Hounslow London Borough Council

Local authority in England

Hounslow London Borough Council

Type
Type|

London borough council

Leadership

Mayor

Amy Croft,
Labour
since 27 May 2025[1]

Leader

Shantanu Rajawat,
Labour
since 5 May 2022

Chief Executive (interim)

Mandy Skinner
since 25 February 2025[2]

Structure
Seats| 62 councillors

Political groups

Administration (51)
Labour (51)
Other parties (11)
Conservative (8)
Independent (2)
Workers Party (1)
Elections

Voting system

| Plurality-at-large

Last election

| 5 May 2022

Next election

| 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EB
Website
www.hounslow.gov.uk

Hounslow London Borough Council, also known as Hounslow Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Hounslow in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council is based at Hounslow House on Bath Road in Hounslow.

## History

[edit]

The London Borough of Hounslow and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's three outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Brentford and Chiswick and Heston and Isleworth and the urban district council of Feltham. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.[3][4] The council's full legal name is the "Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Hounslow", although it styles itself Hounslow Council.[5][6]

From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Hounslow) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Hounslow has been a local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[7]

Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.[8]

## Powers and functions

[edit]

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates.[9] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[10]

## Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010.

The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[11][12]

Party in control | Years

|

| Labour | 1965–1968
| Conservative | 1968–1971
| Labour | 1971–2006
| No overall control | 2006–2010
| Labour | 2010–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of Mayor of Hounslow is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:[13]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Alf King |  | Labour | 1965 | 1968
Dyas Usher |  | Conservative | 1968 | 1969
George Henniker[14] |  | Conservative | 1969 | 1971
Alf King |  | Labour | 1971 | 1986
John Grigg |  | Labour | 1986 | 1987
David Wetzel |  | Labour | 1987 | 1991
John Chatt |  | Labour | 1991 | 1999
John Connelly |  | Labour | 1999 | 2002
John Chatt[15] |  | Labour | 2002 | 2004
Colin Ellar[16][17] |  | Labour | 18 May 2004 | May 2006
Peter Thompson[18][19] |  | Conservative | 23 May 2006 | May 2010
Jagdish Sharma[20][21] |  | Labour | 25 May 2010 | Jun 2014
Steve Curran[22][23] |  | Labour | 10 Jun 2014 | May 2022
Shantanu Rajawat[24] |  | Labour | 31 May 2022 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2022 election and by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was as follows:[25]

Party | Councillors

|

| Labour | 51
| Conservative | 8
| Workers Party of Britain | 1
| Independent | 2
Total | 62

The next election is due in May 2026.[26]

## Elections

[edit]

See also: Hounslow London Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 62 councillors representing 22 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[27]

## Premises

[edit]

The council is based at Hounslow House at 7 Bath Road in Hounslow, which was purpose-built for the council and completed in 2019.[28]

Hounslow Civic Centre: Council's headquarters 1975–2019

Prior to 2019 the council was based at Hounslow Civic Centre on Lampton Road, which had been completed in 1975.[29]

## See also

[edit]

* Thamesbank Credit Union

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Osborne, Bridget (27 May 2025). "Chiswick councillor Amy Croft confirmed as Mayor of Hounslow for 2025–26". Chiswick Calendar. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
2. ^ "Council minutes, 25 February 2025". London Borough of Hounslow. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
3. ^ "London Government Act 1963", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1978 c. 33, retrieved 16 May 2024
4. ^ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
5. ^ "Latest planning applications in the London Borough of Hounslow as of 24/03/2023". Hounslow Herald. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
6. ^ "Contacting Hounslow Council". Hounslow Council. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
7. ^ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
8. ^ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107\. ISBN 978-0714648590.
9. ^ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
10. ^ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
11. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Hounslow" in search box to see specific results.)
12. ^ "Hounslow". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
13. ^ "London Boroughs Political Almanac: London Borough of Hounslow". London Councils. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
14. ^ "'Rates and housing are the issues'". Acton Gazette. 22 April 1971. p. 6. Retrieved 3 July 2022. "Leader of Hounslow Borough Council, Cllr. George Henniker..."
15. ^ Cann, Ged (30 August 2019). "Tributes paid after death of one of Hounslow's longest serving councillors". My London. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
16. ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2004" (PDF). London Borough of Hounslow. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
17. ^ "Make up of Hounslow Council remains unclear". Chiswick W4. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
18. ^ "Council minutes, 23 May 2006". London Borough of Hounslow. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
19. ^ Mason, Ian (14 May 2010). "Local elections 2010: 'Tough four years ahead' for new two-party Hounslow Council". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
20. ^ "Council minutes, 25 May 2010" (PDF). London Borough of Hounslow. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
21. ^ "Jagdish Sharma retires as Leader of Hounslow Council". Chiswick W4. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
22. ^ "Council minutes, 10 June 2014". London Borough of Hounslow. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
23. ^ Haseldine, Lisa (6 May 2022). "Hounslow local election results 2022: Labour hold West London borough with 52 seats". My London. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
24. ^ "Council minutes, 31 May 2022". London Borough of Hounslow. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
25. ^ "Defection announcement". X. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
26. ^ "Hounslow". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
27. ^ "The London Borough of Hounslow (Electoral Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2020/1108, retrieved 18 April 2024
28. ^ "Mayor Of London Opens New Hounslow Council Headquarters". Neighbour.net. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
29. ^ "Full circle: Celebrating Hounslow Civic Centre". LCC Municipal. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* London Borough of Hounslow website

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