Understand how your council works
Spending and accounts
Many local councils provide information on their websites to show how they spend their budget.
You can view details of:
- payments for goods and services over £500
- contracts and tenders over £500
Looking at annual accounts
Every year councils must open their detailed financial accounts to the public for 30 working days.
This allows you to check any spending under £500 without having to make a freedom of information request.
Your council must publish on its website and in the local press details of when you can check its accounts.