Brent Council insists it has “listened to the concerns” of the borough’s residents as it put forward its latest budget proposals.

The council has outlined more than £20 million worth of savings for 2019/20 and proposed a council tax increase of 4.99 per cent – the maximum permitted without needing to call a local referendum.

Children’s and adult services, cleaning and litter picking, a police programme, and the council tax support scheme are among the areas affected.

But library services are to remain fully operational “for now”, 15-minute calls in care homes have been scrapped and the Abbey Road recycling centre is safe.

It comes following a consultation period, opened in August last year, which several members of the council’s cabinet said was an invaluable process.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “Setting the budget is the single most important duty and responsibility that we have.

“We are sometimes the last place of support that people depend on and, with this budget, we are hopefully safeguarding people in their time of need.”

He hit out at the Government for “continuing to cut funding” to local authorities and said councils were being left with less and less to work with.

“We want to show residents that we are on their side, and we will continue to make sure that their voices are heard,” he added.

“Things will not get easier until we have a clear change of direction [in Government], austerity ends, and councils are properly-funded.”

He was supported by Cllr Eleanor Southwood, responsible for housing and welfare reform at Brent Council, who said the whole process was a damning indictment of the situation local authorities find themselves in.

“We’re under no illusions that the pain of this is great – the reductions to the capital we have to spend on each resident has been enormous,” she said.

“It’s a credit that we have survived and it’s a credit to our residents who have engaged with us and been clear about where we need to invest.

“This is a budget built on what residents find most important and we will continue to deliver those services.”

Cllr Mili Patel added that it was “quite refreshing” to hear residents speak up for children’s services – the department she is responsible for – during the consultation.

The full list of budget proposals, with a detailed breakdown of cuts and savings, is available on the council’s website.