The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 make it a requirement of the council to prepare its accounts in accordance with Proper Practices as laid out in the Joint Panel on Accountability & Governance Practitioners’ Guide.

The council is responsible for arranging to have its accounts and procedures audited both through internal audit and by completion of an Annual Governance & Accountability Return, which is submitted annually to external auditors.

The transparency code for smaller authorities came into effect on 1 April 2015. This code mandates that smaller councils with an annual turnover not exceeding £25,000 must publish specific financial and administrative information online, making it accessible to the public. The goal is to provide taxpayers with a clear understanding of the authority’s activities, spending, and governance, thereby enhancing the community's ability to hold local public bodies accountable. Compliance is required for all parish and town councils with a turnover not exceeding £25,000.

Starting in April 2015, parish and town councils with an annual turnover not exceeding £25,000 must publish the following information online: All items of expenditure above £100, end-of-year accounts, annual governance statement, internal audit report, list of councillor or member responsibilities, details of public land and building assets, and minutes, agendas, and meeting papers of formal meetings.

Please see below the link to the published Transparency Code:

 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7ef9cae5274a2e87db311f/Transparency_Code_for_Smaller_Authorities.pdf