Brent Council said the full scale of cuts to its three-year budget will only be known after the result of the upcoming General Election and the latest Brexit developments.

The Labour-run authority’s cabinet signed off the first draft of its latest budget yesterday (November 11) which outlines proposed savings of almost £7.5 million for 2020/21.

Officers expect to make further cuts of £6.1 million across the two following years, with £500,000 of this set aside for contingency at this stage.

There are also plans to raise council tax by 3.99 per cent for the next municipal year.

Senior councillors praised the state of the current budget given the “significant financial pressures” faced by local authorities.

Cllr Margaret McLennan, who presented the report, pointed out the latest figure is less than the £10 million worth of savings expected when last year’s budget was set.

She added that future events – such as the 2019 General Election and the impact of Brexit – could lead to revisions.

But the council is confident these figures will be met, and the proposals will now go out for public consultation.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “We’ve reviewed the budget and some of the proposed cuts [from last year] have been downgraded.

“It means that some of the difficult choices we would have faced have been taken off the table.”

However, a review of homecare and placement packages, as well as the recommissioning of the council’s day care services, could result in £250,000 worth of savings.

There are also proposals to bring children’s centres and health visiting under a single contract to save £500,000, while the development of family hubs from children’s centres would save around £1.5 million.

Smoking cessation services could face cuts of £125,000 – and would only be available to pregnant women and those with mental health issues – while grants to the voluntary sector could be reduced by £158,000.

Manish Patel, director of finance at Brent Council, said it is not making the “wholesale cuts” considered by “other councils”.

He urged the public to get involved with the consultation to ensure his department can “get [the budget] right”.