Public Inspection Notice

Notice of Public Rights

Audit of Accounts year ended 31 March 2022

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015

The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014

The period for the exercise of public rights under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 is normally required to include the first 10 working days of June to coincide with the statutory deadline for completion of the accounts by 31 May each year. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the statutory deadline to publish the Council’s unaudited accounts for 2021-22 was extended from 31 May 2022 to 31 July 2022, resulting in a public inspection commencing no later than 1 August 2022. The deadline for publishing audited statements for 2021-22 has been extended from 31 July 2022 to 30 November 2022.

The Council’s accounts are subject to external audit by Laurelin Griffiths for and on behalf of Grant Thornton UK LLP of The Colmore Building, 20 Colmore Circus, Birmingham B4 6AT.  Members of the public and local government electors have certain rights in the audit process:

1. Notice is hereby given that from 25 July 2022 to 5 September 2022 (inclusive) between the hours of 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday any person may on reasonable notice, inspect and receive copies of the accounts of the Council for the year ended 31 March 2022 and certain related documents (comprising books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts), as stipulated in sections 25 and 26 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, by sending an email request to customerservice@wyreforestdc.gov.uk. A copy of the Councils unaudited accounts will be available on the Councils website www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk from 19 July 2022.
   
   
2. During this period, a local government elector of any area to which the accounts relate, or their representative may question the auditor about the accounts or make an objection to the accounts as set out in sections 26 and 27 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Any objection, and the grounds on which it is made, must be sent to the auditor in writing, with a copy to Helen Ogram at the address given below. Any objection must state the grounds on which the objection is being made and particular of:
   1. any item of account which is alleged to be contrary to law; and
   2. any matter in respect of which it is proposed that the auditor could make a public interest report under section 24 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 7 to the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.
   Objections should be addressed to the auditor, Grant Thornton UK LLP at The Colmore Building, 20 Colmore Circus, Birmingham B4 6AT.

A guide to your rights can be found at Local authority accounts: A guide to your rights (nao.org.uk)

Please note that the accounts published for public rights of inspection are draft unaudited accounts and as such may be subject to change.

Dated 20 July 2022
Helen Ogram CPFA
Head of Resources and S151 Officer

Wyre Forest District Council
Wyre Forest House, Finepoint Way, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7WF