GREAT_NORTHERN_HOTELS_LIM - Accounts

In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of Great Northern Hotels Limited for the year ended 31 December 2018 set out on pages 2 to 9 from the company’s accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.

As a practising member firm of the ICAS we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed at https://www.icas.com/FrameworkforthePreparationofAccounts.

This report is made solely to the Board of Directors of Great Northern Hotels Limited, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements on your behalf and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Great Northern Hotels Limited and its Board of Directors as a body, for our work or for this report.

It is your duty to ensure that Great Northern Hotels 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 loss of Great Northern Hotels Limited. You consider that Great Northern Hotels Limited is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the year.

The directors of the company have elected not to include a copy of the profit and loss account within the financial statements.true

For the financial year ended 31 December 2018 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 and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Great Northern Hotels Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 29 Eccleston Square, LONDON, SW1V 1NZ.

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention modified to include the revaluation of freehold land and buildings.

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.

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.

Turnover represents amounts receivable for rents net of VAT.

Revenue from rents receivable is recognised when the rental income falls due, 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.

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

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.

Interests in subsidiaries, associates and jointly controlled entities are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The 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.

A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible 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 at bank and in hand 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 balance sheet 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.

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.

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 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. 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 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.

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.

The freehold investment properties are shown at 31st December, 2018 valuation, which was made by the directors on the basis of open market value.

If revalued assets were stated on an historical cost basis rather than a fair value basis, the total amounts included would have been as follows:

Freehold land and buildings with a carrying amount of £800,000 (2017 - £800,000) have been pledged to secure borrowings of the company's subsidiary. The company is not allowed to pledge these assets as security for other borrowings or to sell them to another entity.

Fixed asset investments are stated at cost as the directors do not have any ready means to ascertain market value or any impairment.

Details of the company's subsidiaries at 31 December 2018 are as follows:

The Company owes £1,150,050 to Leisure Holdings Ltd a 50% shareholder. There are no fixed terms of repayment.

R F Gibbons, director, received £nil (2017: £20,000) for artworks and furniture and £20,000 (2017 £22,500) racing season sponsorship from the company.

R A N M Gibbons, director, received fees of £nil (2017: £21,000) for consultancy services.

Advances or credits have been granted to the company by its directors as follows:

The foregoing loan is included among Other creditors, is unsecured, interest free and repayable at call.