Hounslow housing chief failed to declare property firm role

Hounslow Council's cabinet member for housing, Councillor Sue Sampson, has faced calls for her removal from the cabinet after failing to declare her directorship and shareholder status in a property firm. Council rules require councillors to declare all directorships, including unpaid roles.

Companies House records indicate that Cllr Sampson, under her legal name Susan Lockyer, is a director and shareholder of Cestrensis Limited, holding between 25 per cent and 49 per cent of the company's shares. The company was not initially listed on her register of interests.

Company never traded, says councillor

Cllr Sampson stated that Cestrensis Limited was incorporated in September 2025 with the intention of purchasing, selling, and leasing residential property. However, she insisted that the company has never traded, operated, received any income, or acquired any assets, and that the venture never progressed.

She explained that she believed declaring the directorship was unnecessary given the company's dormant status. Following advice from the council's monitoring officer, Cllr Sampson has now updated her register of interests to include the directorship.

Opposition calls for action

Opposition councillors have questioned the omission. Liberal Democrat councillor Roger Crouch has called on council leader Shantanu Rajawat to remove Cllr Sampson from the cabinet pending further investigation. Conservative group leader Jack Emsley described the situation as indicative of wider issues within the Labour administration.

Council leader Mr Rajawat defended Cllr Sampson, characterising the failure to declare as an "honest mistake". He stated that Cllr Sampson had immediately sought advice from the monitoring officer and taken appropriate steps to ensure transparency by updating her register of interests.