Public interest report

9 December 2022: Spelthorne has issued a response to KPMG's Public Interest Report

Last night at an Extraordinary Council Meeting, councillors met to discuss the Public Interest Report that was issued by auditors KPMG in relation to the 2017-18 Value for Money opinion.

The Council voted to agree the formal response  

 and accept all five recommendations set out in the report.

The response that was agreed maintains that the Council did have the necessary powers to purchase the properties in question during 2017-18 and furthermore acted lawfully and sought appropriate sound legal advice.

All five recommendations in the report are accepted and this is because our own processes and systems have been identifying and addressing matters in the intervening four and a half years whilst we awaited the completion of the auditors' report.

An action plan will be developed and published with respect to the recommendations.

Notes: 

To watch last night's meeting visit www.youtube.com/@Spelthornecouncil/videos

Extraordinary Council meeting agenda https://democracy.spelthorne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=4068&Ver=4

30 November 2022: Notice of KPMG's Public Interest Report

Today, Wednesday 30 November, notice is hereby given that pursuant to Section 24 and Schedule 7 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 ("the Act"), KPMG, the external auditor of the 2017-18 accounts for Spelthorne Borough Council has made a report in the public interest relating to the Council's 2017-18 financial accounts.

In accordance with the requirements of the Act, the report requires the Council to undertake two actions:

1. Publish the

   Public Interest Report (pdf, 288.86 KB)

   and commencing from Thursday 1 December between 10am and 4pm on weekdays any person may inspect the report and make a copy of it, or any part of it, at the Council's offices at Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 1XB. Full copies of the report will be made available for collection from the Council Offices or sent out by post on request by telephoning 01784 446 224 or by emailing Committee Services at committee.services@spelthorne.gov.uk

2. To hold a full Council meeting after the auditor issued the report to note the external auditor's conclusions and agree our formal response to the 5 recommendations made to the Council. This meeting will be held on Thursday 8 December at 6pm and the agenda, including the Council's draft formal response, can be viewed at: https://democracy.spelthorne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=4068&Ver=4

The Council's draft formal response, yet to be agreed at Full Council, notes the report in full and acknowledges its observations.

The response maintains that all the Council's actions relating to the asset acquisitions in question have been in accordance with legal advice provided by James Goudie KC and that the Council always complied with the existing legislation and guidance for each investment.

Furthermore, in the last four and a half years, whilst awaiting the release of this KPMG 2017-18 audit report, the Council had already addressed the issues identified in the 5 recommendations and actioned them through our own risk analysis and evolving governance arrangements.

Spelthorne Borough Council started its investment policy to make up government funding shortfall and avoid cutting services. The income provides important support to the Council's finances and enables it to deliver services which many councils can no longer afford to provide. This includes services for vulnerable residents such as community centres, meals on wheels and community transport. 

It is over four years since the Council acquired any new investment assets and the focus continues to be managing the existing portfolio and maintaining income levels to deliver regeneration and service delivery across the Borough. Providing affordable homes for residents is a key priority for the Council and our investments are key to helping us achieve that. Recent projects have included 25 affordable homes built using a wing of the Council's own offices in Knowle Green, and two emergency accommodation facilities in Ashford for homeless individuals and families.

Further information is available in the