AN EXTERNAL assurance review of BCP Council’s finances and governance arrangements is likely to go ahead even if the local authority does not take up the government’s ‘minded to’ offer of £20million.

The council has been given an indication that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) would be willing to issue a capitalisation direction to meet a funding gap in the transformation programme for the current financial year.

This was subject to a number of conditions, including allowing the external review to take place.

Civic leaders are now considering whether or not to press ahead with the borrowing option having applied for it a matter of months ago.

But a cabinet report said there is a “strong likelihood” that the review will be carried out regardless.

Read more on the financial situation at BCP Council

The report by council director of finance Adam Richens said: “Despite having moved to the assumption in the current drafting of the budget MTFP of the council not drawing down on the capitalisation direction cabinet still welcome the external governance and finance assurance reviews that were a condition of the capitalisation direction and are in dialogue with DLUHC with expectation that these will be commissioned later in October.”