Annual accounts and audit
The Statement of Accounts 2022/23
Cherwell District Council published its unaudited Statement of Accounts on Friday 2 February 2024. The Chair of the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee approved the 2022/23 Annual Governance Statement and 2022/23 Accounting Policies on Wednesday 26 July 2023.
The draft Statement of Accounts 2022/23 presents the financial position of the Council for the year ending 31 March 2023 and includes the narrative report, and annual governance statement.
The draft Statement of Accounts is unaudited and may be subject to change. The external audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 has not yet been completed by our external auditor, EY LLP. As a result, the comparative figures in the draft Statement of Accounts 2022/23 may be subject to change following the completion of the audit of the Statement of Accounts 2021/22.
The period for the exercise of public rights will commence at 9am on Monday 5 February 2024 and conclude at 4pm on Friday 15 March 2024.
Details of its availability are contained in the Public Inspection Notice.
The external audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 has not yet been completed by our external auditors, EY LLP, due to the complex set of factors contributing to audit delays across the sector. This situation is allowed for by Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015. Therefore, this notification explains, as per paragraph (2a), that we are not yet able to publish our audited 2022/23 final statement of accounts in line with deadline of 30th September 2023, as per paragraph (1). The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee will consider the results of the 2022/23 audit, after which we will publish the final audited accounts.
It is also a requirement that we issue our Auditor’s Annual Report by 30 September, or where it is not possible, we issue an audit letter setting out the reasons for the delay.
Michael Furness Assistant Director of Finance (S151 Officer)
Draft Statement of Accounts 2022-23
The Statement of Accounts 2021/22
The Statement of Accounts 2021/22 presents the financial position of the Council for the year ending 31 March 2022 and includes the narrative report, and annual governance statement. The annual governance statement is signed by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive and once approved by the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee, is incorporated into the statement of accounts.
On 7 March 2024 our external auditors, Ernst and Young LLP, issued an unqualified opinion for the audit of the statement of accounts.
In accordance with Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (Regulation 16 (1)) and the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (Section 25) electors may inspect and may request copies of the accounts and other documents such as the local auditor’s opinion on the statement of accounts. The email address to make requests to inspect the accounts and related documents is finance@cherwell-dc.gov.uk. Alternatively, electors may visit the Council’s offices at Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday. An electronic copy of the statement of accounts is available in the link below.
The law requires that our statement of accounts is signed as approved by certain members and officers of the council and that the audit report is signed by the council's external auditor. A number of frauds have been carried out against bodies that publish signatures on the internet and, for this reason, the signatures of members and officers in our accounts have been removed.
Annual Audit Report
Each year, the external auditors carry out a series of assessments including whether the statement of accounts provide a true and fair view of the financial position of the Council, and whether the Council has made proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources.
Our external auditors, Ernst and Young LLP issued the annual audit report linked below on the 7 March 2024.
A notice of completion of the audit cannot be issued by our external auditors at this time until items identified in their audit opinion in the attached Statement of Accounts are finalised. At that time, we will also publish that notice.