Statement of accounts
At the end of each financial year each council has to publish a formal Statement of Accounts. This provides information about our expenditure and income and our financial standing.
The Statement of Account has been compiled in accordance with a statutory framework and proper accounting practices as defined in the Local Authority Accounting Code of Practice. The Statement of Accounts is subject to examination by an independent auditor appointed by Public Sector Appointments Limited.
Each councils' financial year ends on 31 March and our statutory Chief Finance Officer signs the draft Statement of Accounts by 31 May. Members of the public are able to examine each councils' draft accounts and ask questions of the independent auditor. The audited accounts are published by 31 July (30 September for financial years prior to 2017-18).
The independent auditors of both councils are Deloitte LLP.
Eastbourne Borough Council statement of accounts
Delay Notice of Publication of Draft 2023/24 Accounts
- Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
- The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (amended)
The regulations require the Council to publish the unaudited Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2024 by 31 May 2024.
Notice is given that:
1) The draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 have not yet been completed due to delays in previous years' audits.
2) As a result of (1), the Council is not yet able to commence the period for the exercise of public inspection.
3) The Council will publish the draft 2023/24 as soon as reasonably practicable, following which the period for the public inspection will commence.
Homira Javadi
Director of Finance and Performance (Chief Finance Officer - S151 Officer)
31 May 2024
Lewes District Council statement of accounts
Delay Notice of Publication of Draft 2023/24 Accounts
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (amended)
The regulations require the Council to publish the unaudited Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2024 by 31 May 2024.
Notice is given that:
1) The draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 have not yet been completed due to delays in previous years' audits.
2) As a result of (1), the Council is not yet able to commence the period for the exercise of public inspection.
3) The Council will publish the draft 2023/24 as soon as reasonably practicable, following which the period for the public inspection will commence.
Homira Javadi
Director of Finance and Performance (Chief Finance Officer - S151 Officer)
31 May 2024
Along with other Councils nationally the Lewes District Council has experienced significant difficulties in its ability to publish its Audited Accounts. Currently years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 remain unpublished.
The issue has its roots in the decision by the Government to abolish the Audit Commission which resulted in its formal closure on 31 March 2015. The commission was then replaced with the current Local Audit Framework consisting of:
- Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA)
- National Audit Office (NAO)
- Financial Reporting Council (FRC)
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
- Chartered Institute of Public Sector Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
This decision also coincided with a significant reduction in system funding that resulted in a subsequent reduction in the fees provided to external auditors to undertake the audit of local authority's accounts and at the same time the introduction of new auditing standards requiring more detailed investigations than in previous years.
National Attempts to resolve this issue including a government review undertaken by Sir Tony Redmond, published in September 2020 and additional measures announced by the Government to support improved timeliness within the local audit market have not adequately addressed the issues facing councils and external auditors. As at 31 December 2023 the total number of outstanding audit opinions nationally totalled 771 covering a period between 2015/2016 to 2022/2023.
The issue relating to the publication of the Councils outstanding draft financial statements and their subsequent audit are now subject to proposals made by the government to clear the national backlog of historic local government audits which have been developed by the members of the Local Audit Framework.
These proposals were subject to a recent consultation exercise which ran until 7 March 2024. Lewes District Council are currently awaiting the outcome of this consultation; however, details of the proposals can be found on the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities website.
In the meantime, the council is continuing to do all it can to alleviate this issue locally and is looking to publish audited accounts for 2019/20 in the coming weeks.
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