Libraries, elderly day care services, child protection services and hundreds of jobs face the axe as Richmond Council looks to fill a 9 per cent hole in its budget.

Deputy leader, Councillor Geoffrey Samuel, revealed initial workings on the council budget for the 2011-12 this week and said nearly £9m will be cut in the next financial year, with £12.4m slashed in the next three years.

The authority has already made nearly £600,000 in cuts for the current financial year and agreed to cut 32.9 full time positions as part of initial money-saving plans.

Coun Samuel said up to 200 posts could now go as the new Conservative administration has “accelerated the drive to cut costs” since winning power in May.

He added: “Big changes are being made across many departments to ensure the work we do represents better value for money.

“We cannot avoid reductions in some front line services.

“We do not expect this to be popular - but we will prioritise those areas that matter most.

“We will also use this time to seek ways to put services for the community on a securer basis for the future as the economy revives.”

Council leader Councillor Nick True said: “The financial challenge is too big to be solved by increased efficiency alone.”

There will be cuts in all departments: *£2.2m from the adult and community services budget; *£2.4m from education, children’s and cultural services; *£2.4m from environment; *£1.9m from corporate services.

Proposals include closing Heathfield library and day centres in Hampton and Twickenham, as well as reducing staffing budgets in protective and preventative children’s services by nearly £400,000.

The cuts have been taken in an attempt to keep council tax levels as they are for the 2011-12 year but Councillor Stephen Knight, leader of Richmond Liberal Democrats, said that policy was “irresponsible and gravely misguided”.

Coun Knight added: “The cost will be a reduced quality of life for residents and unprecedented job losses at a time of rising local unemployment.

“The massive cuts to local services will undermine the quality of life for all of us - young and old.

“They are driven not by Government funding cuts - as an affluent area Richmond get little from central Government - but by the local Conservatives’ ideological commitment to reducing the role of the state.”

Coun Knight said the council tax freeze promised was “unaffordable” but Coun Samuel said it was an “unmovable” commitment.

Coun Samuel added: “Most of the pain for people will come in the next two years.

“We are committed to no increase until the 2012-13 year but not after that.

“By then we hope personal budgets will be strong and I have no worry about putting it up.”