A plan to cut hundreds of council jobs is on track, but it is still unclear how many voluntary redundancies will be involved.

In an attempt to close a £13 million budget gap, Havering Council earlier this year announced it would remove 400 staff roles, saving an estimated £7m.

This was to be realised through a reduction in agency staff, cancelling vacant posts and a voluntary redundancy scheme.

Concerns were raised about the effect on services if the plan went ahead, with an officer telling an overview and scrutiny meeting in March: “I don’t see how you can take out 400 people and not have an impact.”

Working to a timeline by which all redundancies would be confirmed by June 30, the council has now told this newspaper it is on track.

However, it would not reveal the number of those 400 jobs which ended up as voluntary redundancies.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The final working days for those confirmed to leave was agreed by June 30 deadline, meaning those colleagues working a three-month notice will leave the council by the end of September.

“A small number of colleagues will leave after this date due to service needs.”