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

The principal activity of the company is that of property investment and being a holding company.

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

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 company and of the profit or loss of the company 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 company will continue in business.

The directors are 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 them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are 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.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.

In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of Gates Investments Limited for the year ended 31 December 2024 set out on pages 3 to 11 from the company’s accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.

As a practising member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed at https://www.icaew.com/regulation.

This report is made solely to the Board of Directors of Gates Investments Limited, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement letter. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements of Gates Investments Limited and state those matters that we have agreed to state to the Board of Directors of Gates Investments Limited, as a body, in this report in accordance with ICAEW Technical Release 07/16 AAF. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Gates Investments Limited and its Board of Directors as a body, for our work or for this report.

It is your duty to ensure that Gates Investments Limited has kept adequate accounting records and to prepare statutory financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of Gates Investments Limited. You consider that Gates Investments Limited is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the year.

We have not been instructed to carry out an audit or a review of the financial statements of Gates Investments Limited. For this reason, we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the statutory financial statements.

For the financial year ended 31 December 2024 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Gates Investments Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 22 Wycombe End, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 1NB.

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 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

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. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

The company has taken advantage of the exemption under section 399 of the Companies Act 2006 not to prepare consolidated accounts, on the basis that the group of which this is the parent qualifies as a small group. The financial statements present information about the company as an individual entity and not about its group.

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 the profit and loss account.

Interests in subsidiaries, associates and jointly controlled entities are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The aforementioned investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in profit or loss.

Listed investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss. Transaction costs are expensed to profit or loss as incurred.

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ”Basic Financial Instruments” to all of its financial instruments.

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

Short term debtors are measured at transaction price less any provision for impairment. Loans receivable are measured initially at fair value, net of transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised costs using the effective interest method, less any provision for impairment.

Short term creditors are measured at transaction price. Other financial liabilities, including bank loans and other loans, are measured initially at fair value, net of transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised costs using the effective interest method.

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 company’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.

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.

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

Under FRS 102, investment property is required to be measured at its fair value (where this can be ascertained) with any change being recognised in profit and loss. The fair value of the investment property has been arrived at on the basis of professional valuations carried out by third parties. The valuations were made on an open market value basis by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties.

On a historical cost basis, investment properties would have been held at £659,774 (2023 - £774,782).

The recently passed Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 creates a material uncertainty in respect of certain of the properties held by the company.  The directors do not believe that any potential loss of value will seriously undermine the financial position of the company, but significant losses compared to existing balance sheet values may arise.

Other loans totalling £300,000 (2023 - £300,000) are secured by way of a legal charge over investment properties.

The company has taken advantage of the exemptions permitted by FRS 102 section 1.AC.35 not to provide disclosures of transactions entered into with other wholly-owned members of the group.