STAFFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS
LOCAL AUDIT & ACCOUNTABILITY ACT 2014 (ss 26, 27, 28)
ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT REGULATIONS 2015
REGULATIONS 9, 14, 15
Delay to Public Inspection of Unaudited Statement of Accounts for the year ending March 2025.
Stafford Borough Council's financial year runs from April to March and following the end of each financial year it publishes an annual statement of accounts. The accounts are one of the means by which the Council demonstrates its stewardship of public money and they present the financial position of the Council as at 31 March each year. They are produced in the format stipulated by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in accordance with best accounting practice.
Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 we are required to publish our draft Statement of Accounts, Narrative Report and Annual Governance Statement for the year ended 31 March 2025, and to commence the 30 working day period for the exercise of public rights, by 30 June 2025.
Where we are unable to meet this deadline we are required to confirm this in a public notice which sets out our reasons. This statement fulfils that requirement, as specified in section 15 (1A) of The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.
We had been unable to publish our Statement of Accounts and Narrative Report for the year ended 31 March 2025 by 30 June 2025 because of significant changes in local government landscape requiring additional resource to be allocated (for example local government re-organisation). Delays were also experienced with receipt of external information for the accounts. The accounts were published on the 19 August with the notice issued commencing the period for the exercise of public rights.
A guide to your rights can be found at www.nao.org.uk/code-audit-practice/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/03/Council-accounts-a-guide-to-your-rights.pdf
C. FORRESTER CPFA
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE - RESOURCES (S151)
Civic Centre
Riverside
Stafford
ST16 3AQ
8 September 2025