Hounslow Council's total external debt has surged to £664.41 million, a significant increase primarily driven by borrowing for the capital programme. This figure was detailed in the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2025/26, which outlines the council's borrowing and investment activities.
The report confirmed that the council remained compliant with its Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators throughout the financial year. Jake Bacchus, Executive Director of Finance and Resources, presented the findings.
The council's total investment position increased to £73.5 million. The report details this investment portfolio for 2025/26, including the treasury position as at 31 March 2026, and provides a breakdown of treasury and non-treasury investments. The council continued to invest surplus cash balances prudently, with security of capital and liquidity as primary objectives, while seeking to optimise investment returns. The weighted average return on internally managed funds was 4.09%, against a benchmark of the Average O/N SONIA rate of 4.01%. Total investment income for the year amounted to £2.745 million.
While the report confirms the council's prudent approach to investments and provides overall return figures, a detailed breakdown of the nature of the entire £73.5 million investment portfolio and specific returns for each component are not provided within the document. The full Treasury Management Annual Report 2025/26 can be found in the Public reports pack Tuesday 08 Sep 2026 18.00 Audit and Governance Committee.