Enfield Council's financial oversight has come under scrutiny as it faces a multi-million pound overspend on contracts, according to reports presented at a recent General Purposes Committee meeting.
The meeting on Wednesday 23 July 2025, reviewed the council's financial performance, highlighting significant challenges in procurement services and contract management.
According to the Annual Report on Contract Procedure Rules, Waivers and Procurement Services Update for 2024/25, total third-party spending reached £1.09 billion, a 4% increase from the previous year. A significant portion of this, £359.3 million, was subject to procurement processes. The report identified 'off contract spend' or 'Gaps' as a major area of non-compliance, particularly for low-value transactions. A 'Gap' occurs when spending in the council's SAP system cannot be linked to a registered contract. While 183 contracts, valued at £14.8 million, were located and added to the register during the year, gaps remained a persistent problem.
The report also highlighted that spend with Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) was £43.2 million, representing 12% of total spend, while local spending with suppliers subject to procurement was £49.9 million, or 14% of total procured spend.
Waivers to Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) were also scrutinised. The largest waiver, attributed to the extension of an existing Bailiff Contract, involved the collection of up to £19 million of debt for the council. According to the report, 125 waivers were approved during 2024/25, with a total contract value of £38 million.
The General Purposes Committee also reviewed the corporate risk register, annual internal audit reports for schools, and the audited statement of accounts and pension fund accounts.
