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Woking Council

BDO LLP

External Auditors for Woking Borough Council|Auditors up to and including 2019/20 accounts
Issued disclaimer opinions for 2019/20 through 2022/23. Replaced by Grant Thornton.

External auditors responsible for auditing Woking Borough Council's accounts during the period of most aggressive borrowing. Accounts for 2019/20 through 2022/23 were never signed off by BDO, which ultimately issued disclaimer opinions and adverse value-for-money conclusions for all four years. Failed to act on concerns raised by resident Anthony Fraser about potential PWLB lending breaches in September 2021.

Key Actions

  • Audited council accounts during the period of most aggressive borrowing
  • Failed to sign off accounts for 2019/20 through 2022/23, issuing disclaimer opinions
  • Did not act effectively on concerns raised about PWLB lending breaches in 2021
  • Questioned by Lead Commissioner about when and how failings had been reported
  • Replaced by Grant Thornton, which subsequently published the Public Interest Report

Details

BDO LLP served as the external auditor for Woking Borough Council's accounts up to and including the 2019/20 financial year. As external auditor, BDO was responsible for providing independent assurance that the council's accounts were accurate and that it had proper arrangements for securing value for money.

Accounts for the financial years 2019/20 through 2022/23 were never signed off by BDO. The firm ultimately issued disclaimer opinions for all four years, alongside adverse or significant weakness value-for-money conclusions — the most severe assessments an auditor can make.

In September 2021, Woking resident Anthony Fraser raised concerns with BDO about a potential £58 million PWLB lending rule breach. BDO did not act effectively on these concerns, which were later vindicated.

Lead Commissioner Sir Tony Redmond asked BDO to explain when and how the council's significant financial failings — dating back to approximately 2018 and earlier — had been reported. This raised questions about whether the external audit process had failed to provide adequate early warning of the council's deteriorating financial position.

BDO was subsequently replaced by Grant Thornton LLP as the council's external auditor. Grant Thornton was commissioned in June 2023 to conduct an independent value-for-money review, which resulted in the Public Interest Report published in November 2024.

Sources

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