Hillingdon Council's Cabinet has approved a 15% increase on most discretionary fees and charges for the upcoming financial year, aiming to address a significant shortfall in government funding.
The proposed increases have the potential to increase the Council's income by an estimated £3.3 million.
The decision, made at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 22 October 2026, will see a rise in the cost of various council services, with the aim of generating additional income to close an identified income gap. This shortfall is attributed to the government's revised funding formula, which will result in Hillingdon not receiving £65 million of assessed government funding over the next two years.
Councillor Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Finance, presented the report, noting that external benchmarking confirmed Hillingdon's charges are often in the lowest quartile for London boroughs. He stated that the 15% uplift reflects historic low charges compared to other authorities and the urgent need to raise income. The report, available in the Public reports pack, details these adjustments.
Specific changes include a 15% rise in parking charges. The resident discount will be reduced from approximately 40% to 10%. This change aims to move the cost closer to outer London averages while still providing a discount and retaining free parking entitlements for residents. Crucially, 30 minutes of free parking for residents will be retained, as will the current parking concession at the Lido of three hours for residents.
Leisure centre fees will increase by 4% in December 2026, in line with the agreement with the provider, GLL. Other fee adjustments include increases on green space pitch hire fees. Some of these have risen by more than 15% because Hillingdon was charging considerably less than neighbouring authorities. However, the junior football pitch rate has risen by less than the adults and remains affordable for clubs.
Wedding venue fees will remain frozen.
The report highlighted that the council's garden waste service, a non-statutory service, will see its annual charge reduced from £77 to £69 per bin from April 2027. This change, moving to a fortnightly, year-round collection using wheeled bins, is expected to deliver recurring annual savings of around £800,000. These savings are a crucial part of addressing the wider £65 million funding withdrawal.
Councillor Richard Mills, Deputy Leader of the Council, acknowledged that these decisions would impact household budgets but stressed they were necessary due to circumstances rather than choice, particularly the £65 million funding withdrawal. He added that these changes were essential for creating financial stability for the borough, not just for future years, but for future generations.
The implementation timeline for these fee increases varies. Leisure centre fees will rise in December 2026. Other revised charges will be introduced from 1 January 2027 where feasible, with some increases requiring more planning and being introduced from 1 April 2027 at the latest.