The statement of accounts is the formal financial report on the activities of the council as required by the Accounts and Audit regulations 2015 and other statutory provisions.

For Shropshire Council, the full statement of accounts includes:

• A narrative report
• The statement of responsibilities
• The audit opinion and certificate
• The core financial statements comprising: the comprehensive income and expenditure statement, the movement in reserves statement, the balance sheet, the cash flow statement, and the notes to the core financial statements
• The group accounts
• The housing revenue account
• The collection fund
• The pension fund accounts, which summarise the financial position of the Shropshire County Pension Fund
• The glossary

External audit of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 – Regulation 10, as amended by The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021

The audit of the draft statement of accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 for Shropshire Council (the Council) has not yet been completed by the external auditors, Grant Thornton UK LLP. The Accounts and Audit (Amendment) Regulations 2021 require that the audited accounts and opinion are published by 30 September 2021.

The delay has arisen due to a combination of factors, comprising the following:

• The impact of Covid-19 on both the complexity of the external audit and pace at which it can be completed;
• The increased assurance work that external auditors are required to carry out nationally with respect to pensions and asset valuations.
• Resourcing challenges at the Council in the response to queries from the external auditor on a number of areas, including the valuation of property, plant and equipment.
• Resource capacity constraints on the part of the external auditors, Grant Thornton UK LLP

The council is continuing to work closely with the external audit team as they complete their work.

In line with the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, the council published a set of draft accounts on 31 July 2021. The council will publish a final set of accounts as soon as the audit is concluded, and the Audit Report issued.

This notice of delayed audit is being published in accordance with Regulation 10, paragraph (2a) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015.