Richmond and Kingston boroughs will be bidding for a cash injection award worth up to £2m to develop a new “arms length company” running children’s services.
 

The recommendation was made at the first public Achieving for Children joint committee on Wednesday, which was attended by both borough chief executives at the Guildhall in Kingston.
 

The proposals pre-date last year’s “inadequate” child protection rating for Kingston Council.
 

With just two weeks to go for the Government bids to be in, it was admitted the group had left it late and a lesser bid would be more realistic.
 

Lord True, leader of Richmond Council, said the ambition to expand the borough services across London to help children in other areas should be included in the business plan.
 

But leader of Kingston Council and meeting chairman Councillor Liz Green said: “We have to stabilise what we have. I think we do need to have ambition to expand further in other boroughs but I think that’s slightly further in the future.”
 

Liberal Democrats in Richmond have criticised the proposals saying council services should be directly accountable to politicians, not run by companies.