The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Introduction

The Company is the holding company for the Group, the principal activity of which is the manufacture and distribution of timber and related products.

The Group’s key performance indicators are :-

2024 2023

Turnover £47.5m £49.4m

Gross margin 23.9% 21.1%

Operating profit £1.90m £1.89m

Shareholders funds £39.2m £38.2m

During the year the remainder of the Rowlinson Timber Ltd stock was cleared at a loss of £0.1m and that business became dormant.

The Rowlinson Packaging businesses both encountered more difficult industrial markets this year, but the agricultural market had one of its best years. Overall they delivered a slightly reduced operating profit of £1.7m.

With one of the wettest years on record in the UK combining with high stock levels, demand again fell for garden products and margins reduced further resulting in losses of £1.0m for Rowlinson Garden Products and Alexandra Retail. Baltic Connexions continued to grow market share in the west european market which together with investment improving productivity gave it a profit of £1.3m.

S172 Companies Act 2006 Statement

The Directors act in good faith to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of the shareholders as a whole, having regard to the stakeholders and matters set out in s172 (1) a-f of the Act :-

1. Strategies are focussed on medium and long term success; as a family owned business this is done with the intention that this will be to the benefit of future shareholders as well as for the current shareholders.

2. Our employees are fundamental to the success of the company. We aim to be a responsible employer in all areas, and the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees is a primary consideration in the operation of the business.

3. Our business relationships are vital to the on-going success of the company, and the company works continually to develop and strengthen new and existing relationships.

4. The Company recognises that its operations impact the environment and is committed to its wellbeing; without it the Company would not have access to its primary material, timber. In accordance with this commitment the Company requires its suppliers to provide evidence that all timber supplied is legally sourced and independently certified.

5. The company is committed to uphold the highest standards of business conduct and integrity in all its dealings.

6. The board at all times sets out to treat all shareholders fairly and equitably.

The Group holds various financial instruments such as trade debtors and trade creditors arising directly from the Group’s operations. Transactions in financial instruments result in the Group assuming or transferring to another party one or more of the financial risk described below.

The Group manages its cash and borrowing requirements in order to maximise interest income and minimise interest expense, whilst ensuring the company has sufficient liquid resources to meet the operating needs of the business.

The Group is exposed to fair value interest rate risk on its fixed rate borrowings and cash flow interest rate risk on bank overdrafts and loans.

Foreign currency risk

The Group’s principal foreign currency exposures arise from trading with overseas companies. The Group manages these exposures by the use of foreign currency forward contracts.

Credit risk

Investments of cash surpluses and borrowings are made through banks and companies which must fulfil credit rating criteria approved by the board.

All customers who wish to trade on credit terms are subject to credit verification procedures. Trade debtors are reviewed on a regular basis and provision is made for doubtful debts when necessary.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.

The company is the holding company for a group, the principal activity of which is the manufacture and sale of timber and related products.

The results for the year are set out on page 9.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £100,000 (2023: £100,000). The directors do not recommend payment of a further dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The group's policy is to consult and discuss with employees, through unions, staff councils and at meetings, matters likely to affect employees' interests.

Information about matters of concern to employees is given through information bulletins and reports which seek to achieve a common awareness on the part of all employees of the financial and economic factors affecting the group's performance.

The auditor, Azets Audit Services, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

Methodology : The methodology used to calculate our Greenhouse gas emissions is in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, using the operational control approach to define our reporting boundary.

In the period covered by the report the company has generated electricity from solar panels totalling 459,531 (2023: 380,112) kWh and heat from biomass boilers fuelled by production waste totalling 5,015,866 (2023: 5,739,065) kWh, thereby avoiding the carbon dioxide arising from the use of fossil fuels.

During the year the company installed solar panels at its Thetford site which began generating electricity in May 2024.

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have 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 directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and company, and of the profit or loss of the group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are 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 group and company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the group’s and company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the group and company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the auditor of the company is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor of the company is aware of that information.

The group has chosen in accordance with Companies Act 2006, s. 414C(11) to set out in the group's strategic report information required by Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, Sch. 7 to be contained in the directors' report. It has done so in respect of its financial risk management objectives and policies.

We have audited the financial statements of Rowlinson Consolidated Limited (the 'parent company') and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the group statement of comprehensive income, the group balance sheet, the company balance sheet, the group statement of changes in equity, the company statement of changes in equity, the group statement of cash flows and 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 FRS 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 group's and the parent company's affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of the group's 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 Auditor's 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 directors' 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 group's and parent 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 directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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. 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 course of 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are 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 directors determine is 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 directors are responsible for assessing the parent 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 directors either intend to liquidate the parent company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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 an auditor's report 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.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework.  Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.  This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:

• Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud; 

• Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;

• Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the entity through enquiry and inspection; 

• Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

• Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias. 

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation.  This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance.  The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

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 an auditor's report 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.

As permitted by s408 Companies Act 2006, the company has not presented its own profit and loss account and related notes. The company's loss for the year was £181,905 (2023: profit of £552,886).

Rowlinson Consolidated Limited (“the company”) is a private limited company domiciled and incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Group Offices, Green Lane, Wardle, Nantwich, Cheshire, United Kingdom, CW5 6BN.

The group consists of Rowlinson Consolidated Limited and all of its subsidiaries.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

The consolidated financial statements incorporate those of Rowlinson Consolidated Limited and all of its subsidiaries (ie entities that the group controls through its power to govern the financial and operating policies so as to obtain economic benefits). Subsidiaries acquired during the year are consolidated using the purchase method. Their results are incorporated from the date that control passes.

All intra-group transactions, balances and unrealised gains on transactions between group companies are eliminated on consolidation. Unrealised losses are also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Turnover is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of business, and is shown net of VAT and other sales related taxes. The fair value of consideration takes into account trade discounts, settlement discounts and volume rebates.

Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer, the amount of revenue can be measured reliably, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.

Rent is charged on a straight line basis in accordance with signed rental agreements.

Goodwill is the difference between amounts paid on the acquisition of a business and the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities. It is amortised to the profit and loss accounts over its estimated useful economic life of 10 years.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the profit and loss account.

Investment property, which is property held to earn rentals and/or for capital appreciation, is initially recognised at cost, which includes the purchase cost and any directly attributable expenditure. Subsequently it is measured at fair value at the reporting end date. The surplus or deficit on revaluation is recognised in profit or loss.

Investments in subsidiaries are measured at cost less accumulated impairment.

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition.

At each reporting date, an assessment is made for impairment. Any excess of the carrying amount of stocks over its estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell is recognised as an impairment loss in profit or loss. Reversals of impairment losses are also recognised in profit or loss.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

The group has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the group's balance sheet when the group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amounts presented in the financial statements when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the group transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the group after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the group's contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Equity instruments issued by the group are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the group.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit and loss account, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset if, and only if, there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

The Group operates a defined contribution plan for its employees. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Group pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. Once the contributions have been paid the Group has no further payment obligations.

The contributions are recognised as an expense in the profit and loss account when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals as a liability in the balance sheet. The assets of the plan are held separately from the Group in independently administered funds.

Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to profit or loss so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leased asset are consumed.

Rental income from operating leases is recognised on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease. Initial direct costs incurred in negotiating and arranging an operating lease are added to the carrying amount of the leased asset and recognised on a straight line basis over the lease term.

Government grants are recognised at the fair value of the asset received or receivable when there is reasonable assurance that the grant conditions will be met and the grants will be received.

Government grants relating to turnover are recognised as income over the periods when the related costs are incurred. Grants relating to an asset are recognised in income systematically over the asset's expected useful life. If part of such a grant is deferred it is recognised as deferred income rather than being deducted from the asset's carrying amount.

Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.

The financial statements of overseas subsidiary undertaking is translated at the rate of exchange at the balance sheet date. All retranslation differences are taken to other comprehensive income.

In the application of the group’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

The directors have applied their knowledge of the operations of the business when reviewing the stock listing at the balance sheet date, and have made appropriate provisions for any items deemed to be slow moving or obsolete. The charge to the profit and loss accounts is recognised in cost of sales.

Investment property is carried at fair value which is determined from market-based evidence undertaken by professional qualified valuers. Changes in fair value are recognised in the profit and loss account.

Turnover and profit before tax are attributable to the principal activity of the group.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the group and company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

During the year retirement benefits were accruing to 2 directors (2023: 2) in respect of defined contribution pension schemes.

The actual (credit)/charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

At 31 December 2024, there are tax losses available to carry forward and set against future trading profits amounting to £14,247 (2023: £nil).

The carrying value of land comprises:

The net carrying value of tangible fixed assets includes the following in respect of assets held under finance leases or hire purchase contracts.

The fair value of the investment property has been arrived at on the basis of a valuation carried out on 17 September 2021 by Legat Owen Chartered Surveyors, who are not connected with the company. The valuation was made on an open market value basis by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties. It is the directors' opinion that this continues to be a materially appropriate valuation of the investment property based on their existing knowledge and by reference to external market factors.

Details of the company's subsidiaries at 31 December 2024 are as follows:

The obligations due under the hire purchase contracts are secured over the assets to which they relate.

Other borrowings relate to invoice discounting advances. Invoice discounting advances are secured on the trade debtors of the group.

The bank overdraft is secured by way of a debenture covering land & buildings owned by Rowlinson Group Limited and fellow group companies.

The obligations due under the hire purchase contracts are secured over the assets to which they relate.

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the group and company, and movements thereon:

A defined contribution pension scheme is operated for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the group in an independently administered fund.

During the current year 3,200,000 A Ordinary shares of par value £1 were redeemed for £375,000.

The capital redemption reserve represents the nominal value of the shares redeemed during the current financial year.

The merger reserve represents the difference between consideration and nominal value of the shares issued resulting from historical group re-organisations.

Other reserves represent the foreign exchange differences on translation of the foreign subsidiary.

Profit and loss reserves represent accumulated profits less equity dividends paid.

Rowlinson Consolidated Limited and it's subsidiaries form a VAT group, which shares a common registration number. As a result, it has jointly guaranteed the VAT liability of the Group. However, the directors are of common opinion that no liability is likely to arise from the unlikely event of failure by other members of the Group.

Santander UK plc holds a fixed and floating charge over all tangible fixed assets.

The Group has a HM Revenue and Customs duty deferment account totalling £985,000 (2023: £985,000) at the balance sheet date. Post year-end, the duty deferment account relating to Rowlinson Timber Limited of £500,000 has been cancelled.

At the reporting end date the group had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

The future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases due to the group are as follows:

The Company has taken full advantage of the exemption in Financial Reporting Standard 12, section 22, from disclosing transactions with other members of the group headed by Rowlinson Consolidated Limited.

Included within other debtors is a balance of £769,663 (2023: £522,213) owed by Alexandra Securities Limited, a related party by way of common control, and £nil (2023: £100,000) owed by P Rowlinson, a related party by way of shareholding.

Rowlinson Consolidated Limited is under the control of R J Rowlinson by virtue of his majority shareholding.