The Governance Committee of Crawley Borough Council met on 9 September 2025 to discuss the draft Annual Governance Statement, and to receive a verbal update on the Community Governance Review. The committee was also scheduled to discuss any urgent items.

Draft Annual Governance Statement 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to consider the draft of the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) 2024/25. The AGS is required by the Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015, and it is the Governance Committee's function to monitor and review the corporate governance of the council.

The objective of the AGS is to summarise the extent to which the council has complied with its own code of governance, and met the requirements of the regulations. The council uses the framework guidance Delivering Good Governance in Local Government Framework 2016 produced by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) as a guide in compiling the AGS.

The draft AGS 2024/25 did not report any significant risks or actions, but it acknowledged that local government reorganisation and the move to a new strategic authority presented challenges and opportunities. The report stated that the council would ensure critical functions and processes operate in a safe and secure way through clear and appropriate governance arrangements.

The report also identified areas that may present some challenges during 2025/26, which would be monitored by the Corporate Management Team and reported in the AGS 2025/26. A progress update was provided for those governance issues identified for 2024/25, with most actions completed or carried over to 2025/26 as ongoing.

The Chief Internal Auditor's conclusion report and opinion was scheduled to be presented to the Audit Committee on 2 September 2025, and was therefore not available in the draft version of the AGS. However, it was noted that a verbal update may be provided at the Governance Committee meeting, and the opinion would be included in the final version of the AGS when it is endorsed by the Audit Committee on 18 November 2025.

The draft AGS included an executive summary, signed by Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of the Council, and Ian Duke, Chief Executive, which stated:

To the best of our knowledge, the governance arrangements have been operating effectively during the year and remain fit for purpose.

The AGS also included a self-assessment against the principles of good governance, as defined by CIPFA/SOLACE. The table set out the council's review of compliance and supporting evidence against these principles.

Verbal Update on the Community Governance Review

The committee was scheduled to receive a verbal update on the Community Governance Review.

Approval of Minutes

The committee was asked to approve the minutes of the Governance Committee meeting held on 4 March 2025 as a correct record. At that meeting, the committee considered a briefing note on English Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), and received an update from the Elections Team. Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of the Opposition, and Councillor Bob Lanzer declared a personal interest in the briefing note, as they were West Sussex County Councillors. The committee was informed that the Councillors' Information Bulletin included an update from the Elections Team, and any questions regarding the item should be directed to Chris Pedlow, the Democracy & Data Manager.