2324 – Audit Conclusion notice etc

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North Petherton Town Council
Notice of conclusion of audit
Annual Governance & Accountability Return for the year ended 31 March 2024
Sections 20(2) and 25 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

1. The audit of accounts for North Petherton Town Council for the year ended 31
March 2024 has been completed and the accounts have been published.
2. The Annual Governance & Accountability Return including the auditor’s certificate
and opinion is available for inspection and copying by any local government
elector of the area of North Petherton Town Council on application to:
Joy Norris, The Town Clerk, North Petherton Town Council, The Small Hall, North
Petherton Community Centre, Fore Street, North Petherton TA6 6QA
Monday to Friday by arrangement with the Town Clerk; Tel 01278 574074 or
email joy.norris@northpethertontowncouncil.gov.uk
3. Copies will be provided to any person on payment of £0.50 for each copy of the
Annual Governance & Accountability Return.
Announcement made by: Joy Norris, Clerk to North Petherton Town Council
Date of announcement; 29 September 2023

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No text could be extracted from this page. Consult the original or request an accessible version.

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Section 1 – Annual Governance Statement 2023/24
We acknowledge as the members of:
ENTER NAME OF AUTHORITY
our responsibility for ensuring that there is a sound system of internal control, including arrangements for
the preparation of the Accounting Statements. We confirm, to the best of our knowledge and belief, with
respect to the Accounting Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024, that:
Agreed
Yes

No*

‘Yes’ means that this authority:

1. We have put in place arrangements for effective nancial
management during the year, and for the preparation of
the accounting statements.

prepared its accounting statements in accordance
with the Accounts and Audit Regulations.

2. We maintained an adequate system of internal control
including measures designed to prevent and detect fraud
and corruption and reviewed its effectiveness.

made proper arrangements and accepted responsibility
for safeguarding the public money and resources in
its charge.

3. We took all reasonable steps to assure ourselves
that there are no matters of actual or potential
non-compliance with laws, regulations and Proper
Practices that could have a signi cant nancial effect
on the ability of this authority to conduct its
business or manage its nances.

has only done what it has the legal power to do and has
complied with Proper Practices in doing so.

4. We provided proper opportunity during the year for
the exercise of electors’ rights in accordance with the
requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations.

during the year gave all persons interested the opportunity to
inspect and ask questions about this authority’s accounts.

5. We carried out an assessment of the risks facing this
authority and took appropriate steps to manage those
risks, including the introduction of internal controls and/or
external insurance cover where required.

considered and documented the nancial and other risks it
faces and dealt with them properly.

6. We maintained throughout the year an adequate and
effective system of internal audit of the accounting
records and control systems.

arranged for a competent person, independent of the nancial
controls and procedures, to give an objective view on whether
internal controls meet the needs of this smaller authority.

7. We took appropriate action on all matters raised
in reports from internal and external audit.

responded to matters brought to its attention by internal and
external audit.

8. We considered whether any litigation, liabilities or
commitments, events or transactions, occurring either
during or after the year-end, have a nancial impact on
this authority and, where appropriate, have included them
in the accounting statements.

disclosed everything it should have about its business activity
during the year including events taking place after the year
end if relevant.

9. (For local councils only) Trust funds including
charitable. In our capacity as the sole managing
trustee we discharged our accountability
responsibilities for the fund(s)/assets, including
nancial reporting and, if required, independent
examination or audit.

Yes

No

N/A

has met all of its responsibilities where, as a body
corporate, it is a sole managing trustee of a local
trust or trusts.

*Please provide explanations to the external auditor on a separate sheet for each ‘No’ response and describe
how the authority will address the weaknesses identi ed. These sheets must be published with the Annual
Governance Statement.
This Annual Governance Statement was approved at a
meeting of the authority on:

Signed by the Chair and Clerk of the meeting where
approval was given:

DD/MM/YYYY
and recorded as minute reference:

MINUTE REFERENCE

Chair
Clerk

SIGNATURE REQUIRED
SIGNATURE REQUIRED

ENTER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITE/WEBPAGE ADDRESS

Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2023/24 Form 3
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities*

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Section 2 – Accounting Statements 2023/24 for
ENTER NAME OF AUTHORITY
Year ending
31 March
2023
£

Notes and guidance

31 March
2024
£

Please round all gures to nearest £1. Do not leave any
boxes blank and report £0 or Nil balances. All gures must
agree to underlying nancial records.

1. Balances brought
forward

Total balances and reserves at the beginning of the year
as recorded in the nancial records. Value must agree to
Box 7 of previous year.

2. (+) Precept or Rates and
Levies

Total amount of precept (or for IDBs rates and levies)
received or receivable in the year. Exclude any grants
received.

3. (+) Total other receipts

Total income or receipts as recorded in the cashbook less
the precept or rates/levies received (line 2). Include any
grants received.

4. (-) Staff costs

Total expenditure or payments made to and on behalf
of all employees. Include gross salaries and wages,
employers NI contributions, employers pension
contributions, gratuities and severance payments.

5. (-) Loan interest/capital
repayments

Total expenditure or payments of capital and interest
made during the year on the authority’s borrowings (if any).

6. (-) All other payments

Total expenditure or payments as recorded in the cashbook less staff costs (line 4) and loan interest/capital
repayments (line 5).

7. (=) Balances carried
forward

Total balances and reserves at the end of the year. Must
equal (1+2+3) - (4+5+6).

8. Total value of cash and
short term investments

The sum of all current and deposit bank accounts, cash
holdings and short term investments held as at 31 March –
To agree with bank reconciliation.

9. Total xed assets plus
long term investments
and assets

The value of all the property the authority owns – it is made
up of all its xed assets and long term investments as at
31 March.

10. Total borrowings

The outstanding capital balance as at 31 March of all loans
from third parties (including PWLB).
Yes

For Local Councils Only

No

N/A

11a. Disclosure note re Trust funds
(including charitable)

The Council, as a body corporate, acts as sole trustee and
is responsible for managing Trust funds or assets.

11b. Disclosure note re Trust funds
(including charitable)

The figures in the accounting statements above
exclude any Trust transactions.

I certify that for the year ended 31 March 2024 the Accounting I con rm that these Accounting Statements were
approved by this authority on this date:
Statements in this Annual Governance and Accountability
Return have been prepared on either a receipts and payments
DD/MM/YYYY
or income and expenditure basis following the guidance in
Governance and Accountability for Smaller Authorities – a
Practitioners’ Guide to Proper Practices and present fairly
as recorded in minute reference:
the nancial position of this authority.
MINUTE REFERENCE
Signed by Responsible Financial Of cer before being
presented to the authority for approval

SIGNATURE REQUIRED
Date

Signed by Chair of the meeting where the Accounting
Statements were approved

DD/MM/YYYY

Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2023/24 Form 3
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities*

SIGNATURE REQUIRED

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Source page 5

Section 3 – External Auditor’s Report and Certificate 2023/24
In respect of

North Petherton Town Council – SO0200

ow

1 Respective responsibilities of the auditor and the authority
Our responsibility as auditors to complete a limited assurance review is set out by the National Audit Office (NAO). A
limited assurance review is not a full statutory audit, it does not constitute an audit carried out in accordance with
International Standards on Auditing (UK & Ireland) and hence it does not provide the same level of assurance that such an
audit would. The UK Government has determined that a lower level of assurance than that provided by a full statutory audit
is appropriate for those local public bodies with the lowest levels of spending.
Under a limited assurance review, the auditor is responsible for reviewing Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and
Accountability Return in accordance with NAO Auditor Guidance Note 02 (AGN 02) as issued by the NAO on behalf of the
Comptroller and Auditor General. AGN 02 is available from the NAO website – https://www.nao.org.uk/code-auditpractice/guidance-and-information-for-auditors/
This authority is responsible for ensuring that its financial management is adequate and effective and that it has a sound
system of internal control. The authority prepares an Annual Governance and Accountability Return in accordance with
Proper Practices which:
• summarises the accounting records for the year ended 31 March 2024; and
• confirms and provides assurance on those matters that are relevant to our duties and responsibilities as external auditors.

2 External auditor’s limited assurance opinion 2023/24
Except for the matters reported below on the basis of our review of Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR),
in our opinion the information in Sections 1 and 2 of the AGAR is in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters have come to our
attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements have not been met.

The AGAR was not accurately completed before submission for review. Section 2, Box 6 in the prior year is incorrect due to a transposition
error and should read £48,945.

Other matters not affecting our opinion which we draw to the attention of the authority:

None

3 External auditor certificate 2023/24
We certify that we have completed our review of Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability
Return, and discharged our responsibilities under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, for the year ended 31
March 2024.
External Auditor Name

PKF LITTLEJOHN LLP
External Auditor Signature

Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2023/24 Form 3
Local Councils, Internal Drainage Boards and other Smaller Authorities*

Date

22/09/2024
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