City of York Council (Logo)

Meeting:

Audit & Governance Committee

Meeting date:

22/07/2026

Report of:

Director of Finance (S151 Officer)

Portfolio of:

Councillor Lomas,

Executive Members for Finance, Performance,

Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and

Inclusion


Audit and Governance Committee Report: Annual Governance Statement 2025/26


Subject of Report

 

1.           The purpose of this report is to present for information the draft 2025/26 Annual Governance Statement. 

 

Policy Basis

 

2.           The Annual Governance Statement sits within the Council’s Statement of Accounts.  The production of the Council’s statement of accounts results from all of the council’s business processes and helps support the administration’s key commitments and priorities as outlined in the Council Plan 2023-2027.

 

Recommendation and Reasons

 

3.           That Audit & Governance Committee comment on and note the draft Annual Governance Statement for the financial year ended 31 March 2026.

Reason:  To ensure that Members have had the opportunity to review the draft Annual Governance Statement. 

 

Background

 

4.           The Accounts and Audit Regulations (2015) requires Local Authorities to publish draft Accounts by 31st May. This deadline has been extended nationally for 2025/26 to 30th June. The Council met this deadline, and our draft Accounts were published on 30th June and are available for inspection.

 

5.           The accounts include the Council’s Annual Governance Statement (AGS), following the annual review of the governance framework and processes.  Any significant control issues are identified within the AGS.

 

6.           Members are reminded that the AGS is currently in draft, and should any other issues need to be included, the document can be updated.  The Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive will be asked to sign the AGS as part of the final audited statement of accounts, which will be brought for approval later this year / early 2027 once the audit work has been completed.  Members will therefore be given a further opportunity to review this final version.

 

Contact details

 

For further information please contact the authors of this Report.

 

Author

 

Name:

Debbie Mitchell

Job Title:

Director of Finance

Service Area:

Corporate Finance

Report approved:

Yes

Date:

10/07/2026



Annexes

 

Annex A – Draft Annual Governance Statement 2025/26