COUNCIL leader Michael Tickner has admitted he may not keep his pledge of a single-figure rise in Council Tax, with less than a month to go before levels are set.

The Conservative councillor revealed spending pressures and an increase in the Greater London Authority (GLA) charges could scupper his plan for a single-figure increase.

Tickner pledged to keep any rise in Council Tax in single figures when he took control of the council in July, last year.

But the predicted rise in GLA charges and the rising costs of services in Bromley could push this year's tax increase into double digits.

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Councillor Chris Maines has accused Tickner of either not understanding public finance or attempting to mislead the public.

Cllr Tickner admitted he would need to cut services and the GLA would have to slash its costs to keep any rise in council tax low.

He said: "Even if the mayor's increase was only 10 per cent, if we kept all our services, the council tax would still go up by 18.5 per cent.

"We are aiming to keep the Bromley increase in single figures but people have to pay the GLA precept as well."

He added: "If the precept was also a reasonable figure, we could be on track but we can't say for sure until we have seen out the spending committees."

Chris Maines hit back, saying: "Clearly the choice which faces the council is whether to fund education or cut Council Tax. The public feels education and public services are important.

"There was very little credibility in what Cllr Tickner said when he took over the council. Either he doesn't understand public finance or he was misleading the public."

Council tax levels excluding the GLA precept will be set at a meeting of the Policy and Resources committee on February 13.