In early 2017 Community R4C Directors raised a formal challenge to the accounts of Gloucestershire County Council (GCC), this has been the subject of a long running review by the Auditors, Grant Thornton. Finally, after 4 ½ years the report was released, but only AFTER the local elections had been held, in defiance of principles in a Freedom of Information ruling by Judge Shanks who held that the electorate should be able to know and act on the details of the contract. It promised to open the lid on this important issue, answering questions about how the county secretly committed to the most expensive incinerator contract in the country, and what can be done about it.

Grant Thornton had stated that they would (subject to confirmation) issue a formal report in the public interest (PIR), an important statement about things that had gone wrong in the contracting process and recommendations. See here

The Chair of Gloucestershire County Council Audit committee gave an important speech – COUNTY AUDIT CHIEF BLAMES JAVELIN PARK ENQUIRY DELAY ON ‘COVER UP’ BY COUNCIL LEADERS.

However in a dramatic change of heart Grant Thornton (GT) and their senior partner John Gregory, removed this conclusion of a PIR, in a move which the objectors and our barrister believe was improperly influenced by a conflict of interest, GCC are a major client of GT and have paid GT many £100k during the period of this audit. See GRANT THORNTON REPORT IS A WHITEWASH, AFTER ALL

In June 2022 on behalf of all objectors and local community supporters, Tom Jarman submitted a formal complaint to the Auditors Grant Thornton and their lead auditors Peter Barber and John Gregory. This complaint has been notified to the Chief Executive of the Public Sector Audit Appointments – PSAA.