| Agreed |
| Yes | No | Yes means that this authority |
| 1. We have put in place arrangements for effective financial 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 have assured ourselves that there are no matters of actual or potential non-compliance with laws, regulations and Proper Practices that could have a significant financial effect on the ability of this authority to conduct its business or manage its finances. | ✓ | | has only done what it has the legal power to do and has compiled 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 financial 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 financial 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 financial 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 financial reporting and, if required, independent examination or audit. |  | has met all of its responsibilities where, as a body corporate, it is a sole managing trustee of a local trust or trusts. |
| 10. We have put in place arrangements for the effective IT and data management in accordance with proper practices during the year under review. | ✓ | | has made suitable arrangements for its IT and data management and has complied with proper practices in doing so. |
*Please provide explanations to the external auditor on a separate sheet for each ‘No’ response and describe how the authority will address the weaknesses identified. These sheets must be published with the Annual Governance Statement.
This Annual Governance Statement was approved at a meeting of the authority on:
18/05/2026
and recorded as minute reference:
10.2
Signed by the Chair and Clerk of the meeting where approval was given:
| Year ending | Notes and guidance |
| 31 March 2025£ | 31 March 2026£ | Please round all figures to nearest £1. Do not leave any boxes blank and report £0 or Nil balances. All figures must agree to underlying financial records. |
| 1. Balances brought forward | 1,210,426 | 1,526,719 | Total balances and reserves at the beginning of the year as recorded in the financial records. Value must agree to Box 7 of previous year. |
| 2. (+) Precept or Rates and Levies | 1,229,673 | 1,317,527 | Total amount of precept (or for IDBs rates and levies) received or receivable in the year. Exclude any grants received. |
| 3. (+) Total other receipts | 112,502 | 91,893 | 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 | 266,238 | 302,002 | 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 | 0 | 0 | Total expenditure or payments of capital and interest made during the year on the authority's borrowings (if any). |
| 6. (-) All other payments | 759,644 | 907,889 | 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 | 1,526,719 | 1,726,248 | 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 | 1,498,613 | 1,685,984 | 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 fixed assets plus long term investments and assets | 235,794 | 218,420 | The value of all the property the authority owns - it is made up of all its fixed assets and long term investments as at 31 March. |
| 10. Total borrowings | 0 | 0 | The outstanding capital balance as at 31 March of all loans from third parties (including PWLB). |
| Internal control obiectivo | Yes | No | Not covered** |
| A. Appropriate accounting records have been properly kept throughout the financial year. | ✓ | | |
| B. This authority complied with its financial regulations, payments were supported by invoices, all expenditure was approved and VAT was appropriately accounted for. | ✓ | | |
| C. This authority assessed the significant risks to achieving its objectives and reviewed the adequacy of arrangements to manage these. | ✓ | | |
| D. The precept or rates requirement resulted from an adequate budgetary process; progress against the budget was regularly monitored, and reserves were appropriate. | ✓ | | |
| E. Expected income was fully received, based on correct prices, properly recorded and promptly banked; and VAT was appropriately accounted for. | ✓ | | |
| F. Cash payments were properly supported by receipts, all cash expenditure was approved and VAT appropriately accounted for. | ✓ | | |
| G. Salaries to employees and allowances to members were paid in accordance with this authority's approvals, and PAYE and NI requirements were properly applied. | ✓ | | |
| H. Asset and investments registers were complete and accurate and properly maintained. | ✓ | | |
| I. Periodic bank account reconciliations were properly carried out during the year. | ✓ | | |
| J. Accounting statements prepared during the year were prepared on the correct accounting basis (receipts and payments or income and expenditure), agreed to the cash book, supported by an adequate audit trail from underlying records and where appropriate debtors and creditors were properly recorded. | ✓ | | |
| K. If the authority certified itself as exempt from a limited assurance review in 2024/25, it met the exemption criteria and correctly declared itself exempt. (If the authority had a limited assurance review of its 2024/25 AGAR tick "not covered") | N/A | | ✓ |
| L. The authority published the required information on a website/webpage up to date at the time of the internal audit in accordance with the relevant legislation. | ✓ | | |
| M. In the year covered by this AGAR, the authority correctly provided for a period for the exercise of public rights as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations (during the 2025/26 AGAR period, were public rights in relation to the 2024/25 AGAR evidenced by a notice on the website and/or authority approved minutes confirming the dates set). | ✓ | | |
| N. The authority has complied with the publication requirements for 2024/25 AGAR (see AGAR Page 1 Guidance Notes). | ✓ | | |
| O. The authority has complied with laws, regulations & proper practices relating to digital and data compliance. | ✓ | | See 1 Leag |
| P. (For local councils only) | Yes | No | Not applicable |
| Trust funds (including charitable) - The council met its responsibilities as a trustee. | | | ✓ |
For any other risk areas identified by this authority adequate controls existed (list any other risk areas on separate sheets if needed).
Date(s) internal audit undertaken Name of person who carried out the internal audit
04/11/2025 and 22/04/2026 JDH BUSINESS SERVICES LTD
Signature of person who
carried out the internal audit JDH Business Service Ltd Date 22/04/2026
*If the response is 'no' please state the implications and action being taken to address any weakness in control identified (add separate sheets if needed).
**Note: If the response is 'not covered' please state when the most recent internal audit work was done in this area and when it is next planned, or if coverage is not required, the annual internal audit report must explain why not (add separate sheets if needed).
