The Hounslow Council Cabinet met on Tuesday, 11 November 2025, and approved Hounslow's Vision 2050, a refresh of the West London Waste Plan for consultation, and the final Housing Strategy 2025-2030. They also approved a new operating model for enforcement and allocated funds for traffic monitoring cameras, disabled facilities grants, and a Preparation for Adulthood programme.

Financial Monitoring Update

The Cabinet noted the forecast General Fund revenue budget position, which remains at a £10.5m overspend, but also noted potential risks and opportunities to reduce that position. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget position is forecast to have an overall net nil variance, with a forecast contribution to HRA balances of £1.75m. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) position is forecast to be an overspend of £0.1m, compared to the budgeted deficit of £4.2m.

The Cabinet approved several measures related to the council's finances:

• Write-off of business rates debt: £818,000 of business rates debt was approved for write-off.
• Increase in Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) capital budget: An increase of £1,771,000 was approved in the 2025/26 capital budget for Disabled Facilities Grants, funded by the council's DFG capital grant allocation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
• Preparation for Adulthood programme: A budget of £1.5m from the General Fund capital programme unallocated budget was allocated, funded from the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (grant), and authority was delegated to the Executive Director of Finance and Resources to approve spending within this allocation to implement the Preparation for Adulthood programme.
• Traffic monitoring and enforcement cameras: A budget of £875,000 from the 2025/26 General Fund capital programme unallocated budget was allocated to fund the procurement and installation of twenty new traffic monitoring and enforcement cameras. The commencement of a procurement exercise for the traffic monitoring cameras was authorised, and authority was delegated to the Executive Director of Finance and Resources to award the contract, provided the tenders are returned within the approved budget.
• Amendments to Building Control charges: Amendments to Building Control charges were approved, effective from 1 December 2025.
• New fees and charges for primate licences: The introduction of new fees and charges under The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 was approved, effective from 1 December 2025.
• Biodiversity Net Gain monitoring fees: The implementation of new Biodiversity Net Gain¹ monitoring fees when entering Section 106 agreements² for Biodiversity Net Gain, and changes to the fees and charges set out in the council's adopted planning obligations and CIL SPD³, were approved, effective from 1 December 2025.

Enforcement Review

The Cabinet approved a new operating model for enforcement in the borough. This includes:

• A new, integrated council-delivered Enforcement service.
• A new contract for Parking Enforcement, which includes the monitoring of CCTV cameras related to parking enforcement and moving traffic violations.
• An Environmental Enforcement contract.
• Internal delivery of CCTV monitoring for community safety cameras.

The Cabinet authorised the commencement of the procurement of a new Parking Enforcement contract and delegated the authority to award the new contract to the Director of Environmental Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure Recycling & Transformation.

The Cabinet also approved the development of a design and supporting Full Business Case for an in-house model for the delivery of the CCTV monitoring function for community safety cameras. Authority was delegated to the Director of Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Customer Services, and Enforcement to either approve implementation of the new in-house model, or, if the Full Business Case does not demonstrate that this is the best value for money option, to authorise commencement of the procurement of a new contract for this function and subsequently authorise the award of the contract.

A budget allocation was approved for programme management resource, equipment, and technology to enable the implementation of the recommendations, including £84,000 to be funded from the One Hounslow Transformation Reserve and £30,000 from the Unallocated General Fund Capital Programme Budget.

Housing Strategy 2025-2030

The Cabinet approved the final version of the Housing Strategy 2025-2030, incorporating Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, updated in light of consultation feedback. The outcomes of the formal consultation on the Consultation Draft Housing Strategy 2025-2030 and Equalities Impact Assessment were noted. Authority for planning the operational delivery of the Strategy, including finalisation of Priority activity targets and any minor amendments that may be necessary to the Strategy, was delegated to the Director of Housing in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing. The proposed arrangements for monitoring the delivery of the Housing Strategy outputs and outcomes, namely quarterly reports to the Housing Delivery Group chaired by the Lead Member for Housing, and annual updates to Cabinet, were approved.

Housing Assistance Policy - Disabled Facilities Grant

The Cabinet considered the Housing Assistance Policy and Aids and Adaptation Policy for Council-owned properties. The feedback from informal engagement on the policies was noted. The consultation of the Draft Housing Assistance Policy 2026 and the associated Consultation Plan was approved, and the adoption of the final version of the plan was delegated to the Director of Housing in consultation with the Portfolio Holder of Housing Management & Homelessness. The consultation of the Draft Aids and Adaptation Policy 2026 for Council-owned properties and the associated Consultation Plan was approved, and the adoption of the final version of the plan was delegated to the Director of Housing in consultation with the Portfolio Holder of Housing Management & Homelessness.

West London Waste Plan Refresh

The Cabinet approved the draft new West London Waste Plan for public consultation with supporting documentation as part of the first round of statutory consultation (known as the 'Regulation 18' consultation) under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. The findings of the evidence base and other supporting documents were noted. Authority was delegated to the Director of Planning and Buildings to agree the final version of the Regulation 18 West London Waste Plan for public consultation, in consultation with the Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio holder for Assets, Regeneration and Development. The outcomes of the consultation will be reported back to Cabinet in Spring/Summer 2026, when approval will be sought for the next statutory consultation on an updated draft new West London Waste Plan – the 'Regulation 19' consultation on the 'proposed submission' version.

Hounslow's Vision 2050

The Cabinet agreed Vision 2050 as the Council's long-term vision and referred the report to Borough Council on 25 November 2025 for voting. Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of the Council, introduced the key points and recommendations of the report.

Treasury Management Mid-Year Report

The Cabinet noted the Council's Treasury Management activity for the period 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025, and the content of the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report 2025/26, and referred the report to Borough Council.