UP TO 18 senior council bosses are facing the chop as the Town Hall seeks to find extra savings to stave off a huge budget deficit. The redundancies will all come from the top three managerial tiers and could result in savings of £1.1 million a year. They

UP TO 18 senior council bosses are facing the chop as the Town Hall seeks to find extra savings to stave off a huge budget deficit.

The redundancies will all come from the top three managerial tiers and could result in savings of £1.1 million a year.

They will go some way to improving the council's budgetary position which is heading for a £4.5 million overspend at the end of the financial year.

Rob Whiteman, chief executive of the council, outlined the cost-cutting idea in an email to public sector, business and community leaders.

Several of the redundancies will be in the regeneration department which will be completely disbanded on April 1 next year.

Most of their work will be divided up between the four remaining sections, but Mr Whiteman says he will take over-all responsibility for its core work.

He wrote: "The strategic regeneration role, which is delivering many exciting projects and programmes, will report direct to me in order to maximise the profile of this work within and outside our organisation."

Some of the money saved will be used to improve services which the council offers to local businesses, he explains.

Jennifer Dearing, current Director of Regeneration, has been given the task of seeing how this can be done.

Mr Whiteman gives an upbeat assessment of the chances for Dagenham's Docklands Light Railway extension.

He says talks are underway between the government and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to try to get the scheme back on track.

Mr Whiteman writes: "The decision to reduce by one department has not been made lightly but in order to protect front-line services and key strategic roles.

"Streamlining our senior management arrangements in a planned and professional way will provide efficiency savings and scope for redirection.