Hounslow Council Leader Talks About the Challenges Ahead
Shantanu Rajawat doesn't rule out more tough decisions having to be made
Hounslow Council leader Shantanu Rajawat. Picture: MyLondon/Facundo Arrizabalaga
January 23, 2025
Hounslow Council Leader Councillor Shantanu Rajawat sat down with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) to discuss the successes and challenges in the borough in 2024, whilst looking ahead to plans for this year. He outlines the council’s focus on youth employment and skills development as a key success of last year, whilst admitting there are financial challenges ahead for all councils in 2025.
As the council prepares their budget in efforts to tackle a £30 million shortfall in finances, Cllr Rajawat discussed plans for long-term regeneration, transport infrastructure, plans for services, and hopes to become London Borough of Culture.
At the 2022 elections, Hounslow Labour set out their vision for Hounslow, highlighting six main priorities: a greener, healthier, cleaner, thriving, safer, and more liveable borough. The Leader told the LDRS the first two years were about articulating what that plan meant, with 2024 the moment to implement it.
Hounslow’s Youth Skills & Employment Guarantee (YSEG) is a partnership between the council and partners such as Brentford FC, Sky, and Heathrow Airport that aims to provide people aged 14-25 better access to skills and employment opportunities across the borough. The scheme, backed by local businesses, began in 2023 and ‘took off’ in 2024.
Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS the YSEG was a highlight of 2024 for the Local Authority (LA), describing the scheme as becoming ‘business as usual’. He said, “There is a generation of young people who have faced the pandemic, austerity, and a poor paying job market.
“Setting up the YSEG was about offering young people the opportunity to gain the skills needed for work, to get into apprenticeships, whilst recognising not everyone goes to university.”
He added, “The focus in the first year was on people with learning difficulties. It was a great moment for me to go to their graduation and see people who started out lacking in confidence, much more self assured, and many with full time job offers.”
Last year, Hounslow Council revealed plans to change the amount of support people can receive towards council tax. This is one among several measures expected to be announced at the budget to tackle the £30 million shortfall in council finances.
During the austerity period, the council had to find £60 million in savings across 10 to 12 years. Now, they must find half of that in a quarter of the time, whilst maintaining a commitment to protect services.
Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS, “Finances have been very challenging for us. We always knew that it would be because we are good at projecting how we are going to meet the challenge.
“It’s really challenged myself and cabinet. We can look at efficiencies whilst being clear about tackling inequality, but it’s about finding balance. Some would say take from the reserves, or cut services and be done with it. They aren’t all palatable options.”
On how the council can remain financially stable whilst maintaining manifesto commitments, the Leader told the LDRS that due to sensible management since 2010, the council has healthy reserves.
He said, “I am clear that is [the reserves] only for a rainy day, and when you’re looking at needing £30 million of savings, in many respects that day has come. Yes, we are going to have to dip into reserves for the budget, but efficiencies that come out of the budget will replenish that.”
A number of Local Authorities across the city have announced plans to raise council tax, such as Brent, Hillingdon, and Newham. Councillor Rajawat did not rule out increasing council tax or other tough choices.
He said, “We haven’t reached a final decision. It’s usually the last decision we make, once we’ve explored all other options. It’s always going to be difficult to go to residents when they are struggling out there.”
Something the council have announced is that they may cut council tax support, meaning all residents will have to pay something. If approved, the plans would see thousands of people lose out on their current discount.
Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS the current scheme is unsustainable: “We have offered 100 per cent support to the most vulnerable, but we are going to have to be much more targeted. Looking at large families, the most vulnerable people, continuing to protect them, but everyone will have to pay a portion… because it is not sustainable to pay £27 million a year to our council tax support scheme.”
The West London Orbital scheme plans to connect Hounslow, Old Oak Common, and stations further north like Hendon and Brent Cross. In December 2024, Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed that ‘feasible solutions’ have been identified for all parts of the project.
Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS the upcoming project is what he is ‘most excited about’. He said, “It’s significant because it makes it easier to move between West and North London. The West London economy is the second largest after central London, and we can do so much by connecting within West London.”
The scheme would cut journey times from towns such as Brentford to Brent Cross by half. It is also expected to create 11,400 new jobs, and 15,800 homes in Hounslow.
London Borough of Hounslow currently has around 7,500 people on their housing waiting list, something the Leader calls a ‘historic problem’. When asked how he aims to tackle this in 2025, he told the LDRS it will take time.
He said, “It’s tough for us because we’re constrained financially… but it’s also tough on the development side as well. A lot of our development partners are still feeling the pinch too.
“It’s not a quick fix, and it will take time… we are committed to investing in our estates and estate regeneration such as Charlton House. It’s a tricky financial context but we remain committed.”
The London Borough of Culture programme, created in 2017, promotes cultural celebration and showcases each borough’s unique identity. The winner of the award is granted £1.3 million by the Greater London Assembly to deliver cultural programmes.
Most recently, Wandsworth were awarded for 2025-26, and Haringey for 2027-28. Cllr Rajawat believes Hounslow have a shot at winning the award, revealing to the LDRS he hopes to put in a bid ‘this year, if not next year’.
He said, “It’s not just about culture, but about heritage. It’s not just about places like Boston Manor and Osterley House. There are also, in terms of diversity, 180 languages spoken in the borough.
“We can build on the things we’ve done in the past, around celebrating the culture and diversity of our borough, and that heritage and experience of people who have come from overseas and what they bring to the borough.”
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter