← More from Hillingdon Alliance of Residents' Associations
On the evening of 21st April 2026, the Hillingdon Alliance of Residents Associations (HARA) hosted “Hillingdon Decides” a digital leadership hustings ahead of the 2026 local elections. As the non-partisan umbrella group made up of residents’ associations across the borough, HARA’s goal was simple: to move past the glossy campaign leaflets and provide a platform for an informed electorate to hear directly from the parties seeking to manage our borough’s services and spaces.
While the Conservative Party declined the invitation—stating a preference for door-to-door campaigning over a digital forum—the leadership of Labour, Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party took the virtual stage. The debate spanned two hours, covering everything from Hillingdon’s significant debt and the “scourge” of unlicensed HMOs to the proliferation of data centers and the future of the Rural Activities Garden Centre.
Note for Hillingdon West Residents: As mentioned during the event, the election in the Hillingdon West ward has been postponed until 18th June, following the passing of candidate Shaun Cooling. For all other wards, the vote remains May 7th.
The following summaries paraphrase each speaker’s main points (every caveat or rhetorical aside) from the live transcript. You can watch the full session above, or jump to the sections that interest you via the links to individual questions below.
Criticised the Conservatives for avoiding scrutiny, raising council tax, and depleting £77m in reserves. Stated their aims are to scrap the garden waste charge, tackle anti-social behaviour, fix roads, and engage with communities. (watch)
Highlighted Hillingdon’s debt of £594m (plus a £150m government bailout) and £600k per week in interest payments. Said they would scrap the £77 garden waste tax straight away, adhere to external auditors Ernst & Young, and set up a department for local government efficiency to weed out waste. (watch)
Outlined their philosophical axes: leaning left socially but right economically (suggesting a strong economy pays for social goods), favouring local decision-making, and believing people should be free to do what they want unless it harms others. (watch)
Described themselves as ordinary people representing the 99%, stating they are not funded by corporate lobbyists. Expressed having “had enough” of the Uniparty (Labour and Tory) failures, prolonged austerity, and the villainising of migrants and those on benefits. (watch)
What specific measures will you take to licence, control and enforce standards on HMOs across the borough? (watch)
- Greens: Suggested renters need to be empowered to report mismanaging landlords via clear channels. Noted that a lack of affordable house building forces people into HMOs.
- Labour: Stated they brought the licensing motion to council and criticised the 18-month implementation delay. Said they want active enforcement teams to ensure licenses are adhered to, alongside a new housing charter.
- Reform: Described unlicensed HMOs as a “scourge” causing anxiety for the elderly. Suggested enforcement could be a self-sufficient department by charging a license fee of over £2,000 per HMO.
- Lib Dems: Suggested the root cause is a strangled housing supply. Mentioned proactive inspections and annual reports, but emphasised that building more homes is the core solution.
How will you maintain reliable weekly waste collections and effectively tackle fly-tipping and street cleanliness across the borough? (watch)
- Reform: Suggested looking in detail at the use of agency staff, modernising collection, increasing household waste recycling centres, and resourcing environmental enforcement officers.
- Greens: Described waste collection as “weekly in name only” for some areas and noted bagless services contribute to litter. Suggested a user-centred approach and removing bulky and garden waste charges.
- Lib Dems: Encouraged relaunching local volunteer litter pickers and firm prosecutions for fly-tipping. Suggested learning from neighbouring Three Rivers council’s higher recycling rates.
- Labour: Stated they want free weekly waste collections and the scrapping of the garden waste charge. Proposed three enforcement hubs with rapid clean-up capabilities.
How do you plan to balance the council’s budget and manage its debt, and what trade-offs will you make? (watch)
- Lib Dems: Spoke about prioritising against poverty and investing in human capital. Suggested saving money on vanity projects and the “glossy Hillingdon People magazine.”
- Labour: Called for transparent financial data, a working Oracle IT system, and shifting investment toward prevention to avoid costly crisis responses in areas like SEND and social care.
- Greens: Proposed a full audit of council assets to expose the truth. Suggested reducing dependency on agency staff, lobbying central government to restore funding, and looking at solutions like wealth or land value taxes.
- Reform: Said the council needs a financial reporting system that works. Used the anecdote of running the council “like our mums used to run our homes,” putting money into specific pots and avoiding loss-leading administrative policies.
How will you strengthen council enforcement against illegal housing conversions, rogue landlords, and anti-social behavior to ensure the rules are actually followed? (watch)
- Labour: Criticised the scrapping of the out-of-hours service. Said they would introduce a housing charter, use fines, and create three enforcement hubs for visible accountability.
- Reform: Stated enforcement must be visible and consistent. Pointed to cuts in CCTV and noise patrols, and suggested using existing rules to levy civil penalties up to £30,000.
- Greens: Shared an anecdotal example of a local nature reserve cleared for a golf course to highlight unenforced biodiversity duties. Asked for better coordination between housing, police, and anti-social behaviour services.
- Lib Dems: Reiterated that a main problem is housing supply. Suggested that failing to provide basic community enrichment and youth clubs promotes anti-social behaviour.
What practical steps will you take using the council’s powers to reduce anti-social behavior and improve the feeling of safety in our public spaces and town centres? (watch)
- Reform: Suggested staffing the civic control centre 24/7, deploying mobile CCTV, and working closely with the police and voluntary organisations.
- Greens: Shared personal dismay regarding national political rhetoric and trans rights. Proposed a public health approach to anti-social behaviour (drug treatment, youth services) and ensuring consistent enforcement regarding intimidating flag displays.
- Labour: Stated they want improved street lighting, high street regeneration, and visible action. Said they would take down flags that have been weaponised against people.
- Lib Dems: Agreed on the need for safety and the soothing effect of visible bobbies on the beat, but expressed hesitation about calling for more police without having conversations about Met Police reform.
What is your plan for the future of the Rural Activities Garden Centre? (watch)
- Lib Dems: Said they would like to get detailed numbers to argue the RAGC saves money elsewhere in the budget, noting its recent move to Adult Health and Social Care might offer a path to secure its future.
- Labour: Described the closure report and financial data as flawed. Stated they are working with third-sector health providers to find an alternative solution to reopen it.
- Greens: Called the closure a travesty for people with learning disabilities. Suggested the council could reduce costs by buying its civic centre plants directly from the RAGC.
- Reform: Said they would talk with the friends of the RAGC from day one, open the retail side to address the deficit, and agreed the council should source its plants from there.
How will the council use its planning and legal resources to mitigate the environmental impact of Heathrow expansion on the borough’s residents? (watch)
- Labour: Re-stated their position of wanting a “better, not a bigger” Heathrow. Called for greater monitoring of noise and air quality, backed by enforcement and a redrafted local plan.
- Reform: Acknowledged national parties support the expansion and it is likely to happen. Suggested the local authority’s role is to thoroughly scrutinise the planning application to safeguard Hillingdon residents.
- Greens: Took issue with the word “mitigate,” stating they oppose a third runway outright because it is incompatible with UK climate targets and impacts local health.
- Lib Dems: Noted the council won’t have much power over a nationally significant project. Said they are on balance against it due to noise, pollution, and demolished homes, and would work alongside neighbouring councils.
How will you prioritise the repair of the borough’s potholes and manage the impact of increased parking pressure on residential streets? (watch)
- Reform: Stated they would fix the worst potholes first using new JCB machinery. Criticised the council’s reporting mechanism and suggested the borough already has enough parking restrictions.
- Greens: Said they would survey the roads to prioritise the most dangerous streets. Highlighted the need to improve active travel (walking and cycling) to reduce reliance on cars.
- Lib Dems: Acknowledged potholes are a primary issue for residents on the doorstep. Said politicians need to respect that and address the issue quickly.
- Labour: Criticised the lack of transparency in publishing road surveys. Said they would fix roads based on priority need rather than ward favouritism.
Will you maintain weekly bin collections, and what is your position on garden waste charges? (watch)
- Lib Dems: Stated they do like weekly collections. Expressed unhappiness with the green waste charge, suggesting a summer token system or reverting to the previous system.
- Reform: Said they would maintain weekly collections and scrap the garden waste tax, arguing it is a punitive tax on those with small gardens.
- Greens: Supported keeping weekly collections. Said they are in favour of getting rid of the garden waste charge, questioning how the income compares to the cost of running the service.
- Labour: Stated their manifesto includes maintaining free weekly bin collections and scrapping the garden waste charge.
Where do you draw the line between legitimate debate on immigration and rhetoric that fuels division or hostility towards certain groups? In West Drayton, we’ve already seen situations where hard-working, tax-paying migrants have been advised to avoid certain areas during last summer weekends. Do you accept that political messaging can contribute to that, and what will you do to prevent it? (watch)
- Greens: Stated the country and the NHS have flourished through immigration, and that issues arise when communities don’t get the opportunity to meet and integrate.
- Labour: Said legitimate debate is fine, but condemned inflammatory language. Stated that when she asked the council about media rhetoric blaming immigrants, the leader of the council called her a racist.
- Reform: Drew a distinction between welcoming legal immigrants who contribute, and opposing illegal migration via boats, stating those arriving illegally should not be housed or given the benefit system.
- Lib Dems: Stated that mass deportation is not a pathway to healing a broken Britain. Emphasised care, commonalities, and that the country is better as a whole than in separate parts.
What is one decision your party would make in the first 100 days that would clearly show residents that change is happening in Hillingdon? (watch)
- Reform: Proposed cutting councillor salaries by 10% and special responsibility allowances by 20%, stating this shows they are “all in this together,” while instructing officers to scrap the garden waste tax.
- Greens: Said they would take down intimidating/tatty flags and conduct a full audit of the council’s assets.
- Lib Dems: Declined to give a specific 100-day policy, but took the opportunity to state they do not take a “soft soap approach” regarding the aggressive proliferation of flags in multicultural areas.
- Labour: Argued nothing can be done without sorting finances first. Said they would start with full transparency, publishing the CIPFA report, and stopping the disposal of community assets.
What specific actions will you take to protect green spaces and improve environmental issues like EV charging and cycling provision? (watch)
- Lib Dems: Highlighted cycling hangars for those without space, and stated EV charging in car parks and pavement channels/gullies is a high priority.
- Labour: Said they would stop removing covenants to build homes, maintain parks without handing them to golf course management companies, and implement a broad EV infrastructure.
- Greens: Argued for connected cycle networks and specifically highlighted the need to provide EV charging access for people living in flats.
- Reform: Stated they would protect, preserve, and defend the greenbelt and Metropolitan Open Space, and encourage more EV charging slots.
What will you do to protect and restore local community assets like Cowley Meeting Hall and Theo’s Café? (watch)
- Greens: Called for a full audit of council property and land. Said leases should be awarded through open tender prioritising public value, and community groups should be supported to purchase assets.
- Labour: Stated they reported the Cowley Meeting Hall issue to the police due to perceived cronyism regarding a peppercorn rent and debt write-offs for a former Tory councillor.
- Reform: Called for total transparency and an independent investigation to find out the exact timeline of the leases and why debts were written off.
- Lib Dems: Declined to answer, stating they were not across the detail enough to give a sensible, prepared response.
What specific plans do you have to improve youth employment opportunities and address anti-social behavior involving young people? (watch)
- Labour: Highlighted the drop in youth service funding. Said they want to deploy a youth bus, match young people with apprenticeships, and use restorative justice for young offenders.
- Lib Dems: Pointed out that children in care are disproportionately more likely to end up in prison. Argued the focus must be on improving the quality of the comprehensive school system.
- Reform: Warned of a “time bomb” regarding young people not in education or training. Emphasised the need for discipline, apprenticeships, youth clubs, and boxing clubs.
- Greens: Said they would use existing council facilities to reopen community projects, support SEND provisions, and help high street businesses offer apprenticeships.
Building homes across the borough is not being matched by an equal increase in services required for an increase in population such as GP, Dentists, etc. What will you do to address this? (watch)
- Lib Dems: Argued that developers land-banking and the Right to Buy scheme strangle supply. Suggested suspending Right to Buy and building municipal/council housing.
- Labour: Criticised the council for not effectively using Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money given by developers to provide amenities like health centres.
- Reform: Reflected on past eras when developers included infrastructure (GPs, shops). Criticised modern developments for being exclusively flats without community support.
- Greens: Called the lack of concurrent infrastructure “outrageous,” linking it to NHS pressures and the scapegoating of immigrants. Said they would seek central government funding.
It is no secret that Hillingdon has debt. Savings need to be made. What services do you think can be cut? (watch)
- Greens: Suggested looking at the sum of money being spent on agency staff.
- Reform: Suggested cutting councillor pay by 10%, cutting the Hillingdon People magazine to save £1.2m, and looking at lighting/heating costs in the two-thirds empty Civic Centre.
- Labour: Argued services are already “skeletal.” Said they need to look at consultant/agency use and invest in preventative services to stop spiralling crisis costs in social care.
- Lib Dems: Agreed with cutting the magazine and generous pay packets. Suggested that the council’s public services have been hollowed out by keeping council tax artificially low.
What do you feel are the top 3 priorities that need to be tackled first and how would you do this if you are elected? (watch)
- Labour: Making the borough safer (lighting, police relationships), cleaner (bins, fly-tipping), and fairer (scrapping garden waste charge, health hubs).
- Reform: Correcting the finances/systems, and addressing resident safety (taking knives off streets, working with voluntary groups).
- Greens: Stated their very first priority would be to consult with residents to ask them what the priorities should be.
- Lib Dems: The environment, young people’s futures, and moving beyond casual definitions of high-street rejuvenation.
What are your views on the proliferation of data centres and how will you safeguard Hillingdon’s energy and water supplies from their demands? (watch)
- Reform: Warned that the local grid cannot support them, they use enormous amounts of water, and they do not add enough in terms of employment or business rates.
- Lib Dems: Criticised them as anti-green and driven by multinational corporations, noting they create negligible jobs and correlate with increased energy bills.
- Labour: Acknowledged the need for data but criticised the lack of a strategic plan to capture the heat generated by the centres to warm local homes.
- Greens: Expressed caution over their energy and water intensity. Said they should only be permitted if demonstrably sustainable and not undermining housing or essential services.
Argued that true individual freedom is impossible without public services. Rejected the old approaches of austerity and divisive rhetoric, calling for a principled approach built on honesty about the world as it is. (watch)
Positioned themselves as ordinary people representing the 99%, unswayed by corporate lobbyists. Asked voters if they want change, stating a desire for a different kind of politics focused on listening, collaboration, and long-term thinking. (watch)
Framed the election as a choice between change or continued neglect. Restated their plan to stabilise finances, rebuild vital services, and deliver safer streets, cleaner neighbourhoods, and a fairer future. (watch)
Emphasised that no future progress can happen while the council is “broke and bankrupt.” Urged voters to back them to fix the financial systems, attack waste and inefficiency, and provide an alternative to the status quo. (watch)