Harrow Council will spend almost £4.5 million on its “back of house” services as part of its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its cabinet agreed on Thursday (June 17) to press ahead with its modernisation programme, which will include increased support for staff following the coronavirus outbreak.

The funding – £4.44 million – will come from the sale of private homes built in Pinner’s Waxwell Lane Car Park and Haslam House, in Honeypot Lane.

According to a council report, this will cover the move to new working methods and wider staff support systems in the wake of the pandemic, as well as ambitions for wider service improvements.

Cllr Natasha Proctor (Lab, Wealdstone), who is responsible for finance at Harrow Council, said: “The country is set to emerge from the biggest crisis it has seen since the Second World War – the Covid pandemic has greatly affected residents, businesses, and communities across all of Harrow, not to mention the staff at the council.

“Much work is required for the council to recover from these adverse effects and ensure it can quicky stand back on its feet, support its residents, and continue the work in place before this pandemic struck.

“The council needs to prepare itself for the move from how it operated during the pandemic to after the lockdown has ended.

“Only by having an effective, modern organisation will the council be able to support residents and businesses during recovery and in the longer term.”

She added the programme was made possible under a government scheme which allows money from the sale of council assets to be used for reform projects.

However, Cllr Paul Osborn (Pinner), leader of Harrow Conservatives, said residents would rather see the council focusing on more pressing issues.

“I’m sure the people of Pinner are delighted to hear they’ve lost Waxwell Lane Car Park in order to fund greater HR and training in the council,” he said.

“I understand this is an area that does need development within the council, but it needs to be seen in the context of other services the council does or doesn’t provide.

“You are making a political choice as to where you spend your money and I would maintain that some of the frontline services are where that money is needed, rather than the back of house services like these.”

He added there is a risk this funding would not be sustainable, would represent a “one off boost” and could lead to the same situation “five or six years down the line”.