Hounslow Councillor Fails to Declare Property Company Directorship
Councillor Sue Sampson did not initially list her role in Cestrensis Limited, which never traded, until prompted by reporters.
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Councillor Sue Sampson, Hounslow Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, has faced calls for her removal from the cabinet after failing to declare her directorship of a property company. Cestrensis Limited, incorporated on 15 September 2025, never conducted any business, acquired assets, or generated income, according to council records and Councillor Sampson herself.
Undeclared Directorship
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Councillor Sampson, who is listed as a director under the name Susan Lockyer, holds between 25 and 49 per cent of the shares in Cestrensis Limited. The company was established with the intention of purchasing, selling, and leasing residential property, but the venture did not proceed. Despite the council's constitution requiring the declaration of any unpaid directorships as a registrable interest, this position was not initially listed on Councillor Sampson's register of interests. She stated that she believed it was not necessary to declare the directorship as the company had never been active.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) brought the undeclared directorship to the attention of Hounslow Council. Councillor Sampson has since updated her register of interests to include the directorship as an Other Registrable Interest. She maintained that her association with the company was publicly available through Companies House records and that her identity as Susan Lockyer (known as Sue Sampson) has been publicly recorded by the council for many years.
Calls for Removal
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Opposition councillors have reacted to the revelation by calling for Councillor Sampson's dismissal from the cabinet. Liberal Democrat Councillor Roger Crouch urged Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of Hounslow Council, to remove Councillor Sampson pending further investigation. Councillor Jack Emsley, Leader of the Hounslow Conservatives, described the situation as 'the latest example of a Hounslow Labour Party falling apart at the seams', questioning why an experienced cabinet member failed to declare the directorship.
Councillor Rajawat, the Council Leader, stated that Councillor Sampson accepted she had made an error and had immediately self-referred to the Monitoring Officer. He added that she had sought advice and taken steps to update her register of interests, describing it as an 'honest mistake' due to a misunderstanding about the need to declare inactive, unremunerated directorships.
Next Steps
Councillor Sampson has updated her register of interests to include the directorship of Cestrensis Limited. The council's Monitoring Officer has been consulted, and the Leader of the Council has indicated satisfaction with the steps taken to ensure transparency.
Questions this report answers
+Why did Councillor Sue Sampson fail to declare her directorship?
Councillor Sue Sampson stated she believed it was not necessary to declare her directorship of Cestrensis Limited because the company had never traded, acquired assets, or received any income. She has since updated her register of interests after the Local Democracy Reporting Service raised the issue.
+What is Cestrensis Limited?
Cestrensis Limited is a company incorporated on 15 September 2025, with Councillor Sue Sampson listed as a director and shareholder. The company was intended for purchasing, selling, and leasing residential property but never became active, traded, or received income.
+What are the consequences for Councillor Sampson?
Opposition councillors have called for Councillor Sampson's removal from the cabinet. The Leader of the Council, Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, has stated he is satisfied that she made an honest mistake and has taken appropriate steps to update her register of interests for transparency.
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