Cllr Rajawat has said he is looking forward to working with the new government.
Published: Monday, 29th July 2024
Leader of the Council, Cllr Shantanu Rajawat has written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying Hounslow is ready to work with the Government to leverage opportunities enabling positive change for our local communities.
In his letter, Cllr Rajawat said:
Dear Prime Minister,
Congratulations on your victory at the General Election, and for leading our party back to power. Here in Hounslow, we recognise both the opportunities and the necessity of Labour in power.
Hounslow is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, home to 288,000 people speaking 188 different languages. We are blessed with bustling town and village centres - Chiswick, Brentford, Hounslow, Feltham, Isleworth, Cranford and Heston – representing people from all walks of life. Our quality schools, with all but one rated outstanding or good, ensure our children exceed expectations.
We are proud that over 80% of our residents are satisfied with Hounslow as a place to live, and that three-quarters think the Council is doing a good job. Almost nine-in-ten feel their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well.
Strategically located along the A4/M4 corridor and bordering Heathrow Airport, the borough is one of the best-connected areas in London. The ‘Golden Mile’ in the west of the borough, hosts major multinationals like Sky, Cisco and JCDecaux. Our economy is one of the largest of any local authority area in the UK.
The borough boasts over 15,000 small businesses, a diverse community, and the highest concentration of media and broadcasting jobs in London, along with significant ICT, digital, and logistics sectors.
Hounslow is a wonderfully diverse borough, but we recognise economic prosperity is unequal. Despite being well-connected and well-situated, we grapple with one of the lowest median wages across London.
Many of our residents are disadvantaged due to barriers of where they live or protected characteristics, often limiting their access to services and opportunities. I am sure you will agree this is not acceptable.
We need local and national government to work together to end institutional inequalities to ensure everyone can reach their full potential and build a more sustainable and equitable economy.
Over the last fourteen years, Hounslow Council has provided stability and continuity for our borough amidst adversity. Our ambition to be an outstanding council serving an outstanding borough – something recognised in us being named Council of the Year - has remained constant, even as Hounslow felt the impact of the pandemic, economic slowdown, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Faced with these challenges, our borough has demonstrated innovation, excellence and determination. We have aligned our efforts with the priorities of our residents which include making more affordable homes available, providing high standards of education and opportunities for all, ensuring our communities feel safe and helping local talent and businesses flourish.
These are priorities we know you share and resonate throughout your pledges to ensure communities like Hounslow are at the forefront of delivering change and growth through working with local leader who understand local ambitions, strengths and challenges.
I have invited my Cabinet to write to yours in the days and weeks to come, outlining how we hope Hounslow can contribute to both the change and the return to an emphasis on Public Service that your government has pledged.
We particularly welcome the opportunities to meet with ministers and others to collaborate across a range of policy areas including:
- Delivering genuinely affordable housing and innovative solutions to create resilient neighbourhoods where people and place thrive. We believe that prosperity begins with everyone having a decent, safe, and secure home. Hounslow has a proven track record, far exceeding our target for high-quality, affordable homes within the borough. We have an ambitious blueprint to deliver over 4,600 new homes and 2,500 job opportunities, marking a significant step towards realising Hounslow's potential as a leading destination for sustainable and inclusive growth.
- Reforming planning policies to unlock opportunities for long-term sustainable development and infrastructure that supports an evolving economic and social landscape. Hounslow Council’s regeneration ambitions and local plan are centred on a long-term vision to reimage our towns and future economy, support good jobs, retain business activity and create thriving communities. To achieve these ambitions, we recognise planning and development frameworks need to guide the right development to the right locations, that unlock good growth.
- The delivery of Net Zero and the transition to a green economy enabling a just transition that benefit’s residents through high-quality jobs, warmer and cheaper to heat homes and neighbourhoods that are more resilient to the impact of climate change. We know from our recent Resident Survey that three-quarters of Hounslow residents support the Council’s Net Zero ambitions as well as schemes to improve air quality and promote walking and cycling. We are at the vanguard nationally in developing the Net Zero Neighbourhood approach, which we believe will be fundamental to delivery of these ambitions at scale in a way that stimulates growth in the economy and delivers real and sustainable benefits to communities. One of the key risks to delivering these (and other ambitions) is Energy Supply. We welcome your commitment to “work with industry to upgrade our national transmission infrastructure and rewire Britain” and believe that doing this, and re-prioritising the approach to grid connection is critical to achieving Net Zero, building homes and regenerating neighbourhoods and thereby driving economic growth.
- Health and Care Integration is essential for delivering seamless, person-centred services that enhance overall health and reduce inequalities. In Hounslow, our Borough Based Partnership effectively coordinates services across various sectors, emphasizing prevention, health,wellbeing, and independence initiatives. These efforts aim to address health disparities and reduce the demand for intensive services. We commend the Government’s commitment to transforming the NHS and restoring our health system to world-class standards, ensuring it is fit for the future. To achieve these ambitions, it is crucial that local approaches and organisations collaborate in a national mission to prevent ill- health, deliver more community-based services, and implement initiatives tailored to the unique needs of each community, without burdensome governance structures. We are eager to work with your team on long-term reforms to deliver the best outcomes for our communities. This includes securing necessary resources for the adult social care system, ensuring that we protect the most vulnerable in our communities and everyone can access the care they need and deserve.
- We welcome the Devolution Bill, which empowers local leaders to drive economic growth and development. The relationship between central and local government has for too long limited our economic potential and needs a fundamental reset. Hounslow is one of the largest contributors to the UK’s Gross Value Add, but the historic approach to growth has been centralised, divorced from the local and has left working people poorly served. Where growth opportunities look different in different places, devolution to the lowest practical level can achieve the growth we all need – both nationally, and for local businesses and local households and meaningful devolution, in true partnership between central and local government, can bring real benefits in a programme of national renewal.
Hounslow is ready to work with the Government to leverage the opportunity to enable change for our local communities and I look forward to the work we can do together in the service of growth and national renewal, and to a long and productive relationship in the best interest of the people of Hounslow and of the UK.
Yours sincerely,
Councillor Shantanu Rajawat
Leader of the Council
CC. Cllr Tom Bruce Deputy Leader of Hounslow Council - Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development
All Cabinet Members of Hounslow Council
Niall Bolger, Chief Executive of Hounslow Council
