REGISTERED NUMBER: |
Report of the Director and |
Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
for |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
REGISTERED NUMBER: |
Report of the Director and |
Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
for |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Contents of the Financial Statements |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
Page |
Company Information | 1 |
Report of the Director | 2 |
Report of the Independent Auditors | 4 |
Income Statement | 8 |
Balance Sheet | 9 |
Statement of Changes in Equity | 10 |
Cash Flow Statement | 11 |
Notes to the Cash Flow Statement | 12 |
Notes to the Financial Statements | 13 |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
Company Information |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
DIRECTOR: |
REGISTERED OFFICE: |
REGISTERED NUMBER: |
AUDITORS: |
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors |
Cornelius House |
178-180 Church Road |
Hove |
East Sussex |
BN3 2DJ |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Report of the Director |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
The director presents his report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023. |
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY |
The principal activity of the company in the year under review was that of the provision of habitat and protected species surveys, assessment, mitigation and enhancement services. |
DIRECTOR |
STATEMENT OF DIRECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES |
The director is responsible for preparing the Report of the Director and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. |
Company law requires the director to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the director has elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the director must not approve the financial statements unless he is satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the director is required to: |
- | select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; |
- | make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; |
- | prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business. |
The director is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable him to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. He is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. |
STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS |
So far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the company's auditors are unaware, and he has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information. |
AUDITORS |
The auditors, Parkers, will be proposed for re-appointment at the next meeting of shareholders. |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Report of the Director |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. |
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
Opinion |
We have audited the financial statements of Ecology Consultancy Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Changes in Equity, Cash Flow Statement and Notes to the Cash Flow Statement, Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). |
In our opinion the financial statements: |
- | give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its profit for the year then ended; |
- | have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and |
- | have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. |
Basis for opinion |
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. |
Conclusions relating to going concern |
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the director's use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. |
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. |
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the director with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. |
Other information |
The director is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information in the Report of the Director, but does not include the financial statements and our Report of the Auditors thereon. |
Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. |
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 |
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: |
- | the information given in the Report of the Director for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and |
- | the Report of the Director has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. |
Matters on which we are required to report by exception |
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Director. |
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: |
- | adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or |
- | the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or |
- | certain disclosures of director's remuneration specified by law are not made; or |
- | we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or |
- | the director was not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Director. |
Responsibilities of director |
As explained more fully in the Statement of Director's Responsibilities set out on page two, the director is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the director determines necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. |
In preparing the financial statements, the director is responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the director either intends to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so. |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements |
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Auditors that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. |
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: |
Based on our understanding of the company and industry, we identified that the principal risks of |
non-compliance with laws and regulations related to UK pensions legislation and UK tax legislation, as well as UK Health & Safety legislation and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006. We evaluated management's incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls) and determined that the principal risks were related to revenue recognition where there may be incentive for manipulation of profits. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included: |
- Discussions with management, including consideration of known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws and regulation and fraud; |
- Challenging assumptions and judgements made by management in their significant accounting estimates; and |
- Identifying and testing journal entries, in particular any journal entries posted with unusual account |
combinations including journal entries which inflated the Company's results for the period with unusual |
offset entries and journal entries impacting revenue recognition. |
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed |
non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial |
statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material |
misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may |
involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through |
collusion. |
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Auditors. |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Ecology Consultancy Limited |
Use of our report |
This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in a Report of the Auditors and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. |
for and on behalf of |
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors |
Cornelius House |
178-180 Church Road |
Hove |
East Sussex |
BN3 2DJ |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Income Statement |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
Notes | £ | £ |
TURNOVER |
Cost of sales |
GROSS PROFIT |
Administrative expenses |
OPERATING PROFIT | 4 |
Interest payable and similar expenses |
LOSS BEFORE TAXATION | ( |
) |
Tax on loss | 5 |
LOSS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR | ( |
) |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Balance Sheet |
31 March 2023 |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
Notes | £ | £ |
CURRENT ASSETS |
Debtors | 6 |
Prepayments and accrued income |
Cash at bank |
CREDITORS |
Amounts falling due within one year | 7 |
NET CURRENT ASSETS |
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
CAPITAL AND RESERVES |
Called up share capital |
Capital redemption reserve |
Retained earnings |
SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS |
The financial statements were approved by the director and authorised for issue on |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Statement of Changes in Equity |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
Called up | Capital |
share | Retained | redemption | Total |
capital | earnings | reserve | equity |
£ | £ | £ | £ |
Balance at 1 April 2021 |
Changes in equity |
Dividends | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) |
Total comprehensive income | - | ( |
) | ( |
) |
Balance at 31 March 2022 |
Changes in equity |
Dividends | - | ( |
) | - | ( |
) |
Balance at 31 March 2023 |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Cash Flow Statement |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
Notes | £ | £ |
Cash flows from operating activities |
Cash generated from operations | 1 |
Interest paid | ( |
) |
Finance costs paid | - | (11,326 | ) |
Tax paid | ( |
) | ( |
) |
Net cash from operating activities |
Cash flows from investing activities |
Sale of tangible fixed assets |
Sale of fixed asset investments |
Net cash from investing activities |
Cash flows from financing activities |
Loan repayments in year | ( |
) |
Amounts owed to group companies | - | (400,566 | ) |
Capital repayments in year | ( |
) |
Equity dividends paid | ( |
) | ( |
) |
Net cash from financing activities | ( |
) | ( |
) |
(Decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents | ( |
) |
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year |
2 |
31,409 |
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year |
2 |
25,547 |
83,764 |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Notes to the Cash Flow Statement |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
1. | RECONCILIATION OF LOSS BEFORE TAXATION TO CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATIONS |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Loss before taxation | ( |
) |
Depreciation charges |
Loss on disposal of fixed assets |
Finance costs | - | 14,350 |
- | 87,344 |
Decrease in trade and other debtors |
Decrease in trade and other creditors | ( |
) | ( |
) |
Cash generated from operations |
2. | CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS |
The amounts disclosed on the Cash Flow Statement in respect of cash and cash equivalents are in respect of these Balance Sheet amounts: |
Year ended 31 March 2023 |
31.3.23 | 1.4.22 |
£ | £ |
Cash and cash equivalents | 25,547 | 83,764 |
Year ended 31 March 2022 |
31.3.22 | 1.4.21 |
£ | £ |
Cash and cash equivalents | 83,764 | 31,409 |
3. | ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS |
At 1.4.22 | Cash flow | At 31.3.23 |
£ | £ | £ |
Net cash |
Cash at bank | 83,764 | (58,217 | ) | 25,547 |
83,764 | ( |
) | 25,547 |
Total | 83,764 | (58,217 | ) | 25,547 |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Notes to the Financial Statements |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
1. | STATUTORY INFORMATION |
Ecology Consultancy Limited is a |
2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
Basis of preparing the financial statements |
Related party exemption |
The company has taken advantage of exemption, under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland', not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group. |
Significant judgements and estimates |
No significant judgements have had to be made by the directors in preparing these financial statements. |
Turnover |
Turnover represents net invoiced sales of services, excluding value added tax. |
Where services are supplied under long-term contracts, turnover represents the value of work done in the year, including amounts not invoiced and is recognised by reference to stage of completion. |
Tangible fixed assets |
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life, or if held under a finance lease, over the lease term, whichever is shorter. |
Leasehold Improvements - in accordance with the property |
Fixtures & Fittings - 5 years |
Equipment on Jobs - 3 Years |
Computer Equipment - 3 Years |
Motor Vehicles - 5 Years |
Investments in associates |
Investments in associate undertakings are recognised at cost. |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
Financial instruments |
The company only enters into basic financial instrument transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other accounts receivable and payable, loans from banks and other third parties, loans to and from related parties and investments in non-puttable ordinary shares. |
Financial assets that are measured at cost and amortised cost are assessed at the end of each reporting period for objective evidence of impairment. If objective evidence of impairment is found, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss. |
Taxation |
Taxation for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the Income Statement, except to the extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity. |
Current or deferred taxation assets and liabilities are not discounted. |
Current tax is recognised at the amount of tax payable using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. |
Deferred tax |
Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date. |
Timing differences arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements. Deferred tax is measured using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the year end and that are expected to apply to the reversal of the timing difference. |
Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. |
Hire purchase and leasing commitments |
Assets obtained under hire purchase contracts or finance leases are capitalised in the balance sheet. Those held under hire purchase contracts are depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Those held under finance leases are depreciated over their estimated useful lives or the lease term, whichever is the shorter. |
The interest element of these obligations is charged to profit or loss over the relevant period. The capital element of the future payments is treated as a liability. |
Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits |
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the |
company's pension scheme are charged to profit or loss in the period to which they relate. |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
Impairment on non-financial assets |
At each reporting date non-financial assets not carried at fair value, like goodwill and plant, property and equipment, are reviewed to determine whether there is an indication that any asset may be impaired. If there is an indication of possible impairment, the recoverable amount of any asset or group of related assets, which is the higher of value in use and the fair value less cost to sell, is estimated and compared with its carrying amount. If the recoverable amount is lower, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount and an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss. |
3. | EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Wages and salaries |
Social security costs |
The average number of employees during the year was as follows: |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
Technical Staff |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Director's remuneration |
4. | OPERATING PROFIT |
The operating profit is stated after charging: |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Depreciation - owned assets |
Ecology Consultancy Limited (Registered number: 03861110) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 |
5. | TAXATION |
Analysis of the tax charge |
The tax charge on the profit for the year was as follows: |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Current tax: |
UK corporation tax |
Prior Year Adjustment | - | 1,372 |
Total current tax |
Deferred tax | ( |
) |
Tax on loss |
6. | DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Trade debtors |
Social security & other tax | 101,554 | 115,342 |
Tax |
7. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
31.3.23 | 31.3.22 |
£ | £ |
Trade creditors |
Tax |
VAT | 19,591 | 26,977 |
Other creditors |
Deferred income |
Accrued expenses |
8. | PARENT COMPANY AND ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY |
The company is controlled by RML Southwood and MC Southwood through their 100% shareholding in Temple Group Management Limited which is the parent company of Ecology Consultancy Limited.. |