This one goes on and on and on, but stick with it like I did until the end. This is a summary of 6 months of bashing my head on a brick wall.
On the 6th August 2010, I asked the Town Clerk:
On the 6th August 2010, I asked the Town Clerk:
Can you provide me with a copy of the of the Town Council Accounts for year ended 31st March 2010, together with any supporting breakdown sheets.
If you could let me know when these are available I will come in and pay whatever the photocopying comes to.
On the 19th August 2010, the response from the Town Clerk:
I am unable to provide a copy of year end accounts as they are with the external Auditor for signing off.
The accounts were available for members of the public to view and comment on from the 10th May 2010 to the 7th June 2010.
The accounts when completed by the external Auditor will be placed before Council and fourteen days after that meeting notices will be placed that the Accounts can be inspected or copied by members of the public.
So much for Open Government, but I am not unreasonable, so my reply was:
Having heard nothing by 18th October 2010, I sent another email:
It is now over two months from the date of my original request. I understand that the accounts for year ended 31st March 2010, should have been approved by 30th September 2010.
I got an immediate response:
As explained before the accounts were available between the 10th May 2010 and the 7th June 2010 for inspection.
The accounts have been signed off by the auditor and the report will go before the Council on 26th October 2010.
You are now entitled to view the annual return between 10.00 am and 3.00pm via appointment up until Wednesday this week.
If you wish to view the annual return, please arrange an appointment with a member of the office staff on 01767 313134.
My response, the same day:
Under the Freedom of Information Act I am formally asking you for a copy of the accounts with the supporting breakdown, repeating my request of 6th August 2010. I am not restricted to only having a copy between the dates you determine. I have had a copy in other years, from your predecessor, Doreen King and I do not see why I should not have one now.
I will not be able to view the Annual Return, which is only a basic summary, and not the document I want, as I am otherwise occupied for most of the week.
I trust you will be able to comply with my request.
Email on Monday 25th October 2010 from the Town Clerk:
A copy of the accounts are being prepared and will be available to collect by the end of the week. I will let you know the cost of producing the copy.
The following Monday 1st November 2010.
I am still waiting for you to let me know the cost of copying and when I can collect the documents.
Friday 5th November 2010.
Accounts are available for collection at a cost of £2.50, or alternatively they can be posted at a cost of £3.20. If you require the accounts to be posted please can I have your full address and payment at your convenience.
I collected the documents, in a sealed envelope, that day but did not get a chance to have a look at them until 19th December 2010.
I emailed the Town Clerk:
I have now had a chance to have a look at the documents I collected and paid for on 5th November 2010.
They are entitled Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2010 and are not the documents I asked for was expecting or wanted.
I have previously been provided with the following documents entitled:
Budget Summary
Budget Detail
Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services.
There were about 20 sheets last time. Can you now provide these documents please, by 31st January 2011 at the latest.
Response 4th January 2011:
In relation too your initial request for me to provide you with a copy of the Town Councils Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2010, I have provided you with the exact documents that you requested.
If you now feel that these documents are not what you require, please could you be more specific with regard to the precise document you require in order that I can prepare this for collection or post.
My reply the same day:
I assumed back in August 2010 when I asked for:
".....copy of the Town Council Accounts for year ended 31st March 2010, together with any supporting breakdown sheets"
In my email of 19th December, I thought I was being very specific in listing approx 20 documents by title, I have been provided with in other years and I am now requesting them again for year ending 31.03.10.
They are:
Budget Summary
Budget Detail
Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services.
21st January 2011 from Town Clerk:
Documents are available to collect Mon 24th January 2011 at a cost of 80 pence. If you require them to be posted an additional cost of 41 pence will apply.
I collected the documents from the Town Council Offices on Monday 24th January and was given a receipt which said "Budget paperwork for year ended March 2010." You would have thought that was the end of it but NO.
27th January 2011 to Town Clerk:
I have spent some time this afternoon looking at documents I picked up from your offices on Monday morning.
I confirmed at the time that the documents were in the format that I was expecting, but on closer examination I have discovered they are not for year ending 31st March 2010. None of the totals agree with the statement of accounts for year ending 31st March 2010.
They include the £20,000 for Biggleswade Town FC and £37,200 for a new mower, both of which were reported on at the Town Assembly of 26th May 2009 and are actually recorded in the minutes as "major achievements" for year ended 31st March 2009.
As my original request for these documents goes back to 6th August 2010, I will you now expect you to have these documents available for collection on Wednesday 2nd February, as I will not be available until then.
31st January 2011 email from Biggleswade Town Council, Accounts Assistant:
I can confirm the Accounts paperwork that you have requested, is now available for collection.
Wednesday 2nd February, I collected the documents. What is in them is another story, which I will attempt to cover in another blog.
Congratulations on your perseverance. It's a shame the council don't put these up on their website as a matter of course.
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