Have Your Say at the Osterley & Spring Grove Hustings
Local election candidates attending event at West Thames College
The event will be held in the college's Endeavour Theatre
April 10, 2026
Residents of Osterley & Spring Grove ward have the chance to quiz their prospective councillors in person, as the Osterley & Wyke Green Residents' Association (OWGRA) hosts a hustings meeting on Friday 17 April at 7pm at West Thames College (Endeavour Theatre), London Road, Isleworth, TW7 4HS.
The event, organised by ahead of the local elections on 7 May, will bring together candidates from all parties standing in the ward. All are expected to attend and face questions from residents.
OWGRA's Campaign Coordinator, Barbara Stryjak, says the quality of local representation is a driving concern behind the event: many residents have expressed frustration at rarely hearing from some of their ward councillors outside of election campaigns. The hustings are designed to give voters the opportunity to hear candidates' commitments first-hand — and to hold them to account afterwards.
Doors open for registration at 6.30pm, with the meeting proper starting at 7pm under the chairmanship of David Pavett. After introductory remarks, candidates will each introduce themselves before a Q&A session with the audience. The evening will then move into a structured debate on three key local issues — Transport & Road Safety, Crime & ASB, and Facilities & Infrastructure — before closing remarks at 9pm.
Osterley & Spring Grove Candidates
Name of Candidate |
Description (if any) |
|---|---|
CHAUDRI Unsa Kausar |
Labour Party |
FERNANDES Xavier |
Reform UK |
FIDLER Thomas |
Liberal Democrats |
GILL Ranjit |
Labour Party |
HARCOURT Jason |
Conservative Party Candidate |
HOLMAN Christopher David |
Liberal Democrats |
LOUKI Tony |
Labour Party |
NOVAKOVIC Sara |
Green Party |
PARKINS Scott |
Reform UK |
RAYNOR Christopher |
Conservative Party Candidate |
SCOTT BROOKS Millicent |
Liberal Democrats |
TIWARI Sheetal |
Conservative Party Candidate |
ZHU Jenson |
Reform UK |
All parties have been invited to attend the event and at the time of writing, nine candidates have confirmed their participation — three from Labour, three from the Conservatives, two from the Liberal Democrats, and one from the Green Party.
The nine currently confirmed are:
- Labour: Unsa Chaudri, Ranjit Gill, Tony Louki
- Conservative: Jason Harcourt, Christopher Raynor, Sheetal Tiwari
- Liberal Democrat: Tom Fidler, Christopher Holman
- Green Party: Sara Novakovic
Among the themes likely to feature prominently on the night: road safety, the upkeep of parks and green spaces, fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour, local policing, housing and planning, support for elderly and vulnerable residents, and the financial management of the council. These issues appear across the manifestos of all four parties represented — Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green — and feature heavily in the candidates' own stated priorities.
Places are limited to 140 and residents are urged to register promptly. Attendance is free, but a ticket must be booked in advance via Eventbrite.
The hustings are open to all residents living and voting in Osterley & Spring Grove ward. There is a large car park at the rear of West Thames College, accessible from Harvard Road.
For further information, contact OWGRA at info@owgra.org.uk or visit owgra.org.uk.
OWGRA invited the candidates attending to give a short explanation of the reasons they believe you should vote for them and the following is a summary of responses received.
Labour is fielding three candidates with strong local ties. Unsa Chaudri, a lifelong Hounslow resident and Chair of Governors at Heston Primary School, centred her pitch on road safety, preserving local facilities such as Osterley Library and Osterley Park, and tackling antisocial behaviour including fly-tipping in partnership with police and enforcement officers.
Ranjit Gill, a councillor since 2018, initially representing Chiswick Gunnersbury ward as a Conservative, has a professional background in accountancy and auditing, highlighted his record of securing parking controls, enforcement action on unsafe parking, and CCTV to combat fly-tipping. He pledged better resident–police liaison on crime and safety, and proposed establishing a volunteer initiative to tackle loneliness among elderly residents.
Tony Louki, one of the ward's longest-serving councillors with nearly 20 years on the council and 40 years as a local resident, emphasised his role as a bridge between residents, local organisations, and the council. He focused on supporting tenants in housing association schemes, holding rogue landlords to account, and continuing to press for improvements to pavements, roads, parks, and public transport.
The Conservatives are standing three candidates. Jason Harcourt, who grew up in Osterley and attended Spring Grove Primary and Isleworth and Syon school, expressed pride in the ward's green spaces and village feel. He committed to resident safety, protecting and enhancing leisure services, maintaining roads, and upholding high standards in local education — a field in which he has worked throughout his career.
Christopher Raynor, who has made Hounslow his permanent home after years working internationally, focused on supporting local businesses and reducing the costs they face, which he attributed largely to current government policies. He also called for a more visible police presence to tackle rising crime, and argued for stronger scrutiny of council spending and financial management.
Sheetal Tiwari, a dentist and senior NHS manager, drew on her healthcare leadership experience to argue for accountability, value for money, and effective service delivery. She highlighted her advocacy for a vulnerable elderly tenant as an example of the responsive, compassionate representation she would bring to the role, with a focus on street safety, supporting businesses, and streamlining access to services.
The Liberal Democrats are currently listed as fielding three candidates, including a possible addition to those featured in the hustings pack. Tom Fidler, who previously served as a councillor in neighbouring Spelthorne, highlighted his record on financial responsibility, debt reduction, and infrastructure investment. He also spoke of his work on international election observation missions and his successful campaign to retain Middlesex heritage signs.
Christopher Holman, a ten-year resident of the borough who is raising his family in the ward, spoke of his deep connection to the local community. He invoked the values he and his family try to live by — treating people well, doing one's best, and acting with care — as the foundation for the representation he would offer.
The Green Party’s Sara Novakovic brings a distinctive perspective shaped by more than 40 years in the organic food industry (having previously owned Oliver’s Wholefoods in Kew), a recent postgraduate distinction in Agroecology, and nearly a quarter-century living in the borough. Her priorities centred on road safety, clean air, and public health in the ward, alongside broader concerns about the climate emergency, food poverty, biodiversity, and sustainable planning. She said she wanted to help the council build resilience in the face of climate change and ensure residents' voices genuinely shape local decisions.
The election takes place on Thursday 7 May 2026.. Photo ID is required to vote. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 20 April 2026, and the deadline for postal vote applications is 21 April 2026. For more information, visit hounslow.gov.uk/elections.
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