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

The company continues to operate as a new build contractor and developer, working across Greater Manchester and the wider North West region. Our focus remains on creating new homes and communities, predominantly within the affordable housing market.

The directors are pleased with the performance of the company during the year. Turnover was £30.9m (2023: £31.7m) with gross profit increasing to £3.42m (2023: £2.85m). Operating profit rose to £773k (2023: £545k), reflecting improved contract performance and tighter cost control.

The company’s balance sheet remains strong, with net assets increasing to £5.44m (2023: £4.96m). This financial strength provides resilience against sector challenges and allows continued investment in land-led development opportunities.

During the year, the company delivered 173 homes (2023: 122) and completed a number of projects across the region, contributing to the creation of affordable housing and the growth of local communities. Significant progress was made on the Creams Mill development in Bolton, a flagship scheme which will restore part of the historic Manchester, Bury and Bolton Canal while delivering a substantial number of affordable homes in an area of particularly acute housing need. This project reflects our commitment to combining regeneration with social impact, bringing forward high-quality new housing alongside wider community and environmental benefits.

At the year end, the company had 661 homes under construction and a secured pipeline of over 1,000 homes. In addition to land-led development opportunities, the company has secured a number of framework memberships and strengthened its partnerships model, working closely with other developers to broaden the routes through which we secure work.

During the year we successfully continued to hold our ISO 9001 certification, demonstrating our commitment to quality and consistency. Our bespoke management systems continue to raise the bar for the quality of homes we deliver, through both intensive quality control and clear, strategic processes across all departments of the business.

We are committed to reducing the running costs of our homes for residents. Our approach is rooted in fabric-first construction, improving the performance of the building envelope and enhancing airtightness. This, coupled with the integration of renewable technologies such as air source heat pump cylinders and solar PV, helps to reduce fuel poverty. The use of high-quality ventilation strategies ensures a comfortable and healthy living environment, combining affordability with sustainability.

We believe it is right to continue to support our charitable partners and the valuable work they undertake. We have continued to support the Mustard Tree during the year, a Manchester-based charity which aims to reduce and tackle the causes of poverty and homelessness across the city. Since beginning to support the charity in 2017, we have provided donations of over £200,000.

In addition, we work closely with our development and charity partners to provide pathways into construction through work placements and apprenticeships. We believe apprenticeships are essential in addressing the long-term skills shortage across the construction industry, and our people team works hard to provide programmes of the highest quality. We continued to provide apprenticeships during the financial year and have developed Employment and Skills Plans for our developments which will ensure social value outputs are recorded and monitored in future years.

We monitor the performance of the company on a range of Key Performance Indicators throughout the financial year:

The company remains profitable with improved margins and increased completions year on year. The strong forward pipeline and land-led strategy provide a solid platform for continued growth.

On behalf of the board

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

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of new build contractor and developer.

The results for the year are set out on page 8.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £114,960. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

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

DJH Audit Limited were appointed as auditor to the company and in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution proposing that they be re-appointed will be put at a General Meeting.

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; and

• 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.

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 company’s auditor 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 company’s auditor is aware of that information.

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

We have audited the financial statements of Watson Construction Ltd (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the income statement, the statement of comprehensive income, the statement of financial position, the statement of changes in equity and notes to the financial statements, including 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 December 2024 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 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 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 company and its 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, 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 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 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 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.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

- the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

- we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the company through discussions with directors and other management;

- we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company, including legislation such as the Companies Act 2006, taxation legislation, data protection, employment, and health and safety legislation;

- we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations through making enquiries of management and reviewing legal and professional fee invoices.

We assessed the susceptibility of the company's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

- making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and

- considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

- performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;

- tested journal entries posted during the period and at the period end to identify unusual transactions;

- investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions; and

- performed walkthrough tests on major transaction cycles.

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

- agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;

- enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims;

- reviewing correspondence with HMRC;

- reviewing legal and professional fees incurred during the period to identify any potential indications of non-compliance with laws and regulations.

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

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.

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.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions relating to medium-sized companies.

Watson Construction Ltd is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Spark Studio, 208-210 Great Clowes Street, Salford, England, M7 2ZS.

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 the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:

• Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;

• Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’

The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of Watson Construction (Holdings) Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from its registered office, Spark Studio, 208-210 Great Clowes Street, Salford, England, M7 2ZS.

Atruet the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company 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.

The company recognises revenue from the following major sources:

• Construction contracts

The nature, timing of satisfaction of performance obligations and significant payment terms of the company's major sources of revenue are as follows:

Where the outcome of a construction contract can be estimated reliably, revenue and costs are recognised by reference to the stage of completion of the contract activity at the reporting end date. Variations in contract work, claims and incentive payments are included to the extent that the amount can be measured reliably and its receipt is considered probable.

When it is probable that total contract costs will exceed total contract turnover, the expected loss is recognised as an expense immediately.

Where the outcome of a construction contract cannot be estimated reliably, contract revenue is recognised to the extent of contract costs incurred where it is probable that they will be recoverable. Contract costs are recognised as expenses in the period in which they are incurred. When costs incurred in securing a contract are recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred, they are not included in contract costs if the contract is obtained in a subsequent period.

The “percentage of completion method” is used to determine the appropriate amount to recognise in a given period. The stage of completion is measured by the proportion of contract costs incurred for work performed to date compared to the estimated total contract costs. Costs incurred in the year in connection with future activity on a contract are excluded from contract costs in determining the stage of completion. These costs are presented as stocks, prepayments or other assets depending on their nature, and provided it is probable they will be recovered.

Due to the nature of construction contracts, profits can accrue unevenly over the course of a contract. Where this is the case profits are deferred/accrued to ensure the profit is smoothed over the course of the contract. A construction asset/liability will then arise and be disclosed in other receivables/payables.

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Intangible assets acquired on business combinations are recognised separately from goodwill at the acquisition date where it is probable that the expected future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the entity and the fair value of the asset can be measured reliably; the intangible asset arises from contractual or other legal rights; and the intangible asset is separable from the entity.

Amortisation 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:

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 credited or charged to profit or loss.

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. Changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the company estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

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 company 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 company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with 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 unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publicly traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.

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 company 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 company 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 unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. 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.

Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.

Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Equity instruments issued by the company 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 company.

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 income statement 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. 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 income statement, 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 when the company has 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 costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

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 leases 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.

A grant that specifies performance conditions is recognised in income when the performance conditions are met. Where a grant does not specify performance conditions it is recognised in income when the proceeds are received or receivable. A grant received before the recognition criteria are satisfied is recognised as a liability.

In the application of the company’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 following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Construction contract profitability is assessed on a contract by contract basis using the total contract value less costs incurred to date and expected future costs to completion. Completion percentage of each contract is determined by the level of costs incurred at the reporting date as a percentage of the expected total costs of the contract. Calculation of these requires judgements which includes forecasted costs based on site designs and prior industry knowledge.

Amortisation and depreciation are recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases. These estimates require judgement to assess what the useful lives of the assets are

Retentions are recognised at transactions price and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method. At the reporting date judgements are made over the need for provisions against the recoverable amount. Where the effect of the using the effective interest method is not material to the financial statements, retentions are recognised at transaction price net of any provisions.

All turnover has been generated in the United Kingdom in the current year and comparative.

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

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The number of directors for whom retirement benefits are accruing under defined contribution schemes amounted to 2 (2023 - 2).

At the balance sheet date, outstanding pension contributions owed to directors amounted to £188.56 (2023: £188.56)

The actual 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:

In addition to the amount charged to the income statement, the following amounts relating to tax have been recognised directly in other comprehensive income:

From the 1 April 2023 the main tax rate is 25%. During the prior period the effective tax rate changed to 23.52%

The fair value has been determined at the year end date and was made on an open market value basis by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties.

The carrying value of land and buildings comprises:

Amounts owed by group undertakings are interest free and repayable on demand.

At 31 December 2024, retentions held by customers for contract work amounted to £2,198,831 (2023: £2,324,919). At 31 December 2024, amounts of £1,015,493 (2023: £822,034) included in trade debtors and arising from construction contracts are due for settlement after more than 12 months.

Included within accruals is a gross amount due to customers for contract work as a liability £722,056 (2023: £3,911,716).

The above other creditors falling due after one year are preference shares held as debt by the company.

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

There is unlikely to be any significant reversal of the deferred tax provision in the succeeding period.

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

At balance sheet date, the total contributions outstanding amounted to £17,231 (2023: £13,410)

The above preference shares are held as debt within the company and therefore appear in the financial statements as a liability within creditors more than one year.

The holders of the preference shares are entitled to be paid a fixed cumulative preferential dividend at the rate of £10,000 per annum. The preferential dividend shall be paid quarterly on January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31.

In the event of a winding up, the holders of these shares shall be entitled to repayment of a sum equal to the nominal capital paid up or credited as paid up on the preference shares held by them respectively, together with a sum equal to all arrears and accruals of the preferential dividend.

The holder of preference shares shall have the right to receive notice of, attend, speak and vote at a General Meeting of the company only if and when the preferential dividend on such shares is six months or more in arrears or the preference shares required to be redeemed, or if a resolution is to be proposed abrogating, varying or modifying any of the rights or privileges of the holders, or for the winding-up of the company, or for sanctioning the sale of the company. Otherwise, the holders shall not have the right to receive notice of, attend, speak or vote at any General Meeting of the company.

When the holders are entitled to vote, every such holder who is present in person or by proxy or by a representative shall have one vote in respect of each fully-paid preference share registered in the name of such holder.

The company shall have the right to redeem at any time and from time to time during the period commencing on 1 November 2015 and ending on 31 December 2030 all or any of the preference shares for the time being issued and outstanding, upon giving the holders at least 28 days' prior notice in writing of the redemption date. Any partial redemption shall be effected in proportion to the members' respective holdings. There shall be paid on each preference share redeemed the amount paid up on such preference share together with a sum equal to all arrears and accruals of the preferential dividend to and including the redemption date. The company shall redeem on 31 December 2030 all of the preference shares in issue on that date. The amount paid will be as specified above

The revaluation reserve is as a result in an uplift in value of investment property, the amount held in this reserve is net of corporation tax and is non distributable.

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

During the year the company entered into the following transactions with related parties:

The parent company of Watson Construction Ltd is Watson Construction (Holdings) Limited, which is the smallest and largest group by which the company is consolidated. Copies of the annual group accounts are available at the registered office: Spark Studio, 208-210 Great Clowes Street, Salford, M7 2ZS.

R T Watson and M R Watson, directors of the company, are the ultimate controlling parties.