The Hounslow Council Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel met on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, to discuss panel processes, working methods, and topics of interest. The panel was also scheduled to develop terms of reference for future work.

Work of Hounslow Highways

The panel was scheduled to receive a further update on the work of Hounslow Highways, focusing on flooding, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS)[^1], and ongoing works. Key points that were scheduled to be discussed included:

• £2.4m of investment from Thames Water into SUDS to mitigate flood risks, with schemes due for completion by March and surface-level improvements expected by July/August.
• Maintenance and aftercare of completed schemes, with internal investment required to ensure amenity standards.
• The council maintaining approximately 20,000 gulleys, each cleaned on an 18-month cycle, subject to access issues such as parked vehicles.
• Ongoing engagement with Thames Water regarding infrastructure limitations.

• Emergency work undertaken at Chiswick Mall to stabilise an ageing retaining wall.

  [^1]: Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are designed to manage surface water runoff in a way that mimics natural processes.

Community Engagement

The panel was scheduled to discuss community engagement with groups such as the Heston Action Group and the Crane Valley Partnership. Concerns that were scheduled to be raised included:

• Flooding linked to paved-over front gardens and insufficient drainage infrastructure.
• Lack of clarity on how planning policy addresses water discharge and permeability.
• The role of Thames Water and coordination across boroughs in flood resilience planning.
• The importance of protecting green spaces, preventing pollution, and ensuring coordination in development near Heathrow Airport and other strategic sites.

Scrutiny Recommendations

The panel was scheduled to receive guidance on developing effective scrutiny recommendations, covering:

• Feedback from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny on current practice.
• The importance of executive and partner engagement.

• Guidance on SMART principles[^2] and practical examples of successful and unsuccessful recommendations.

  [^2]: SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It is a framework used to set and evaluate objectives.

Flood Resilience

The panel was scheduled to participate in a workshop to develop findings and recommendations related to flood resilience. A summary presentation was scheduled to be delivered outlining:

• The deep dive's terms of reference on flood resilience.
• Summary of evidence gathered throughout the year.
• Draft recommendations emerging from findings.

Points that were scheduled to be raised included:

• Merging and strengthening specific recommendations to improve impact.
• Incorporating issues such as HMO licensing, garden paving, and maintenance responsibilities.
• Improving coordination across boroughs and with regional partners.
• Including reference to the Local Plan review and Thames Water accountability.
• Involvement of the Canal and River Trust in water quality and flood mitigation.

Work Programme 2025/26

Panel members were scheduled to complete a survey and discuss topics for the work programme for 2025/26.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors were reminded of the need to declare any interests under the Members' Code of Conduct. The guidance note from Benita Edwards, Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer, detailed the different types of interests, including Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) and Other Registerable Interests. Councillors were advised to seek advice prior to the meeting if they were unsure of the nature of their interest.