Hounslow Conservatives Launch ‘Fixing Hounslow’ Campaign

Opposition releases manifesto ahead of May elections

Hounslow Conservatives at the launch of their election campaign

March 25, 2026

Hounslow Conservatives have launched their borough-wide local election manifesto, Fixing Hounslow, setting out a pledge to “get the Council back to basics” ahead of the May local elections. The document was unveiled on Friday evening (20 March) at a campaign event attended by candidates, members and supporters from across the borough.

The manifesto outlines a four-year programme focused on improving day-to-day services, strengthening local accountability and addressing concerns that Conservative councillors say they hear repeatedly from residents. The party says issues such as street cleanliness, road and pavement maintenance, traffic congestion, parking pressures and the future of local high streets feature heavily in local casework.

Speaking at the launch, Cllr Peter Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group on Hounslow Council, said residents across the borough were expressing similar frustrations about the quality of basic services. He said people felt they were “paying more and getting less,” with rising council tax not matched by improvements in the services they rely on. He described the manifesto as a plan to refocus the council on “cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods, better local services, stronger support for our high streets, and a Council that respects taxpayers and actually listens.”

The manifesto itself reflects many of the concerns raised in the party’s campaigning. The document highlights issues such as street cleaning, waste management, road repairs, enforcement against fly-tipping, and the condition of public spaces. It also sets out commitments to improve maintenance standards, strengthen enforcement against anti-social behaviour, and support local businesses through clearer rules and more predictable council processes. The uploaded manifesto includes statements such as: “Residents are tired of paying more but seeing less done. Roads are swept without notice… Potholes are reported but left because they are ‘not deep enough’” and “We will restore basic standards of maintenance.”

Cllr Gabriella Giles, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, said the document would appeal to many of her Chiswick Riverside constituents because it focuses on practical concerns that affect daily life. She said residents wanted streets that are clean and well maintained, support for local businesses, and a council that responds when issues are raised. She also said people were looking for a more “common-sense approach” to traffic and transport, arguing that some recent schemes had felt “top-down and divisive” rather than shaped by local consultation.

Among the proposals highlighted as particularly relevant to Chiswick are commitments to step up action against fly-tipping, improve the maintenance of roads and pavements, support high streets and independent traders, strengthen enforcement against anti-social behaviour, and ensure more thorough consultation before introducing transport or neighbourhood schemes that could divide opinion.

Cllr Thompson said the manifesto also reflected wider concerns about how the council engages with residents on contentious issues. He said people expected a council that “gets the basics right” but also one that listens before making decisions that affect the character of their neighbourhoods. He argued that residents wanted practical decision-making rooted in consultation rather than policies that leave communities feeling they must “fight harder for the things that should simply be done properly.”

The launch marks the start of the final phase of the Conservative campaign, with candidates now taking the manifesto to residents across the borough in the run-up to polling day. The party says the document is intended as a practical plan for how the council could be run differently, with Cllr Thompson adding that “if a council cannot do the basics properly, and cannot listen properly, it does not deserve to stay in office.”

The full Fixing Hounslow manifesto is available on the Hounslow Conservatives’ website.