Plans to curb spending on projects such as Kent TV and reduce the number of senior officers on six-figure salaries are among policy pledges outlined by Labour in its county council election manifesto.

The county council elections take place in June and Labour unveiled its manifesto pledges at a formal launch in Ashford on Monday.

The party, which has 19 members and is the official opposition at County Hall, says it would oversee a wide-ranging crackdown on what it described as Conservative waste and promised to scrap projects such as the £1.2million internet channel Kent TV and the council’s recently launched Healthwatch scheme.

The party insisted it could return more councillors but acknowledged its main focus would be to retain those it has. Polling experts have predicted the party nationally faces the prospect of a wipeout in June and will lose the four counties it still controls.

~ KM Group political editor Paul Francis blogs on Labour's manifesto here >>>

Labour group leader Cllr Mike Eddy said: "We are looking to hold what we have but there are some areas where we could pick up seats. At the moment, given the national situation, the key is to fight for what we hold. We are the largest Labour group in the region and the only realistic alternative to the Conservative administration".

He pledged a Labour-run county council would ensure money would be spent on frontline services where it was most needed and not on "flim flam and fripperies".

The manifesto claims that over the last four years, KCC has squandered about £25million unnecessarily.

Mr Eddy said: "We will only concentrate on the issues that are important to the people of Kent and that does not mean seeing the sums of money coming into the county from central Government misdirected into pet projects. We will get rid of them and spend money on services people need and want."

On the the row over council fat cats, Labour says it would curb the numer of senior officers earning more than £100,000 by five per cent.

Other specific policy commitments include holding any increases to charges for home car help to the inflation rate and a review of KCC’s community warden scheme to ensure wardens are placed in communities where they are needed most. It also pledges to re-introduce a plastic recycling scheme across the county.