THERE will be tough times ahead as Bromley Council announces plans to cut spending by 25 per cent.

It has not yet been decided where the axe will fall, but according to an internal email seen by News Shopper the cuts will be across every department.

Compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out, but the human resources department will be exploring ways to avoid these.

All departments are working on producing a list of savings which will total a quarter of their budgets for the 2011/12 financial year.

These savings were discussed by top council staff on Friday, and will be looked at again in September.

Final decisions about where savings can be made will be taken from October until January next year before the council tax is set in February.

In the email sent from chief executive Doug Patterson to council staff he says the council needs to start looking at making savings now because of impending government cuts.

The council will know how much money it will get from the government by mid to late October when the results of the government’s comprehensive spending review are announced.

A Bromley Council spokeswoman said: “We all know the coming months are going to be challenging for everyone in Bromley.

“The council is planning for cuts in government funding expected this autumn, while keeping our council tax one of the lowest in London.

“It is impossible to say exactly what the impact will be at this point.”