Capital health indicators key to Croydon’s crisis
Croydon is the latest local authority to issue a section 114 notice. Experts Dan Bates and Christian Wall look at the trends underlying the council’s woes. Christian Wall Croydon’s section[…]
Technical
Local accounts compiled ‘as if they are destined for the filing cabinet’
Alison Ring FCA, director for public sector at ICAEW, believes that the Redmond Review provides an opportunity to fix the real issue with local authority accounts, which is that few[…]
Stephen Sheen: FRC report fails to confront ‘mess’ in local government audit
The Financial Reporting Council has delivered its verdict on council audits but, writes Stephen Sheen, it falls short of recognising the “unique nature of local authority accounts”. Although the Financial[…]
Stephen Sheen: The Redmond Review fails to address key issues
The Redmond Review has made a series of recommendations for improving local government audit. Stephen Sheen argues it leaves many questions unaswered. The report of the Redmond Review into the[…]
Stephen Sheen: Audits worsen as watchdog demands improvement
The regulator’s efforts to upgrade audit is “piling up wreckage” in local government, according to Stephen Sheen.
Section 114: Covid-19 has driven some councils to the brink but new guidance may help
While speculation is rife that the pandemic has pushed some local authorities close to issuing section 114 notices, new guidance from CIPFA aims to encourage more contact with central government.[…]
Ending PFI contracts: Top tips for managing the process
A recent report underlined the importance of closing a PFI contract effectively. Helen Randall navigates the intricacies and pitfalls. Does your authority have a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal which[…]
Stephen Sheen: Accounts simplification isn’t happening. What next?
An effort to reduce the accounts preparation burden on local authorities in the midst of coping with the Covid-19 crisis was recently abandoned. Stephen Sheen looks at the implications. This[…]
Covid-19 places a strain on producing accounts
Its the time of year when finance teams focus on their statement of accounts. Stephen Sheen argues that pushing back the deadline for audited accounts is not enough. There is[…]
Court of Appeal’s Heathrow decision delivers climate warning to councils
A decision over a third runway at the country’s biggest airport means section 151 officers must consider climate issues when they draw up their spending plans. Helen Randall explains why.[…]
