PLAIN ENGLISH DESIGN LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-29 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement due
2026-07-12 (in 2mo)
Last made up 2025-06-28
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£210K
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£2M
Equity attributable
Employees
95
Average over period
Profit before tax
-£585K
Period ending 2024-09-30
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-09-30
| Metric | Trend | 2023-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £15,287,110 | £14,278,089 | |
| Operating profit | -£2,550 | -£524,773 | |
| Profit before tax | -£33,458 | -£584,584 | |
| Net profit | -£105,093 | -£721,425 | |
| Cash | £471,900 | £209,743 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £3,330,953 | £2,717,361 | |
| Net assets | £2,322,738 | £1,573,972 | |
| Equity | £2,322,738 | £1,573,972 | |
| Average employees | 92 | 95 | |
| Wages | £3,561,928 | £4,481,460 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -0.0% | -3.7% | |
| Net margin | -0.7% | -5.1% | |
| Return on capital employed | -0.1% | -19.3% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 68.7% | 78.0% | |
| Current ratio | 0.74x | 0.51x | |
| Interest cover | -0.06x | -6.65x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- Larking Gowen LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“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 or the 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.”
Group structure
- PLAIN ENGLISH DESIGN LIMITED · parent
- Plain English Design Limited Inc. 100%
Significant events
- “The Group discontinued selling its internet offering, "British Standard Cupboards" in January 2024.”
- “the production facility in Needham Market was closed.”
- “the team of employed fitters in Suffolk was dissolved in the year ended September 2024, and the Group now utilise subcontract fitters more local to the projects.”
- “a mortgage secured against freehold property. This balance was repaid in full post year-end on completion of the sale of the Hoxton Square property.”
- “On 4 October 2024, the Company sold its property at Hoxton Square for total consideration of £1,500,000.”
- “adjustments in relation to historic balances within debtors and creditors have been identified and resolved, resulting in write-offs to the profit and loss of £1,319,233, as it was determined these balances are not recoverable.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 3 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIBLOCK, Anthony Alan | Secretary | 1997-05-12 | — | British |
| FONTANA, Katharine Laura | Director | 1995-06-28 | Dec 1956 | British |
| NIBLOCK, Anthony Alan | Director | 1997-05-12 | Apr 1951 | British |
Show 3 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| FONTANA, Fay Anita | Secretary | 1995-06-28 | 1997-05-12 |
| HALLMARK SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 1995-06-28 | 1995-06-28 |
| HALLMARK REGISTRARS LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Director | 1995-06-28 | 1995-06-28 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Katharine Laura Fontana | Individual | Shares 25–50% | 2017-06-27 | Active |
| Mr Anthony Alan Niblock | Individual | Shares 25–50% | 2017-06-27 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 94 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2026-05-08 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2025-09-23 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2025-07-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-07-18 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2024-12-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-07-16 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-06-18 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened | |
| 2024-03-01 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous extended | |
| 2023-09-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2023-07-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-06-21 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened | |
| 2022-10-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2022-07-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-06-23 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened | |
| 2021-09-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2021-07-09 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-06-24 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened | |
| 2020-11-16 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2020-09-29 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 5
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-09-30 vs 2023-09-30