Spending cuts of £4.8 million have been planned for Harrow Council - meaning more parking fines, and libraries shutting earlier.

But a funding gap means an extra £4.2m will soon have to be found.

The Conservative council plans to increase the fines issued by the parking department, while shortening library opening hours at each branch by seven hours a week - saving £102,000.

Elsewhere, a £200,000 sum for employing external barristers is earmarked for the chop and the authority hopes to spare £203,000 by merging its early years and community services functions.

Another half-million in savings has been identified by consultants Capita, but not revealed.

But authority plans to put £267,000 towards the construction and running costs of three

Neighbourhood Resource Centres, which will host day centres for residents with learning disabilities.

Providing waste collection and recycling services will be an anticipated £800,000, less a rebate of £139,000 for the high rate of composting the borough achieves.

A plan to set aside £1m per year to build up a £5m reserve is to be slashed so annual deposits will be just £500,000.

Leader of the Labour opposition, Councillor Bill Stephenson, said: "A £4.2m funding gap is extremely diffi-cult to assess. We don't know whether savings are supple-mented by other grants, or are cuts.

"The administration is going out to consultation and we're throwing ideas into the pot. We'd be happy if they adopted them straight away.

"One, allow residents in financial difficulty to pay their council tax by standing order over 12 months. This is what the council has already done for local business for national non-domestic rate.

"Secondly and thirdly, first-hour-free parking in all our local shopping centres to encourage people to shop locally.

"Fourthly, help the staff at Citizens Advice Bureau and Housing Advice to cope with the extra demand by either giving them an extra grant, or possibly some of our staff at the Civic Centre either working there voluntarily or being seconded."

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Chris Noyce said: "This budget, at this stage, is obviously a document which is broad on the principles, but we want to know the devil in the detail.

"We suspect what is lurking in the detail are lots of cuts and we will want to study these to see what impact they have on service levels."