Vital services may be saved from the axe after a way was found to fill a £500,000 shortfall in Kingston Councils capital budget.

The hole in the budget appeared following a political bust-up between the ruling Conservative group and the Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors, who joined forces to block the lucrative sale of land in Fife Road, Kingston.

The deficit was originally feared to be as much as £1million but was whittled down to half that amount. The Tories claimed schemes, such as road repairs and the graffiti clean-up, were under threat from cut-backs needed to plug the gap.

But, at last Tuesdays strategy and resources meeting, Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors joined forces again to come up with a proposal to save the money in different areas.

According to them, approximately £280,000 could be saved through holding back corporate asset management plans and the lift replacement scheme in the Guildhall.

More money could then be saved from an underspend on the social services lifts project and from deposits from the sale of land in London Road.

Councillor Derek Osbourne, Liberal Democrat and chairman of strategy and resources, said: We have shown that despite what the cabinet tried to make people believe front line projects were never at risk.