BCP COUNCIL breached more than £15m worth of financial regulations last year, documents show. 

The breaches, spanning the financial year 2023/24, include unfinished contracts, improper contract tender processes and officer who was unaware of the rules. 

Documents submitted as part of the local authority’s annual breaches and approved waivers of financial regulations report show there were seven breaches last year totalling £15,417,745. 

Compared with 2022/23, the spend is significantly higher than the £1,172,738 but there were fewer breaches, which was at 11. 

Breach one was the approximately £10m passenger transport service contract’s terms and conditions not being finalised in time to enable tendering to take place. 

The contract was originally commissioned using a framework contract and extended for a year, according to the report. 

It also found a breach of regulatory spending when BCP Council spent £392,625 on a supplier for the cleaning services at the council homes. 

This was discovered by the head of BCP Homes, which is now reviewing all supplier spend data for 2022/23 to confirm whether all contracts are within the financial regulations. 

As well as this, a commissioning officer “was unaware” of the requirement to obtain three quotes or a waiver to thatch a roof at Hengistbury Head. 

The report said: “Formal written management advice was given to the commissioning officer and their line manager.” 

Nigel Stannard, BCP’s head of audit and management assurance, said: “Whilst no breaches of financial regulations is the preferable position, the relatively low number of breaches again suggests a good level of understanding of the requirements amongst managers and officers in the majority of service directorates and has resulted in general compliance with the regulations. 

“Whilst full compliance can never be guaranteed and ‘under-reporting’ of breaches, in particular, is an inherent possibility, arrangements were in place to detect instances of non-compliance.” 

Financial regulations set out the procedures and standards for the management of taxpayer money. All breaches and waivers of financial regulations must be reported to the chief financial officer Adam Richens. 

There were four breaches in 2021/22 totalling £1,347,429.