Harrow residents could soon benefit from a scheme that would see them receive discounts on council services.

The borough’s Conservative Group has suggested that, if elected in the upcoming local elections, it could introduce an app, which would act as a ‘resident card’ and allow people to make use of a host of offers.

Harrow Conservative leader Cllr Paul Osborn explained that this could include reduced rates on parking, for example.

He said: “This is something that we have been looking at for a long time – we want to be able to offer residents a better deal on council services.

“People in Harrow pay some of the highest council tax in London and, rightly, they are asking to get something back from the council. I think this is one of the best ways to do that.

“We have been working with our colleagues in Hillingdon who have had a card in place for a while now though, obviously, technology has moved on a bit.”

Cllr Sachin Shah, leader of Harrow Council, accused the Conservatives of being “stuck in the 19th century with old-fashioned technology”.

He pointed out that his group had moved forward by introducing a ‘Your Place, Your Space’ app to report fly-tipping in the borough.

The card concept is not mentioned in the Conservatives’ manifesto in the build up to the elections on May 3.

Mr Osborn explained that this was because it is more difficult to calculate costings in the opposition and he did not want to fall foul of making promises he could not deliver upon.

He added that it would need to be streamlined with other systems, such as those used for libraries, leisure centres and rubbish dumps.

The current Labour administration vowed to introduce a Harrow card in its 2014 manifesto, to “help local businesses and incentivise Harrow residents to shop locally”.

Mr Shah noted that this had been realised through the ‘Harrow Deals’ scheme, a website that gives residents access to offers at businesses across the borough.

He said: “We found our online ‘Harrow Deals’, more popular and easy to use and something which suits both Harrow residents and businesses.”

Mr Osborn said that, while the offers were clear and there is nothing “inherently wrong” with the scheme, this was a system which “makes money for the council” and does not benefit residents to the same extent.