About us
About Hounslow Borough Council
Hounslow is an attractive place to live and work, with miles of river, canals, nature reserves and open spaces, Hounslow has much to celebrate.
The borough has some of the most beautiful parks and open spaces in London, with no fewer than five historic houses and landscape gardens:
- Syon House
- Osterley Park
- Chiswick House
- Boston Manor
- Hogarth’s House (home of the 18th century satirist)
Covering 23 square miles, stretching from Heathrow Airport in the west to Chiswick in the east, Hounslow is one of the capital’s most diverse boroughs and combines both town and country.
The borough features modern housing estates, quiet suburbs, green belt villages like Heston and bustling and fashionable cosmopolitan districts such as Chiswick.
We are proud that Hounslow is a real community of communities and one of the most culturally diverse areas in the UK. Approximately 300,000 people live in the borough.
The borough is one of London’s most vibrant locations for business, which is not surprising considering its excellent transport links: the A4 and M4 run through the borough and the area has eight London Underground stations and seven mainline railway stations.
Hounslow’s location is a real asset and, given our close proximity to London’s Heathrow airport, we are London’s international gateway.
Some key numbers
Our Values
Lead with heart
We’re here for the people of Hounslow. We work together with them and for them with care and compassion, with patience, and in partnership. We put ourselves in others’ shoes, remembering that every person is different and every interaction is a real moment in their lives. We always feel first.
Do new
We need to do things differently if we’re going to help Hounslow people thrive in the future. Hard work is important but it’s not enough on its own. We need to challenge ourselves to break new ground, invent new approaches, try new ideas, keep moving forward, and keep improving. That means being ready to stop doing things we’ve done before. It means taking on risk and backing each other when we take a leap.
Pass on the power
The world keeps on changing and we need to change with it. We won’t be able to adapt fast enough to the future needs of our residents if we stick to old-fashioned command and control. We need to hand over responsibility and give people more power to make decisions and take action themselves. It’s about being transparent and straightforward. It’s about providing tools and support. But most of all, it’s about being ready to trust each other to do the right thing.
Harness the mix
We work together, across disciplines and roles. We talk lots, share our insights, our skills and experience. We’re not interested in siloes or defensiveness. We’re always open to different approaches, we’re flexible and ready to adapt. We break down the barriers between our parts and people to unlock the problem-solving power of our amazing mix of minds.
Be a rock
There’s lots to do and people need us. It’s up to us to take the initiative. To take responsibility. To stand up and be counted. Everyday. It’s about being super focused, effective, and efficient. It’s about allocating our resources smartly and with good rationale – using data to help guide our decisions. But most of all, it’s about having the strength and determination to keep on going through thick and thin.
Our Approach to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I)
Hounslow Council has committed to transform the opportunities and life-chances of communities in the borough’s 30 most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
A Fairer, More Equal Hounslow – its new strategy to improve equality, diversity and inclusion – sets out an ambitious approach to target policies and funding to the areas which need them most to thrive.
Alongside the focus on 30 Equality Opportunity Areas, the strategy identifies a range of other measures to reduce inequalities across the borough, regardless of where people live. Many of these are targeted to support people who are currently disadvantaged because of their disability, age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or faith.
The strategy and its action plan was co-designed through extensive engagement last year with residents, businesses, community groups and public sector partners, with more than 1500 people sharing their views.
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Diversity is Hounslow’s strength, and this ambitious plan sets out how we hope to systematically, and in partnership, build a truly inclusive borough, where genuine social mobility and access to opportunity is shared by us all.”
Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of Hounslow Council
The strategy is based on three pillars – Equality by Place, Equality by Group, and Equality as Employer. Each pillar forms the foundations of achieving equality, built on the latest data and what people have told the Council they need.
Pillar one will use evidence across multiple measures of inequality and will feature joint working between the Council, its partners, communities and businesses, while place-specific insight reports will result in a variety of actions. These may include improvements to public transport, housing, digital connectivity, education and training, the environment, support into work and safety.
The second pillar includes measures aimed to reduce inequality around disability, age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and faith, as well as how we can better support local businesses.
Based on feedback from groups within Hounslow, and focused on improving accessibility, representation, and support, this includes:
- Ongoing partnership between RNIB and MAB, including employment of two dedicated Eye Care Liaison Officers
Better partnership working between the Council and health partners to improve communications and engagement with LGBT+ residents
Imminent funding for the borough’s deaf community through Royal Association for the Deaf, focusing on skills development and employment opportunities
Setting up a Young People’s Network to increase engagement in local decision making
More wellbeing classes to keep older people active and stimulate minds
Support community groups to co-design and host equality events, in partnership with Hounslow’s Cultural Providers Network
Flexible Adult and Community Education courses to support women and carers to upskill and re-skill
Read our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here.