RADICAL plans are being hatched to slash £50m from the Harrow Council budget by changing the way it is run.

Council chiefs have been in discussion with local health and police bosses over ideas to pool resources in the borough to try to ensure residents get value for money from their public services.

The plan, potentially involving NHS Harrow, Northwick Park Hospital, and Harrow Police, could include sharing budgets and buildings, and working together to develop policies as a borough rather than as individual organisations.

Michael Lockwood, chief executive of the council, this week hinted at what the changes to be revealed in the New Year might be.

He said: “There are 157 buildings in Harrow providing public services – do we need that many?

“We are looking at sharing infrastructure – maybe shared human resources, one communications department for the whole of Harrow – there are a whole lot of savings to be made if we work together with our partners.

“We are embarking on a transformation programme with the objective of providing residents better value for money and keeping the council tax levels down.

"That's the next bit of the journey and we feel it will enable us to continue the improvements that we have already been making.”

Although the changes have not yet been publicly disclosed and discussions are ongoing, Labour councillors this week expressed concern that the changes could mean cuts to front line services.

Councillor Bill Stephenson, leader of the Labour group, said: “These cuts will seriously affect front line services.

“Harrow residents have the right to know up front precisely what is being proposed in an open and transparent way so that they can have their say before any decisions are taken.”

However, Councillor Paul Osborn, one of the Tory administration's key strategists, said the changes have not yet been finalised and are not cuts to services but revolution of the way the council is run.

He said: “We are not looking at cuts to front line services. It will be a complete change in the way we do things to stop having cuts to front line services.

“If we don't do the transformation, the alternative is to go back to the basket case that Harrow used to be under Labour – cutting things with no regard for priorities and no sense how the budget is performing.”

Although the plans are due to be revealed in the New Year, it will be down to the winning party from May's council elections to bring the changes into effect.

The Tory administration is currently riding high from the announcement it has been rated three star by the Audit Commission, and is hoping a victory in May will allow it to bring into force the transformation programme it has been working on.

Mr Lockwood added the council is hoping residents will play a big role in shaping what changes are made, and will be extensively consulted once the plans have been announced.