Annual Audit Condemns Surrey Heath Council

11.06.52pm GMT Fri 31st Mar 2006

We quote here just some of the damning comments made by the SURREY HEATH BOROUGH COUNCIL EXTERNAL AUDITOR as part of the Annual Audit and Inspection Letter written in March 2006 to the Council:

"Although housing is shown as a priority in the corporate and community plans and in the CPA improvement plan, the Council is not showing commitment to improving this service. Delivery of affordable housing is not backed up in these plans by specific targets for improvement."

"The Council's progress to the statutory recycling target set by government is below average compared with other councils."

"This (budget) position, however, is not sustainable in the medium term. It is vital that the Council manages the issues that can give rise to a budget deficit; namely, service cost rises, lower levels of income than expected and falls in Government support."

"The Authority has a Risk Management Group that has not met since July 2004..... Risk Management therefore remains a key issue for Members and we will revisit this area at the 2005/06 audit."