Annual governance statement

Every year we produce an annual governance statement (AGS) that is published as part of our statement of accounts. The AGS shows how we comply with the code of corporate governance.

View our statement of accounts

Our code of corporate governance sets out our commitment to strong corporate governance, and identifies the arrangements in place to ensure its ongoing effective implementation and application in all aspects of our work.

Corporate governance is the system by which local authorities direct and control their functions and relate to their communities. We recognise that effective local government relies upon establishing and maintaining the public's confidence in both the elected members and officials, and that it underpins credibility and confidence in the services we provide.

Our code positively recognises and accepts the following underlying principles of good governance:

• Openness
• Integrity
• Accountability

It also accepts that for these principles to be translated into the key business areas, we must establish systems and processes that can monitor our effectiveness in practice and ensure that these are reviewed on a continuing basis and are kept up to date.

The need for effective leadership is also acknowledged, in particular in relation to providing a vision for its community and leading by example in its decision making and other processes and actions.