THE audited accounts of BCP Council are four months overdue – and the wait fr them to be published is likely to go on for many weeks to come.

Central Government allowed an extension for local authority's to publish final accounts for the last financial year from July 31 to September 30, 2021.

However, four months on from this revised deadline, the process in relation to BCP Council's full audited accounts is still some way off completion.

The current target within the council is for them to be approved and published by March, subject to finalising outstanding issues with the accounts, as well as a reliance on the audit of the Dorset Pension Fund, which is administered by Dorset Council.

Asked for the reason for the delay, a BCP Council spokesperson said: "The approval of the statement of accounts for 2020/21 has been delayed due to the inherent complexity and disclosure requirements of local government reporting.

"This includes the increased assurance work that auditors are required to carry out nationally with respect to pension and asset valuations. The pandemic has also brought further complexities in the accounts and the way in which the audit is carried out.

"BCP Council is by no means alone in not yet publishing their accounts for 2020/21, delays in audits are something local authorities are experiencing nationwide."

The local authority said it is not at risk of sanctions or penalties, with legislation allowing for delays in audits and it fully intends to have the accounts signed off as soon as possible.

 

Asked if residents should be concerned that the delay means there are issues with the accounts and the council’s handling of finance, the spokesperson said: "All issues picked up in the accounts to date are purely accounting issues which bear no impact on the financial standing and administration of the council."

BCP Council issued a notice, as required by legislation, on its website that it would not meet the September 30, 2021, deadline on its website at the end of that month. The local authority did not publish its accounts for 2019/20 until March of last year.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “Councils must be transparent about their finances and timely auditing is a vital part of that.

“This is why we are providing councils with £45million to support with the costs of strengthening their financial reporting and to ensure they can submit their audits on time.”