DORSET Council’s delayed external audit for 2020-21 has still not been agreed – as work begins on the 21-22 financial year.

The report is expected to give the authority a clean bill of financial health but has been held up awaiting national guidance on how certain assets should be treated for audit purposes.

Auditor Ian House from Deloittes, who heads the audit,  told Dorset councillors on Monday that he was not expecting the audit process to get back to normal until at least November 2023.

Mr House said that Council could take some comfort in not being unusual in the delay with many other authorities in the same position.

Said audit and governance committee chair Cllr Richard Biggs “this has been somewhat frustrating.”