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Tory-led Hillingdon Council gave one of the authority's former councillors a £113,000 discount on rent despite his voluntary organisation becoming defunct - making him ineligible for a cut-price lease.
Under council policy, voluntary organisations are offered an 80 per cent discount on council leases - Alan Deville was the Chair of Hillingdon Foster Carers' Association (HFCA) until March 2021, after which the group became inactive. In the lease for Cowley Meeting Hall, the property is let to Mr Deville in his position as Chair of this association, thus supposedly qualifying for discount as it was being used by the voluntary sector.
In 2023, Hillingdon Council renewed Mr Deville's lease on Cowley Meeting Hall, with 80 per cent off for another five years - however for an undisclosed period of time he did not pay this, and the council decided in private to clear his debt. This decision has since been reversed after the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed their plans to write it off.
If Mr Deville was charged the full market value on the lease, he would have had to pay £28,275 per year. Instead he was charged £5,655 per year, while subletting, against the terms of the lease, to a nursery and then Theo's Café. The sublet to the café was worth £18,000 a year to Mr Deville - over £12,000 more than he was expected to pay Hillingdon Council.
Over five years the £22,620 a year discount given to Mr Deville, who was formerly Conservative councillor for Yiewsley, amounted to £113,100.
In a Freedom of Information request submitted by the LDRS, Hillingdon Council was asked to provide details on when the council was notified of any changes to the trustees or office-holders of foster carer group, HFCA. The council said: "The HFCA was a foster carer run association for Hillingdon foster carers, it was active until March 2021 when the Chair stepped down.
"The association remained inactive throughout 2021, as there was little to no appetite from carers to step into the Chair. The Head of Service for Fostering at the time, engaged with carers and there was a carers survey to understand the support they wanted/needed. The outcome by January 2022 was that no-one wanted HFCA in the previous format and no-one wished to chair, the association therefore ceased to operate, although in reality had not been active since the previous March."
Hillingdon Council also requires voluntary organisations benefiting from the voluntary sector leasing policy to provide annual accounts. However, given that the HFCA became defunct in 2021, it's unclear how closely Hillingdon was paying attention to the ongoing lease of Cowley Meeting Hall including the loss of income from the discount given to Mr Deville, and the ongoing subletting he appears to have been profiting from.
The LDRS asked Hillingdon Council to explain why Mr Deville was given a discount despite the council being aware his voluntary group was defunct. The council was also asked how much Mr Deville owes in rent arrears, and what it did to ensure policy around accounting was followed.
Hillingdon Council said: "For legal reasons previously set out, and due to commercial confidentiality, the council cannot comment on the detailed terms of the lease. The issue is, however, being fully investigated and all available avenues for resolution, including legal remedies, are being actively explored."
In December 2025 Cowley Meeting Hall appeared in Cabinet papers, discussed in private, as councillors prepared to write off Mr Deville's debt to the council. However, there does not appear to have been a single mention of the meeting hall in any Cabinet documents or decisions between 2015 and 2022, despite three leases being granted to the ex-Conservative councillor in that time.
The latest revelation has been met with scathing criticism from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Sital Punja. The Labour councillor told the LDRS that the lack of transparency is fuelling concern locally.
She said: "This latest revelation raises serious and deeply troubling questions about how public assets are being managed. A Conservative-run Hillingdon Council appears to have renewed a lease at a peppercorn rent, with full knowledge, to a defunct association previously run by a Conservative councillor. That alone demands scrutiny.
"We have formally requested all communications with Deville, the due diligence carried out on the Hillingdon Foster Carers' Association, as well as insurance documentation and a full account of costs incurred by the council since the premises were let. To date, this information has not been provided. That lack of transparency only adds to public concern.
"The timeline is equally alarming. On 24 March 2022, Cllr [Jonathan] Bianco [Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Property] brought forward the decision to renew the lease with Alan Deville as trustee. Then, on 23 December 2025, the same councillor brought a decision to Cabinet to write off debt connected to this arrangement — a decision that was approved.
"This goes far beyond poor governance. It points to a pattern of behaviour that risks undermining public trust and raises the spectre of cronyism at the heart of decision-making. There must now be a full, transparent and independent investigation into these matters. The council must also consider whether the threshold for misconduct in public office has been met, and whether any actions fall within the scope of the Proceeds of Crime Act. Residents deserve answers — and accountability."
Cllr Jonathan Bianco told the LDRS: "As you will know, the council has already provided a response to your questions which outlines why our ability to comment is limited - the council's professional officer team are examining all options at its disposal including possible legal action, of which Cllr Punja is fully aware.
"The best outcome for residents is to await the conclusion of that investigation rather than trying to induce unnecessary concern in our residents' minds for purely political purposes, linked no doubt to the forthcoming elections and Cllr Punja's desperate attempts to shore up support in the face of a surge of Reform or Green Party activity in the ward she has now run to."
Alan Deville was contacted for comment, however he did not respond by the time of publication.
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