Brent Council is set to invest £10 million into its IT system over the next five years.

A report presented to its cabinet on Monday (June 14) outlined a series of schemes that seek to help maintain performance until 2025.

Almost £4 million will be spent on improving the council’s data centre, which officers said will create a more “resilient” IT service, while a similar amount will cover modernisation to increase staff efficiency.

New cyber protection programmes will cost a further £1 million, with similar spent on creating a more reliable system through a network refresh.

Cllr Margaret McLennan (Lab, Northwick Park), deputy leader of Brent Council, said the updates are essential given the role IT plays in the day-to-day running of the council.

“This will allow staff to continue to work efficiently and effectively in a secure environment,” she said.

“We need to make sure we are digitally prepared for the future to help deliver our best services.”

She added a clear commitment to improving digital security is “vital to keep our residents safe”.

The initiative is part of a wider shared service between councils in Brent, Lewisham, and Southwark with the overall cost set at around £35 million.