External audit highlights a forward looking Council
24th October 2017
"The forward look of the Council is one of ambition, improving outcomes and working across Communities". This is the view of the external audit report on The Highland Council.
The external audit also highlights the significant financial challenges that are likely over the next 5 years with the Council looking to achieve substantial financial savings, which need to be on a recurring basis. The Council continues to have lower available reserves. This reflects strategic directions taken by the Council, including the substantial programme of redesign.
The work of the redesign board during 2016/17 gives the Council a good platform to go forward and external auditors comment that it is encouraging to see consideration of future income streams, as well as expenditure savings and the formation of a Commercialisation Board.
The audit report provides an independent and positive view of the Council's approach to financial strategy. It notes: "The way forward builds on the successes in prior years as well as lessons learned and is centred around the refreshed Council vision and priorities."
Convener of the Council Bill Lobban welcomed the positive report saying: "It is very encouraging to receive external recognition of the innovative financial approach the Council has taken through its programme of redesign. This is a very positive report which recognises the enormous financial challenges and highlights the importance of a fresh and ambitious approach which embraces income generation and commercialisation as fundamental to our future viability."
The full report will be discussed by members at Highland Council on 26 October.
See the full report at
https://www.highland.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/72668/item_11_annual_audit_report_and_accounts
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
Plans to invest up to £60m new Capital in Highland roads and infrastructure have been approved by Members at the Council meeting on 14 March 2024. The decision will see an additional £40m Capital investment in roads and transport infrastructure.
