Antrim & Newtownabbey Audit and Risk Committee Meeting Highlights March 2026

A meeting at Antrim Civic Centre on Wednesday 18 March gave a behind the scenes look at how Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council keeps track of spending, oversight and risk across its services.

The Audit and Risk Committee may not be the most high profile part of council business, but the issues discussed can have a real effect on how well the borough is run.

This latest meeting covered everything from future audit plans to council performance, risk management and delayed reviews in key areas.

One of the first items on the agenda was a review of how effective the Audit and Risk Committee itself has been over the past year.

Members agreed the outcome of that review, which will now go to the full council in June. Officers said the committee had achieved a 95 per cent conformance rate against good practice guidance, showing that it is operating at a high standard.

That might sound technical, but it matters because this committee is one of the main checks in place to keep an eye on governance and financial control at council level.

The committee also approved a new Internal Audit Strategy covering the period from 2026 to 2030.

The strategy lays out how the council’s internal audit function will develop over the next few years. It includes plans to improve staff capability, encourage innovation, strengthen standards, support better decision making and deal with risks that affect more than one service area.

For residents, the main takeaway is that the council is trying to build a stronger internal system for spotting weaknesses, improving processes and backing up decision making.

A point that may draw more public interest was the decision to defer two audits that had been due to take place in the final quarter of 2025 to 2026.

These were the planned audits on safeguarding and capital projects. Members were told that reviews and updates in both areas are still ongoing, so this was not seen as the right time to carry out those audits.

Instead, the audits will be moved into future plans once the updated processes have been completed and had time to settle in.

That may be a practical decision, though some residents may feel that both safeguarding and capital spending are areas where close scrutiny is always welcome.

The Internal Audit Plan for 2026 to 2027 was also approved.

This annual plan decides which parts of the council will be examined by internal audit during the year ahead. Officers said it had been shaped by updated corporate and service risk registers so that audit work is targeted at the areas of greatest concern.

In simple terms, it is the council deciding where it needs the closest watch.

Members also considered the Northern Ireland Audit Office Audit Strategy for 2025 to 2026.

That strategy sets out how the council’s financial statements will be audited, how value for money arrangements will be examined and what the timetable and costs for the work will be.

In a small but telling moment, members agreed that this report and future reports of this kind should be approved rather than simply noted. It suggests the committee wants to take a more direct role in signing off key oversight documents.

The committee also received the Quarter 3 progress report for the council’s Corporate Performance and Improvement Plan.

The minutes do not go into the performance figures in detail, but the report forms part of the council’s wider duty to track whether services are improving and whether agreed targets are being met.

For local people, it is another reminder that performance reporting continues through the year, even if much of that work happens away from the spotlight.

An update was also given on actions from previous meetings, including a contract management report that is still marked as in progress.

Officers said guidance linked to the Procurement Act 2023 has still not been issued by the Cabinet Office. Because of that, it has not yet been possible to fully develop the reporting systems that would be needed.

Council officers said contracts are still being managed and monitored, but this is clearly an issue that remains unresolved.

That is one worth watching, especially given how closely council procurement and contract oversight can affect public confidence.

Another action still in progress relates to a suggestion that the council should look at the possible benefits of investing in the Social Value Engine.

Members heard that a proposal to bring a consultant in to present to the Corporate Leadership Team was being considered, with an anticipated date of 30 April 2026 attached to the update.

This could become a bigger issue in the months ahead if the council decides to move forward with it.

The committee also noted an updated Corporate Risk Register, following a review by council directors.

Alongside that, members noted an updated Risk Management Policy which has been revised to match more recent HM Treasury guidance. Changes include clearer references to the council’s risk control framework and its appetite for risk.

There was also discussion around emergency planning and resilience, following a query from a member.

That is the type of topic many residents will want reassurance on, especially when councils are expected to respond to everything from severe weather to service disruption.

As is often the case with meetings of this kind, some business was dealt with behind closed doors.

In confidential session, members received an update on concerns raised and investigations. The public minutes do not include the detail, but they do show that this is a standing part of the committee’s work.

This was not a meeting packed with headline grabbing announcements, but it did offer a useful snapshot of how the council is managing oversight behind the scenes.

The main themes were strong committee performance, new long term planning for internal audit, delays in two planned reviews, ongoing work around procurement reporting, and continued attention on risk and council performance.

It may be quieter than some of the bigger council debates, but this is the kind of work that shapes how the council functions day to day across Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Source: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

Read the full minutes of the March meeting on the NBC website.