The Charter Trustees for the City of Durham was scheduled to consider the external audit of its annual return for the financial year ending March 2026 and to review the forecast of its revenue outturn for the current financial year, 2026/27. The meeting was also scheduled to address administrative matters, including the confirmation of previous minutes and declarations of interest.

External Audit Annual Review of the Return for the year ended 31 March 2026

The Charter Trustees for the City of Durham was scheduled to receive a report on the external audit of its Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the financial year ending 31 March 2026. The report, prepared by the Treasurer, Rob Davisworth, was to present the findings of the external auditors, PKF Littlejohn LLP. The audit opinion was expected to state that the return had been completed in accordance with proper practices and that there were no concerns regarding compliance with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.

The report was also scheduled to highlight one matter raised by the auditors that did not affect the audit opinion. This related to a new assertion added to the AGAR concerning data and digital compliance. The Charter Trust was to confirm that it had not complied with this assertion, and the report was to outline the proposed actions to address the identified weaknesses. These actions included the quarterly publication of expenditure items over £250 on the Durham County Council (DCC) website to comply with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015¹, and the ongoing process of registering with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)² as a Data Controller. Furthermore, data and information governance policies, procedures, and controls were being developed.

The report was to recommend that the Charter Trustees approve the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for the year ended 31 March 2026, including the External Auditor's Report and Certificate. It was also recommended that the Trustees note the actions being taken to address the issues highlighted by the external auditors in preparation for the 2026/27 return.

Forecast of Revenue Outturn for 2026/27 as at 30 September 2026

The meeting was scheduled to consider a report from the Treasurer, Rob Davisworth, providing a forecast of the Charter Trustees' expenditure for the financial year 2026/27, as at 30 September 2026. This report was to compare the projected expenditure against the original budget approved in December 2025.

The forecast indicated that the projected net expenditure to 31 March 2027 was £83,480, which was £8,150 higher than the original budget of £75,329. This projected overspend was expected to result in a drawdown from reserves of £7,994, an increase from the originally budgeted contribution to reserves of £156. Consequently, the general reserve balance was projected to decrease from £54,244 at the start of the financial year to £46,250 by 31 March 2027.

The report was to provide explanations for the main variances between the budget and the projected outturn. A significant factor contributing to the projected overspend was in the Transport budget, specifically the civic car, which was forecast to be £9,000 over budget. This was attributed to the timing of payments, with five quarterly invoices falling within the 2026/27 financial year due to a delayed bill from the previous year.

The report was also to inform the Trustees that a further report would be presented on 9 December 2026 to assist in determining the budget requirement for 2027/28 and the basic level of council tax for the years 2027/28 to 2030/31.

Other Business

The meeting was scheduled to include standard administrative items such as the confirmation of minutes from previous meetings held on 3 June and 24 June 2026, and declarations of interest from members. A resolution relating to the exclusion of the public during the discussion of exempt information was also listed.