The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of a property development company.

The results for the year are set out on page 7.

No ordinary dividends were paid. 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:

The company 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 company is exposed to fair value interest rate risk on its variable rate borrowings. The directors believe the exposure to interest rate risk is minimal given the availability of flexible funding and support from the ultimate shareholders of the business.

Investments of cash surpluses, borrowings and derivative instruments 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 receivables are monitored on an ongoing basis and provision is made for doubtful debts where necessary.

On 1 September 2025 our auditors, Ensors Accountants LLP, merged with Azets Audit Services Limited. Accordingly Ensors Accountants LLP formally resigned as the company’s auditors with the directors duly appointing Azets Audit Services Limited, trading as Ensors to fill the vacancy arising. The auditor, Azets Audit Services Limited, trading as Ensors, will be proposed for reappointment in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006.

Each director in office at the date of approval of this annual report confirms that:

• so far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company's auditor is unaware, and

• the director has taken all the steps that he / she ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself / herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditor is aware of that information.

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of section 418 of the Companies Act 2006.

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

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 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the United Kingdom. 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, International Accounting Standard 1 requires that directors:

• properly select and apply accounting policies;

• present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information;

• provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity's financial position and financial performance; and

• make an assessment of the company's ability to continue as a going concern.

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.

We have audited the financial statements of Babergh Growth Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the income statement, the statement of financial position, the statement of changes in equity, the statement of cash flows 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 UK adopted international accounting standards.

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its loss for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with UK adopted international accounting standards; 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 directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the directors' report has 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 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.

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.

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

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud, the audit engagement team:

• obtained an understanding of the nature of the industry and sector, including the legal and regulatory framework that the company operates in and how the company is complying with the legal and regulatory framework;

• enquired of management, and those charged with governance, about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, including any known actual, suspected or alleged instances of fraud;

• discussed matters about non-compliance with laws and regulations and how fraud might occur including assessment of how and where the financial statements may be susceptible to fraud.

Our audit was designed to include tests of detail together with an assessment of the control environment to enable us to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement due to fraud. Through discussion with directors and management, and from our own knowledge of and experience of the sector in which the company operates we identified the following areas where we consider there is a higher risk of fraud: revenue recognition, and management override of systems and control. We note that the client has various internal controls in place to reduce the susceptibility of the company to material misstatement due to fraud.

We performed audit procedures to address the risks noted above, which included the following:

• Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims

• Reviewing minutes of board meetings

• Testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, and evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions

• Robustly challenging accounting estimates to ensure no indication of management bias.

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 we would become aware of non-compliance.

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.

It is the primary responsibility of management, with the oversight of those charged with governance, to ensure that the entity's operations are conducted in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations and for the prevention and detection of fraud.

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.

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

Babergh Growth Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 280 Fifers Lane, Norwich, NR6 6EQ. The company's principal activities and nature of its operations are disclosed in the directors' report.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted for use in the United Kingdom and with those parts of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS, except as otherwise stated.

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 directors have at the time of approving the financial statements, a reasonable expectation that the truecompany has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

The company has the full financial support of Babergh District Council. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Revenue is recognised in accordance with IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Revenue is recognised at a point in time when control of the completed property passes to the customer, which is typically on legal completion of the sale. Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding discounts, rebates, value added tax and other sales taxes.

The Company’s financial statements are prepared on an accrual basis. Income is recognised in the accounting period in which the sale is completed, not when cash is received. Where income has been recognised but cash has not yet been received, a receivable is recorded in the Statement of Financial Position.

Costs incurred on construction projects are capitalised as Work in Progress until the project is completed. Upon completion, the WIP balance is released and recognised in cost of sales or transferred to the appropriate asset category, depending on the nature of the project.

Inventories 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 inventories to their present location and condition.

Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.

Cash and cash equivalents 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.

Financial assets are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Financial assets are classified into specified categories, depending on the nature and purpose of the financial assets.

At initial recognition, financial assets classified as fair value through profit and loss are measured at fair value and any transaction costs are recognised in profit or loss. Financial assets not classified as fair value through profit and loss are initially measured at fair value plus transaction costs.

Financial instruments are classified as financial assets measured at amortised cost where the objective is to hold these assets in order to collect contractual cash flows, and the contractual cash flows are solely payments of principal and interest. They arise principally from the provision of goods and services to customers (eg trade receivables). They are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction costs directly attributable to their acquisition or issue, and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less provision for impairment where necessary.

The company recognises financial debt when the company becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instruments. Financial liabilities are classified as either 'financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss' or 'other financial liabilities'.

Other financial liabilities, including borrowings, trade payables and other short-term monetary liabilities, are initially measured at fair value net of transaction costs directly attributable to the issuance of the financial liability. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. For the purposes of each financial liability, interest expense includes initial transaction costs and any premium payable on redemption, as well as any interest or coupon payable while the liability is outstanding.

Financial liabilities are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or when it transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity.

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

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, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if 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 outlined below.

Work In Progress has been accounted for by attributing a percentage of total development costs by reference to the square footage of the open market units compared to the square footage of the total development units.

Costs have been released from Work In Progress to Cost of Sales based on the percentage of square footage of properties sold (of the total open market development) when applied to the total budgeted cost for the development as a whole.

The average monthly number of persons employed by the company during the year was:

The carrying amount of financial assets recorded in the financial statements, which is net of impairment losses, represents the company's maximum exposure to credit risk.

The company does not hold any collateral or other credit enhancements to cover this credit risk.

The directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables is approximately equal to their fair value.

No significant receivable balances are impaired at the reporting end date.

Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as interest rates and property prices, will affect the Company's income or the value of its assets. The objective of market risk management is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while optimising the return.

The carrying amounts of financial liabilities which expose the company to cash flow interest rate risk are as follows:

Whilst the company takes steps to minimise its exposure to cash flow interest rate risk, changes in interest rates will have an impact on profit.

The effect of a 1% increase in the interest rate throughout the reporting period on the variable rate debt would, all other variables being constant, have resulted in an increase on the company's post tax loss for the year of £57,698.62.

A 1% decrease in the interest rate would, on the same basis, have decreased post-tax loss by the same amount.

The company manages its capital to ensure that it will be able to continue as a going concern while maximising the return to stakeholders.

The company is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.

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

The following amounts were outstanding at the reporting end date:

The following amounts were outstanding at the reporting end date:

At the reporting date, the company was under the joint ownership of Norse Group Holdings Limited, a 100% indirect subsidiary of Norfolk County Council & BDC (Suffolk Holdings) Limited, a 100% direct subsidiary of Babergh District Council.

Subsequent to the year end, Norse Group Holdings Limited transferred its shareholding in the joint venture to Norse Commercial Services Limited, as part of an internal group restructuring. This transaction did not affect the related party relationships during the reporting period and accordingly, the balances listed below with Norse Group Holdings Limited will now be recognised with Norse Commercial Services Limited going forward .

At the year end Norse Group Holdings Limited had unpaid share capital of £5,000 (2024: £5,000).

At the year end BDC (Suffolk Holdings) Limited had unpaid share capital of £5,000 (2024: £5,000).

During the year ended 31 March 2025, Babergh Growth Limited recognised income totalling £717 (2024: £2,708) receivable from Babergh District Council.

At 31 March 2025, Babergh Growth Limited was due £38,150 (2024: £38,150) from Babergh District Council.    

During the year Babergh Growth Limited incurred purchase costs from Babergh District Council of £33,769 (2024: £3,355). Babergh Growth Limited has an outstanding loan liability with Babergh District Council of £10,262,786 (2024: £5,118,671). Interest totalling £530,471 (2024: £212,318) was payable to the Babergh District council the year and has been initially recognised within work in progress. £783,118 (2024: £252,647) of interest remains within work in progress at 31 March 2025. Babergh Growth Limited owed general purchase costs of £27,811 (2024: £24,337) to Babergh District Council.    

During the year Babergh Growth Limited incurred purchase costs from Hamson Barron Smith Limited, a related party who is a 100% indirect subsidiary of Norfolk County Council of £52,180 (2024: £76,711). Costs relating to open market units are initially recognised with in work in progress and released in the same period the plot is sold. Expenses recognised within the income statement from Hamson Barron Smith Limited are £52,539 (2024: £76,711). Costs recognised within work in progress are £52,180 (2024: £76,711).