COUNCIL chiefs now say they have to cut expenditure by �30million over the next three years. The revelation comes after a national survey compiled by BBC News detailing cuts in spending and axing posts by nearly every council in the country. This is with

COUNCIL chiefs now say they have to cut expenditure by �30million over the next three years.

The revelation comes after a national survey compiled by BBC News detailing cuts in spending and axing posts by nearly every council in the country.

This is with the 150 jobs already on the line as Barking and Dagenham Council predict some budgetary belt-tightening.

The BBC say Barking and Dagenham predict a 25 - 30 per cent cut in spending over the next three - five years and a huge reduction in workforce numbers.

Between 500 and 1,000 jobs are poised for the axe, according to the BBC survey.

However a council spokesman said the BBC's information is incorrect and that the authority plans to cut spending by �30million over the next three years - nowhere near 30 per cent of the budget.

He added that the 150 jobs lost this year will be mostly made up of voluntary severance - workers who want to leave - and natural wastage - redundancies of posts that are already empty.

A BBC spokeswoman told the POST that all their data had been doubled checked and that nothing had been changed.

"This is the raw data supplied by each council," she said.

Of the councils surveyed 93 responded to the questions asked about their future finances.

Cuts of 10 - 15 per cent were the most common, placing Merton borough council with 25 - 30 per cent.

Havering and Barnet boroughs are predicting a 15 - 20 per cent cut in spending over the next three - five years .

There are huge concerns among families that cutbacks will have a devastating affect on frontline services.

The survey says the areas most vulnerable to the squeeze on cash flow in Barking and Dagenham are; Highways, Environmental Services, Economic Development, Libraries, Leisure, Arts and