Issue - meetings

The purpose of this paper is to present the Annual Internal Audit Conclusion for 2025-26 (Appendix 1) in accordance with the requirements of the Global Internal Audit Standards.

The Committee received a report that set out the Council’s approach to improving transparency and lessons learned from prior year external audit findings.

It was noted that the exempt appendix to this report had been withdrawn as agreed earlier in the meeting.

The following matters were considered:

a)             Parks budget and Playgrounds: A Member asked how the council could prove achievement of best value or that children’s play areas were financially stable when playground maintenance could not be separated from the general parks budget. He also asked how it was allowed that high value public/private assets remained uninsured on the building policy. The Assistant Director for Corporate Services explained the auditor process and stated that he had assurance from the Head of Service that the Playground Inspection Maintenance Policy and the Training Policy had been updated and ratified by the Environment Committee on 25 January 2026. He also explained that the Playground Strategy as recommended by Audit would not be progressed due to Local Government Reorganisation as it would not be completed in time available.

Following consideration, it was resolved to (6 for and 1 against):

(1)           Note the report.