The Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) of Oxfordshire Council met on Tuesday 19 May 2026 and elected Councillor Tim Bearder as Chair and Councillor Laura Gordon as Deputy Chair for the 2026/27 Council Year. The committee also approved the appointment of Richardsons as the external auditors for Enterprise Oxfordshire for the financial year 2025/26.

Approval of Auditors for Enterprise Oxfordshire

The committee agreed to the proposed appointment of Richardsons as the External Auditors for Enterprise Oxfordshire for the financial year 2025/26. This decision was made as recommended by the company board of Enterprise Oxfordshire, which was formerly known as OxLEP¹. The appointment is a reserved matter for the Shareholder Committee to decide, as outlined in Enterprise Oxfordshire's Memorandum and Articles of Association. Richardsons have confirmed their availability to conduct the audit fieldwork in late June. To ensure independence, quality, and value for money, Richardsons have proposed rotating partners for this year's audit. The company is currently in the process of recruiting a Chair of the Board and a Managing Director. With an indicative funding settlement in place until March 2026, Enterprise Oxfordshire plans to retender for audit services for 2026 and beyond, with the procurement process expected to commence in the autumn, led by the new Managing Director and overseen by the Chair. The audit fee is budgeted within Enterprise Oxfordshire's business plan and will not incur any additional financial impact on the Council.

Councillor Dan Levy declared an interest in this item as a non-Executive Director of Enterprise Oxfordshire and withdrew from the meeting for the duration of the discussion.