STAFFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL

EXTERNAL AUDIT OF ACCOUNTS: YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Publication of Stafford Borough Council’s

Statement of Accounts and Audit Opinion

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 – Regulation 10, as amended by 

The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021

The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021 require that the audited accounts and opinion are published by 30 September 2021. As at 30 September, the Council’s external auditor, Grant Thornton UK LLP, has not yet concluded the audit.

The delay has arisen due to a combination of factors, comprising the following:

• The ongoing impact of Covid-19 on both the preparation of the accounts and the complexity of the audit and pace at which it can be completed; and
• The introduction of a new finance system, with the inherent challenges and complexities that this brings, concurrently with the preparation of the Accounts.

The Council is continuing to work closely with the audit team as they complete their work.

A set of draft accounts will be published on the Council’s website shortly. The Council will publish a final set of accounts as soon as the audit is concluded, and the Audit Report is issued.

This notice of delayed audit is being published in accordance with Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.