Parish Council Accounts and Audit 2023/2024

Annual Governance and Accountability Return (unaudited)
Notice of public rights and audit
Local Authority Accounts: a Summary of your Rights

Furter documents are available at the Parish Council Finance and Accounts page

The Local Audit & Accountability Act 2014 and the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015 set out the responsibilities of all local councils in respect of their accounting and auditihttp://the Parish Council Finance and Accounts pageng procedures. As part of this process, the Council must publish the unaudited Annual Return and must make arrangements for a period in which interested persons can inspect the Council’s accounts and related documents. The period this year is Wednesday 12 June until Tuesday 23 July, during office hours or by appointment.

Each year, the Council’s financial accounts and statements are examined by an independent ‘internal’ auditor appointed by the Council to advise them. This year our accounts were audited by MJ Dodden & Co in Bridgwater.

The Council is also required to complete an ‘Annual Return’ which includes the findings of the Internal Auditor, together with Governance Statements and Financial Statements. This Annual Return is then submitted to another independent ‘external’ auditor, PKF Littlejohn, for examination. The External Auditor is appointed by Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments Ltd (SAAA), not the Parish Council.

If you are a registered local government elector (i.e. you appear on the electoral register for the parish) you can also ask questions about the accounts and object to them. Details about your rights are given in Local Authority Accounts: a Summary of your Rights