Agenda item

·  Accounts 2018/19 and Audit Update

·  Update on Objection to 2018/19 Accounts and Issuing of Statutory Recommendations – Purchase of Observatory House

2018/19 Accounts and Audit Update

It was moved by Councillor Kelly,

Seconded by Councillor Swindlehurst,

a) “That the 2018/19 accounts be approved.

b) That the issues arising from the preparation and audit of the statement of accounts, as set out in sections 2.3 to 2.9, be noted in order to ensure that the findings are taken into account by Council when making decisions and that any recommendations made by the external auditors are addressed.”

The recommendations were put to the vote and carried with 34 votes for and 2 abstentions.

Resolved -

a) That the 2018/19 accounts be approved.

b) That the issues arising from the preparation and audit of the statement of accounts, as set out in sections 2.3 to 2.9, be noted in order to ensure that the findings are taken into account by Council when making decisions and that any recommendations made by the external auditors are addressed.

Members placed on record their thanks to the Director of Finance, finance team and external auditors for all their work in producing the 2018/19 accounts.

Update on Objection to 2018/19 Accounts and issuing of Statutory Recommendations– Purchase of Observatory House

The Mayor reminded the meeting that these were statutory recommendations which the Council must consider and proposed that normal procedure rules be varied in so far as to allow Grant Thornton, the Council’s External Auditors to address Council, following which they would take questions from Members. 

The Council unanimously signified its consent to vary procedural rules as set out by the Mayor. 

Mr Dosset and Ms Masci set out details of the report and outlined the statutory recommendations that were issued following an objection received to the 2018/19 accounts in relation to the purchase of Observatory House. 

Members asked a number of questions which were responded to, following which

It was moved by Councillor Kelly,

Seconded by Councillor Ali,

(a)  “That the statutory recommendations be noted.

(b)  That the recommendations and the management response is accepted.

(c)  That the lessons learnt and proposed action as set out in the report are accepted.”

The recommendations were put to the vote and carried with 35 votes for and 1 abstention.

Resolved  -

(d)  That the statutory recommendations be noted.

(e)  That the recommendations and the management response is accepted.

(f)  That the lessons learnt and proposed action as set out in the report are accepted.