Financial Reports

Our Financial Services Unit provides a full range of services including budgetary control; co-ordination of annual revenue and capital estimates; preparation of annual financial accounts; investment of funds; paying suppliers and debtor control.

From 31 July 2024 to 28 August 2024, members of the public, who have applied in advance in writing to the Chief Financial Officer, Island Civic Centre, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, may inspect our accounts for the year ended 31st March 2024 and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts relating to them and make copies thereof. Viewing is available Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 4.15pm.

View our Notice of Public Rights document here.

Annual reports and accounts

Our annual accounts from the 2019/2020 financial year are available below. Accounts prior to this can be requested from us.

Year End March 2024

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Statement of Accounts Year End 31 03 2024
Notice of Conclusion of Audit 2024

Prompt payment of invoices

We are committed to paying invoices as quickly as possible and are proud to pay the majority within 10 days of receipt.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Prompt Payment of Invoices 2019/2020
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Prompt Payment of Invoices for 2020/2021
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Prompt Payment of Invoices for 2021/2022
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Prompt Payment of Invoices for 2022/2023
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Prompt Payment of Invoices for 2023/2024
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Prompt Payment of Invoices for 2024/2025

Schemes of Allowances Payable to Councillors

This Scheme is legislative and councillor's allowances are made the following types of payments:

(a) Allowances

(i) Basic Allowance: this payment is intended to recognise the time commitment of all councillors, including such inevitable calls on their time as meetings with officers and constituents and approved duties.

Basic allowance is also intended to cover incidental costs incurred by councillors in their official capacity, such as the use of their homes and the cost of any telephone calls, including mobile phone calls.

(ii) Special Responsibility Allowance: we pay this to those councillors we consider to have significant additional responsibilities over and above the generally accepted duties of a councillor.

These special responsibilities are related to the discharge of our functions. The maximum rate of is set by the Department for Communities. The division of the Special Responsibility Allowance is based upon the positions held by individual councillors as agreed.

(iii) Civic Dignitaries Allowance: we may pay to the Civic Dignitaries such allowances we consider reasonable to meet the expenses of those offices. They should be considered totally separate from SRA arrangements.

It is paid in equal, monthly instalments and are liable for tax, National Insurance and pension deductions where applicable.

(iv) Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance: Any councillor who is the main carer of a dependant, where care is required to enable that individual to perform an Approved Duty, may claim Dependent Carers’ Allowance (DCA).

The rate for Standard Care is based on the hourly national living wage for age 25 or over, and the rate for Specialised Care is double the rate for Standard Care.

(v) District Policing and Community Safety Partnership Allowances (DPCSP): This allowance is paid to councillors who are members of our Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

Each councillor is entitled to claim £60 per attendance at each meeting and may claim for up to a maximum of 20 meetings a year. The Chairperson is entitled to claim for an additional 10 meetings.

Each member can also claim for mileage for attending each meeting directly from DPCSP.

(vi) Renunciations: Councillors may, if they wish, renounce their entitlement to basic, chairperson, vice chairperson or special responsibility allowances. They can do this by writing to the Chief Executive.

A councillor can subsequently withdraw the renunciation. They can also amend a renunciation (for example, to limit it to one kind of allowance only). The withdrawal or amendment cannot have retrospective effect.

(vii) Disqualification or Suspension of a Councillor: The Local Government Commissioner for Standards may impose sanctions on a councillor who is found to have breached the Northern Ireland Code of Conduct for Councillors.

For the purpose of this Scheme of Allowances, once the Chief Executive has received a decision from the Commissioner he will cease payment if councillor disqualified o suspend payment during period of suspension determined by the Commissioner.

(b) Expenses

(i) Travel: All claims for travel and subsistence should be submitted within three months. Any claims made outside of this time limit cannot be processed.

(ii) Subsistence: If councillors attend conferences, courses or undertake visits as representatives of the council they are entitled to receive appropriate subsistence allowances.

Before a Councillor attends an event, they must obtain Committee approval.

Councillors may also attend approved events as part of their Personal Development Plan (PDP).

Any accommodation or travel arrangements for conferences are made directly by us.

Councillors should take a careful note and keep receipts for any expenses they incur while they are away on council business because they may be able to claim for these as part of their subsistence allowances or as incidental expenses. This relates to such things as meals, bus and taxi fares, necessary telephone calls, etc. Purchases of any alcoholic beverages may not be claimed for.

Our recent schemes of allowance and payments are below:

2024/2025

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Scheme of Allowances 2024/25

2023/2024

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Scheme of Allowances 2023/24
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council 2023/24 Annual Return Councillors’ Allowance Funded by Council
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Elected Members Positions Held 2023/24

2022/2023

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Scheme of Allowances 2022/2023
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council 2022/23 Annual Return Councillors' Allowance Funded by Council
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Elected Members Positions Held 2022/2023

2021/2022

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Scheme of Allowances 2021/2022
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council 2021/22 Annual Return Councillors’ Allowance Funded by Council
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Elected Members Positions Held 2021/2022

2020/2021

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Scheme of Allowances 2020/21
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council 2020/21 Annual Return Councillors’ Allowance Funded by Council
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Elected Members Positions Held 2020/2021

2019/2020

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Scheme of Allowances 2019/20
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council 2019/2020 Annual Return Councillors’ Allowance Funded by Council
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Elected Members Positions Held 2019/2020

Further information

We are required by law to protect the public funds we administer. We may share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.

For further information please contact

Mr David Burns
Chief Executive
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council
Lagan Valley Island
1 The Island
Lisburn
BT27 4RL

Email: david.burns@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk