A SERIES of emergency cutbacks are being planned to help Medway Council save millions of pounds from its budget. The package of measures could see:

* Cremation fees increasing by seven per cent to £257

* Longer queues for those waiting for council homes so that some houses can be used for emergency accommodation for the homeless to save on bed and breakfast costs

* A "short-term deterioration" in the state of Medway's roads

* £70,000 cut in economic development grants

Councillors have been warned that even these cuts won't save the £4.5m Medway needs to find to stick within its spending targets.

Officers have also been asked to examine ways to make up the remaining £1.7 million that still needs to be found despite the latest proposals.

Meals on wheels, Medway Care and Repair scheme, management of heritage sites, play facilities, and tourism and events have been earmarked for future money-saving.

Of the council departments, only education and leisure is forecast to balance its books by the end of next March.

The latest savings come on top of savings already agreed earlier in the month, by better collection of income and delayed recruitment.

Councillors will tomorrow (Tuesday)decide at a cabinet meeting whether to accept the recommendations, which would reduce by two-thirds Medway's £4.5 million overspend.

Neil Davies, finance and corporate services director, said: "Given the size of this remaining forecast, it is now appropriate to pursue more rigorous action to maintain expenditure within approved limits."