Statement of accounts

The Statement of Accounts provides valuable information about how the council has used the financial resources available to it. The report is required by law and sets out in concise form various statutory and other relevant information.

Notice of delay to the audit and publication of the Statement of Accounts 2022-23

The external audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 has not yet been completed by our external auditors, EY LLP, due to a complex set of factors contributing to audit delays across the sector.

This situation is allowed for by Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (opens new window). Therefore, this notification explains, as per paragraph (2a), that we are not yet able to publish our audited 2022-23 final statement of accounts in line with the deadline of 30 September 2023, as per paragraph (1). The Corporate Governance and Audit Committee will consider the results of the 2022-23 audit, after which we will publish the final audited accounts.

The draft Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 is available to view.

Audit of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024

Period for the exercise of public rights

Each year the Council's accounts are subject to external audit.  The audit for the year ended 31 March 2024 is being carried out by Ernst & Young LLP, Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Square, Southampton, SO15 2BE tel: 02380 382000.

Members of the public and local government electors have certain rights in respect of the accounts and audit process:

1.  In accordance with Regulation 9(1)(b) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (as amended), (the Regulations) any rights of objection, inspection and questioning of the local auditor may be exercised between Monday 3 June 2024 until Friday 12 July 2024 between 9am and 4.30pm.
2.  During the period at (1) any persons interested may:
   • inspect the Statement of Accounts and the accounting records of the Council for the year ended 31 March 2024, and certain related documents (comprising books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and other documents relating to those records) at the address given below;
   • make copies of all or any part of those records or documents; but not inspect and copy documents that contain personal information about a member of staff or information that is protected on the grounds of commercial confidentiality; and
   • ask for copies of the accounts and any public interest report to be delivered to them.
3.  The Council may make a reasonable copying charge.
4.  In accordance with Regulation 14 of the Regulations any rights of objection, inspection and questioning of the local auditor may only be exercised within the period of 30 days at set out at 1. above.

Please contact the Associate Partner at the address given above to make arrangements to ask any questions or object to the Council's accounts. Written notice of a proposed objection and the grounds on which it is made must be sent to the Associate Partner at the address given above and copied to me at the address given below.       

J. Ward CPFA
Director of Corporate Services

Chichester District Council
East Pallant House,
East Pallant,
Chichester,
West Sussex.
PO19 1TY

24 May 2024

Contact us

For further information and advice email finance@chichester.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can phone us on 01243 785166.