St Peter Port's accounts challenge

Thursday 15 August 2024

An accountancy firm has been appointed to finalise St Peter Port's accounts for 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Earlier this week the parish had to confirm that its accounts hadn't been published for the last three years'.

Lince Salisbury has now been confirmed as the parish accountants. The firm is aiming to publish all of the St Peter Port accounts before 6 November.

The situation was revealed this week, with questions now being asked about why the parish hasn't been able to publish its accounts since 2020's were released in 2021.

The parish had called a Douzaine meeting for Tuesday 13 August as a result of this, and ahead of that date Senior Constable Zoe Lihou resigned from her post.

The St Peter Port Junior Constable Dianne Mitchell had only been in post for three-weeks by this time but she has agreed to step up as Senior Constable with immediate effect.

Pictured: Former Senior Constable for St Peter Port, Zoe Lihou met the King and Queen when they visited Guernsey in July. (Chris George)

Mrs Mitchell answered questions posed to the parish by Express.

She said the Douzaine meeting this week was called "because of the lack of completion of Parish audited accounts for 2021, 2022 and 2023" and "to (tell) Douzeniers that (Mrs Lihou's) resignation had occurred".

With Mrs Mitchell stepping into the role of Senior Constable at such short notice the parish will now be electing a new Junior Constable, with applications welcome from 8 October. That will coincide with other Douzaine elections, said Mrs Mitchell.

She said the situation with the accounts means that there is "a great deal to accomplish".

"The accounts are with a firm of accountants and auditors previously commissioned by the Parish in 2020, Lince Salisbury, who are working as quickly as they can to complete their work," she explained.

"These will then be published to the Parish at the Parish meeting on 6 November, the web site and any other associated outlets if we are in a position to do so as there is a lot of work to do during the next couple of months.

"As there is clearly a great deal to accomplish moving forwards I have asked the Dean, Vice Dean and Douzeniers to engage with various tasks so that the Parish runs smoothly.

"The office team and Grounds team have supported Parishioners well in the background and have been commended for their work.

"I would like to reassure the Parish that the team is working seamlessly to ensure that Parishioners needs are met during this time of change."

Pictured: Diane Mitchell has now stepped up to the position of Senior Constable for St Peter Port.

The most recent set of published accounts for St Peter Port were 2020's, released in 2021.

They were signed off by Mrs Lihou who was Senior Constable at the time.

Lince Salisbury was contracted as 'independent auditor' then.

In 2020, St Peter Port held net assets valued at £967,035. 

Mrs Mitchell was elected douzenier in St Peter Port in 2021 before being elected Junior Constable earlier this year. She is now Senior Constable.

Mrs Lihou was first elected to the Douzaine in 2017 before being appointed Constable in 2021.