Notices ³ have been issued. Hounslow recognises this and is determined to ensure that it puts financial sustainability at the heart of its decision-making.”

Climate Emergency Action Plan - Fourth Annual update

This report provided an update on the council's progress in meeting its commitments under the Climate Emergency Action Plan, which was adopted by the council in July 2020.

The report highlighted that the council has made significant progress in decarbonising its operations, but that there are still challenges to overcome.

“Total gas consumption (the key driver of emissions we are seeking to address) has decreased by 18% since 2018/19, 28% since 2019/20 and 19% in the last year”.

To get to net zero by 2030 will require decarbonising 500 homes per year, which is not viable nor fundable nor affordable

“The ambition to reach net zero for social housing by 2030 is not achievable and it is recommended that going forwards social housing is included within our wider borough emissions objectives, not the internal council operations objectives”.

To deliver our climate ambitions we need to unlock private sector capital financing that: Limits the financial and asset exposure of the council; shifts investor payback using fair mechanisms to the primary resident and business beneficiaries; minimises the level of public financing required; enables the council to retain influence to avoid cherry picking and ensure delivery across all areas of the borough (and potentially those in greatest need first).

To address the funding challenges facing the council, the report proposed that money previously approved for the Green Innovation and Enterprise project, be reallocated to support the development of a business case for a demonstrator Net Zero Neighbourhood and a Climate Change Resilience Plan.

“Action – Re-allocation of £150k of funding to engage consultancy support to establish the best commercial model for Hounslow to secure private sector investment and deliver our climate ambitions”

The report also noted that there had been inaccuracies in the previously reported data on the council's emissions in 2022/23. The revised figures showed that the council's emissions had actually increased slightly in that year.

“This means that the council’s operational emissions in 2022/23 should have been reported as 70,859 tCO2e rather than the 65,150 tCO2e that were reported. This therefore was a 2% reduction against the 2018/19 rather than the 10% that was reported (n.b. the baseline has also been slightly amended due to changes in the calculation methodology).”

This highlights that data management and accuracy are critical if the council is to have confidence that it is on track to meet its climate emergency ambitions.

Scrutiny Panels and JHOSC updates

The Committee received updates on the work of its three scrutiny panels: Children and Young People, Health and Adults Care, and Housing and Environment.

• The Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel was looking into the impact of socio-economic disadvantage on primary school engagement.
• The Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Panel was examining the commissioning and contract management of adult social care providers.
• The Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel was focusing on flood resilience across the borough.

The Committee also received an update from its representative on the North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC).

Forward Plan Review

The Committee reviewed the Council Forward Plan, which lists all of the key decisions that were scheduled to be made by the council in the coming months.

The Committee did not identify any items for referral to future meetings.

Work Programme Review

The Committee reviewed its Work Programme.

The Committee did not make any changes to the Work Programme.