General
Bedale Town Council is a small local authority funded largely by public money. The Council is responsible for ensuring that its business is conducted in accordance with the law and proper standards, that public money is safeguarded and properly accounted for, and that its business is run economically, efficiently and effectively.
The Clerk to the Council acts as the Council’s advisor and administrator and is the Responsible Financial Officer for administering the Council’s finances.
The Council's main source of income is the Precept which is collected on its behalf by North Yorkshire Council through the council tax system. Bedale Town has a population in the region of 3,000 adults and the precept for 2025-256 is £105,242.
The council works to an annual budget, which is usually set in November of the previous year. The 2025-26 budget is available here:
Audited Accounts
The External Auditor's report, Annual Governance And Accountability, and Accounting, Statements, and the Notice of Conclusion of Audit for 2025-26 will appear here at the conclusion of the external audit process - usually in late September.
Annual Return
The Annual Return summarises the previous year's financial activity. It is subject to internal audit by an independent accounting professional, and submitted to the External Auditor, who for the 2023-24 accounting period is PKF Littlejohn LLP.
Annual Return documentation is shown here:
- BTC Receipts and Payments 2024-25
- Bedale TC Cash and Investment Reconciliation as at 31 March 2025
- Bedale TC 2024-25 Internal Audit Report
- Bedale TC 2024-25 Annual Governance Statement
- Bedale TC 2024-25 Accounting Statements
Public Rights
During the annual period of exercise of public rights - which in 2024 is 3 June to 12 July - any person interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates, and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records will be made available for inspection by any person interested.
Information from the National Audit Office about public rights.
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