Investment in the borough's roads and pavements as well as ICT services is proposed by Havering Council for the next financial year - though £17million of savings are also earmarked.

Cabinet members are due to discuss the budget proposals for 2021/22 at a meeting tonight.

In the list of new capital spending planned for the upcoming financial year, the council has earmarked £10million towards a programme of improvements to the borough's roads and pavements.

Around £11m is also planned for spending on the council's ICT services next year, with further investment in the digital portfolio proposed for each of the next six years.

Labour group leader Keith Darvill felt this could have been postponed by a year or two but a council spokesperson said: "If we don't invest in it, it's all going to fall over. Hackney had a cyber attack so every council has to invest in its infrastructure to protect itself.

"We as a council have had to very quickly change how we work because many of us are working from home.

"We need to make sure we have got robust IT in place to help us carry on serving our residents."

Plans are also in place to invest £5m in new CCTV cameras across the borough, while further funding is also listed towards a new leisure centre in Rainham.

Parks are to get a £1.6m funding boost, while the council said it plans to continue to offer free parking on Sundays, free parking for key workers and a 20 per cent discount when paying for parking using the RingGo app.

Council leader Damian White said: "We will still deliver the services that matter most, like weekly rubbish collections, excellent leisure facilities and green spaces."

The budget report also revealed that the council is planning to make £17.1m worth of savings in the upcoming financial year.

The largest of these is around £3.6m on Better Living, a project which aims to work differently with residents in adult social care “to develop and link into their own personal networks rather than relying on a statutory service”.

Other efficiency savings are also proposed, as well as plans to improve technology to offer residents 24/7 online access.

Cllr White added: "We still need to balance the books and we will see a shortfall of £17 million in required savings."

Opposition leader Ray Morgon said: "There is not enough detail in the report to determine if they are good savings or bad savings."