Accounts saga link - http://biggleswadeonline.blogspot.com/2011/02/biggleswade-town-council-accounts-year_22.html
Whist awaiting for the accounts, on the 9th January2011, I asked the Town Clerk:
The application for planning permission for health centre is outside the normal powers and duties of Biggleswade Town Council as summarised by the NALC and various Acts of Parliament.......
By your own admission the minutes of the Public Land and Open Spaces Committee of 16th June 2009 do not reflect the discussions that took place and do not record any authority for expenditure, which ended up being approximately £60,000. They do not even mention a health centre. As these minutes were adopted by Council on 23rd June 2009, without amendment or comment, they stand as a "true record of the meeting". In other words there is no formal authority for the expenditure.
Whilst I await the accounting information I have requested, can you tell me how this application was funded and expenditure allocated within the Town Council Accounts?
The response I received, after I had finally got a copy of the accounts breakdown was
"I believe the auditor will be responding to you on this matter."
I wrote both to the internal and external auditor in February 2011:
I am writing to you as you are the external and internal auditors to Biggleswade Town Council.
In May 2010, Biggleswade Town Council applied for outline planning permission for a Health Centre, sports pitches, changing facilities with car parking, relocation of allotments, travelling show peoples site, woodland, meadowland and children’s play area. The application was finally refused in January 2011, although the Council are talking about making an appeal.
I am sure you are aware that a health centre is not within the remit of Biggleswade Town Council.
Having not been able to find the authority for this expenditure in the online minutes, I asked the Town Clerk in May 2010, when this was given and where it was minuted. He advised me that the Public Land and Open Spaces Committee of 16th June 2009 recommended it for approval under “Proposed Biggleswade Sports, Leisure and Community Village”. (minutes enclosed). He tells me that as it was not brought up under matters arising at the next full Council Meeting then it was approved. The minutes do not show that and the Town Clerk has admitted (email attached) that the minutes do not reflect the discussion that took place !!
So there is no minuted authority, so no authority ?
Finally, after eight months of battling with the council, I have got a copy of the breakdown of the accounts. There is a budget item under Capital of £50,000 entitled Saxon Sports Village, which apparently is the title the Council are using for the planning application. I am not sure where the actually expenditure is shown. It is not immediately apparent.
As auditors I would have thought that you would have been looking for documented authority for such a large element of the Town Council expenditure and satisfied yourself it was in place. Perhaps you have seen it.
I would be grateful for your views on this matter.
I sent both letters, to be signed for.
The internal auditor responded saying that they were due to undertake a visit to the Council in the next two to three weeks and will pursue this matter further with the Clerk at the time, after which they hoped they would be in a position advising the results of their enquiries. I had not received any response from the internal auditor so I emailed then on the 26th March and again on the 6th April 2011.
The response I finally received was:
Thank you for your reminder. I will respond in due course, as and when I have had an opportunity to review the issue in full and discuss the matter with the external auditor. Unfortunately, from you viewpoint, we are now in our busiest period of the year and I am out at clients virtually every day of the week (and also at weekends): consequently, queries such as yours, can only be dealt with as and when I have a few spare moments.
I do not feel my genuine concerns are being taken seriously. As you know I initially wrote to yourself and the external auditor and it looks as if I will need to contact them again.
I wrote to the external auditor again and their initial response was they did not get my February 2011 letter. When I produced a signed docket for the letter, the answer was the letter did not get to the right person!!
On the 14th June 2011 their final answer was basically you did not ask questions in the relevant time period (ended 30th September 2010) and they cannot reopen the audit for further questioning!!! Any other questions about the accounts I should sort out with the Council.
On the 18th June I asked the Town Clerk:
Having been in contact with both internal and external auditors, I have been advised that the council should provide me with the information I requested.
So can you tell me by return (20 working days have long gone) as I previously asked:
“how this application was funded and expenditure allocated within the Town Council Accounts?”
I do not anticipate receiving an answer any time soon, so I will be preparing a case for the Information Commissioners Office for non compliance.
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