Notice of Public Rights

Audit of Accounts Notice is hereby given that pursuant to Articles 17 and 18 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 and the Local Government (Accounts and Audit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015:

From 20 October 2020 to 16 November 2020 inclusive, between 9am and 4.15pm on Monday to Friday, any member of the public, on application in advance in writing to the Director of Finance and Resources, City Hall, Belfast BT1 5GS, may inspect the accounts of Belfast City Council for the year ended 31 March 2020 and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts relating to them and make copies thereof.

Notice is also given that on or after 17 November 2020, at the request of an interested person*, the local government auditor, will give that person an opportunity to question the auditor about the accounts, and that any such interested person may attend before the auditor and make objections:

(i) as to any matter in respect of which the auditor could take action under Articles 19 or 20 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005; or
(ii) as to any other matter in respect of which the auditor could make a report under Article 9 of that Order.

No objection may be made unless the auditor has received written notice of the proposed objection, stating the facts on which the interested person proposes to rely and containing, so far as possible:

(a) particulars of any item of account which is alleged to be contrary to law;
(b) particulars of -

• (i) any person from whom it is alleged that the auditor should certify under Articles 20 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order that a sum or amount of loss or deficiency is due, and
• (ii) that sum or amount, and

(c) particulars of any matter in respect of which it is proposed that the auditor should make a report under Article 9 of that Order.

Such written requests and notices should be sent by the 8 December 2020 to the Local Government Auditor, Pamela McCreedy at 106 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1EU. A copy of any notice of proposed objection must also be sent to Belfast City Council at the address below. The auditor plans to close the audit and certify accounts at a date in the period from 9 December 2020 to 23 December 2020.

“Interested person”: (a) a local government elector for the district of the body to which the audit relates; (b) a person liable for rates in respect of any hereditament situated in that district; or (c) a representative of a person mentioned in (a) or (b).

Mr Ronan Cregan
Chief Financial Officer
Belfast City Council
City Hall
BT1 5GS

29 September 2020