Hounslow Council Leader Looks Forward to the Coming Year
Shantanu Rajawat anticipates 'different kind of election'
Cllr Shantanu Rajawat
January 16, 2026
As 2026 kicks into gear the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) caught up with Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of Hounslow Council, to look ahead over the next 12 months and discuss his priorities for the borough.
In the interview he discussed plans for a new railway extension in Hounslow, town regeneration plans, and the 2026 local elections.
Since 2010, councils across London and the country have faced increased financial pressures as budgets have been cut and demand on services has increased. Many councils – including neighbouring Hillingdon – have been forced to apply to the Government for Exceptional Financial Support.
Cllr Rajawat says that he is “very confident” Hounslow Council will not need to take this step. He said he is “quite pleased” with the strategy adopted by the council.
“We know the reserves are there for rainy days, but you have to look at what is happening in the economy more broadly and what’s happening in our situation isn’t different to any authority – inflation has been stubbornly high and costs have been high.
“I’m quite pleased with the strategy that we’ve adopted over many years where we have built up on reserves despite austerity and everything like that because it gave us the headroom and the ability to dip into [reserves] when we need to, in a structured way.”
With the 2026/27 budget looming, Cllr Rajawat admitted that there is a budget gap. According to council documents published in November, this sits at around £54million. He said: “We need to make sure that as an organisation that we are always as efficient as possible…
“We’ve been doing lots of work in the background… in terms of being as efficient as possible looking at income, where that can be, whilst also protecting services. The reserve draw is always the last thing [we would like to do]. We need to make sure we’re doing everything as an organisation possible [to manage finances before doing that].”
He added: “It’s well reported that there is a budget gap, and actually that same rigour has been applied this year. In fact… we are getting to the end of that process.”
He went on to say that the council is also looking to build up its reserves over the next few years which will allow for investment in housing regeneration and long-term plans.
The proposed West London Orbital extension to the Overground network – which would connect Hounslow to areas such as Hendon – is something that Cllr Rajawat says he will continue to champion in 2026. The plans have this week received a promise of £400,000 in funding from the Mayor of London in a significant step forward for the proposals, after the project was snubbed by the Government in the Autumn Budget.
That cash is dependent on the Mayor’s draft budget being approved and would allow for a business case to be progressed in 2026 and initial works to potentially be carried out in 2027.
Speaking about the proposals, Cllr Rajawat said: “The West London Orbital is ongoing… the Mayor of London supports it heavily and we are getting into the critical mass phase. It is a longer term project but it’s probably the cheapest out of all London transport infrastructure projects. We will continue to be at the forefront championing that.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Cllr Rajawat described two “growth areas”, particularly Feltham. He spoke about how the MoD (Ministry of Defence) site offers an opportunity to “unlock Feltham”.
It is expected that the redevelopment of the MoD site will deliver at least 1,370 new homes, as well as over 4,000 sqm of business space. It is an ambitious project which the council expects will take “many years” to complete.
He said: “The Feltham masterplan refresh is going on, and that’s being done with local residents, so there is lots and lots of engagement going on there. One of the key sites in Feltham is the MoD site, which we have just signed a public partnership – MoD, us, and the GLA (Greater London Authority) – to bring that forward.
“That will deliver thousands of homes, but lots of retail space as well, and potential jobs that come with that. But, it also then unlocks the whole of Feltham.”
In 2025, the Brentford Golden Mile – part of the Great West Road – celebrated its centenary. Hounslow Council put on a number of events to mark the occasion, and Cllr Rajawat believes the redevelopment happening in the area points to a “reimagining” of the borough.
The Golden Mile, often referred to as the ‘Great West Corridor’, has long been a hub of economic activity in West London. Regeneration plans for the Golden Mile set out an ambition to make the area one of the UK’s “leading creative, tech and innovation districts”.
In March 2025, Hounslow Council approved plans to redevelop the Gillette Factory building into a set of new films studios as part of a vision for a new Golden Mile
Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS: “The Golden Mile, that’s really accelerating, really thinking about what the future of the Golden Mile looks like. Whilst it’s great it’s lit up and the businesses along the Golden Mile have paid for that because it’s the right thing to do for local residents, actually it points to a reimagining of what the Golden Mile looks like and how we can be inclusive in our growth there.
“There is a lot happening and we are starting to think of, as a Labour Party, what our manifesto will look like. Whatever happens in May our offer and what we will tell residents from a political point of view, is [that] everything we have done has been with them in mind.”
In May, Hounslow residents will have the opportunity to vote for new councillors and potentially a new administration. The Labour-run council has come under fire in recent months over its councillors’ behaviour and the administration’s transparency.
Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS that he is looking forward to what he expects to be a “different” kind of election with an increased number of parties seeking to take over the local authority.
“I genuinely enjoy it, because whilst part of the reason I’ve been a leader that likes getting out and about is just testing some of what we’re doing, getting constructive feedback, sometimes credit, sometimes compliments.
“People say they can see differences happening… we’re not arrogant to think the work is done, there is plenty more you can do, but I’m genuinely excited about the future of the borough.”
He added: “I think it will be a very different election by the nature of the number of players in the field. I still think, though, I’ll reiterate we have a track record… whilst this will be the election where many [parties] promise everything, how many of those parties will be able to deliver and point to a record of delivery?”
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Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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