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J. Smart & Co. Contractors PLC

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FY2022 Annual Report · J. Smart & Co. Contractors PLC
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J. SMART & CO. (CONTRACTORS) PLC 

ANNUAL REPORT 
AND
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS 
TO
31s t JULY 2022

1

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS 
DaviD W Smart, Chairman and Joint Managing Director
John r Smart, Joint Managing Director
alaSDair h roSS
Patricia Sweeney

COMPANY SECRETARY 
Patricia Sweeney 

REGISTERED OFFICE 
28 cramonD roaD South, 
eDinburgh, 
eh4 6ab

SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES 
mcGowan anD comPany (contractorS) limiteD 
cramonD real eState comPany limiteD 
thomaS menzieS (builDerS) limiteD 
concrete ProDuctS (KirKcalDy) limiteD 
c. & w. aSSetS limiteD
Smart ServiceD officeS limiteD
northrigg limiteD 

REGISTRARS AND TRANSFER OFFICE 
equiniti limiteD, 
aSPect houSe,
SPencer roaD,
lancing,
bn99 6Da

BANKERS 
banK of ScotlanD, 
75 george Street, 
eDinburgh, 
eh2 3ew

AUDITOR 
bDo llP,
chartereD accountantS,
city Point,
65 haymarKet terrace,
eDinburgh,
eh12 5hD 

SOLICITORS 
anDerSon Strathern llP, 
1 rutlanD court, 
eDinburgh, 
eh3 8ey

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Company will be held at the Registered 
Office, 28 Cramond Road South, Edinburgh on 19th January 2023 at 12 noon, for the following purposes: 

1.  To receive and consider the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31st July 2022 and the Report of the Directors 

and the Independent Auditor’s Report.

2.  To approve the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the financial year ended 31st July 2022 as set out on pages 29 to 

34 in the Annual Report.

3.  To declare a Final Dividend of 2.27p per share. 

4.  To re-elect John R Smart as a Director, who retires in accordance with provision 18 of the UK Corporate Governance 

Code.

5.   To re-elect Alasdair H Ross as a Director, who retires in accordance with provision 18 of the UK Corporate Governance 

Code.

6.   To re-elect Patricia Sweeney as a Director, who retires in accordance with provision 18 of the UK Corporate Governance 

Code. 

7.  To re-appoint BDO LLP as the Company’s auditor. 

8.  To authorise the Directors to determine the remuneration of the Auditor. 

9.  To authorise the Company, via a special resolution, for the purposes of section 701 of the Companies Act 2006 to make 
market purchases (as defined in section 693(4) of the Companies Act 2006) of its ordinary shares of 2p each (ordinary 
shares) provided that:
(a) 

the Company does not purchase under this authority more than 10% of the nominal value of the Company’s issued 
share capital at the date of this notice;
the minimum price which the Company may pay for each ordinary share is 2p (exclusive of expenses); and
the maximum price which the Company may pay for each ordinary share is the higher of:
(i) 

105% (exclusive of expenses) of the average market value of the Company’s equity shares for the five 
business days prior to the day the purchase is made according to the Daily Official List of the London 
Stock Exchange; and
the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid for an ordinary 
share on the trading venue where the purchase is carried out.

(b) 
(c) 

(ii)  

  This authority will expire at the earlier of 15 months from the date of passing of this resolution and the conclusion of the 
next Annual General Meeting, except that the Company may enter into a contract to purchase ordinary shares which will 
or may be completed or executed wholly or partly after this authority ends, the Company may purchase these ordinary 
shares  pursuant  to  any  contract  as  if  the  authority  had  not  ended.  Under  this  authority  any  shares  purchased  by  the 
Company will be cancelled.

10. To adopt, via a special resolution, the new Articles of Association of the Company. 

11. To transact any other business of an Annual General Meeting. 

Explanatory notes providing information in relation to each of the proposed resolutions in this Notice of Meeting can be 
found on the Company’s website www.jsmart.co.uk.

A  member  entitled  to  attend  and  vote  at  this  Meeting  is  entitled  to  appoint  one  or  more  proxies  to  attend 
and  vote  on  a  poll  instead  of  him/her.  A  proxy  need  not  be  a  member.  Forms  of  proxy,  if  used,  must  be 
lodged  with  the  Registrars  of  the  Company  at  least  48  hours  before  the  time  fixed  for  the  Meeting.  Forms  of 
proxy  may  also  be  lodged  electronically  by  submitting  a  duly  completed  scanned  copy  of  the  proxy  card  to  
proxyvotes@equiniti.com.  You  may  not  use  the  electronic  address  provided  either  in  this  Notice  of  Meeting  or  any  
related  documents  (including  the  Form  of  Proxy)  to  communicate  with  the  Company  for  any  purpose  other  than  that  
expressly stated. 

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

In accordance with section 311A of the Companies Act 2006, the contents of this Notice of Meeting, details of the total 
number  of  shares  in  respect  of  which  members  are  entitled  to  exercise  voting  rights  at  the Annual  General  Meeting  
and,  if  applicable,  any  members’  statements,  members’  resolutions  or  members’  matters  of  business  received  by  the 
Company after the date of this Notice will be available on the Company’s website. 

Pursuant to section 319A of the Companies Act 2006, the Company must cause to be answered at the Annual General 
Meeting any question relating to the business being dealt with at the Annual General Meeting which is put by a member 
attending the meeting, except in certain circumstances, including if it is undesirable in the interests of the Company or 
the good order of the Meeting that the question be answered or if to do so would involve the disclosure of confidential 
information.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
Patricia Sweeney
Company Secretary

28 Cramond Road South,
Edinburgh
EH4 6AB 

17th November 2022 

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW 

ACCOUNTS

Headline  Group  profit  for  the  year  before  tax  on  continuing  and  discontinued  operations,  including  an  unrealised 
surplus in revalued property and a deficit in revalued financial assets, was £8,192,000, compared with £14,784,000 last 
financial year.

As  in  previous  years,  our  view  is  that  disregarding  the  movement  in  the  revaluation  of  the  commercial  property 
portfolio  and  adjusting  for  the  revaluation  movement  on  financial  assets  provides  a  truer  reflection  of  the  Group’s 
performance, which we refer to as underlying profit.  The underlying profit before tax for the year was £7,840,000 and 
was more than last year’s figure of £2,367,000.

The Board is recommending a Final Dividend of 2.27p, making a total of 3.23p, which compares with 3.22p for the 
previous year.  The Final Dividend will cost the company no more than £926,000.

TRADING ACTIVITIES

Group  construction  activities,  including  private  residential  sales  on  continuing  operations,  decreased  by  22%.  
Headline Group profit on continuing operations decreased substantially this financial year, which was mainly due to 
the exceptional increase in the value of the commercial property portfolio in the previous financial year to 31st July 
2021.  Underlying profit before tax on continuing operations increased substantially this year, mainly due to the profit 
on  the  sale  of  the  industrial  estates:    Bilston  Glen  Industrial  Estate,  Loanhead,  Inchwood  Park,  Bathgate  and West 
Edinburgh Business Park, Edinburgh.

Trading activities continued to be affected by supply chain issues and the seemingly unstoppable rise in the price of 
construction materials.  These issues, coupled with the continued prolonged process in obtaining not only statutory 
approvals, but also simple utility approvals and associated infrastructure, has meant that all our construction sites have 
experienced  delays  and  thereby  longer  programmes.    This  has  resulted  in  overall  costs  being  greater  than  original 
budgets.

All of the above has caused an increase in aborted site acquisitions and a lack of tender work being acquired in the 
Housing Association  sector.    It  has  again  given  rise  to  an  erosion  of  profits  of  recently  completed  and  soon  to  be 
completed projects.  

The private housing development at Winchburgh, Canal Quarter, has experienced delays in progress on site for the 
reasons noted above, albeit reservations remain encouraging.  The first sale has recently concluded at this development, 
but after the end of the financial year.  The majority of the completions will occur prior to the end of the financial year 
to 31st July 2023.

The residential development at Clovenstone Gardens did not start prior to the end of the financial year due to delays 
in obtaining statutory approvals.  Construction has now started, but the first completions will not take place until the 
middle of 2024.

Progress in our commercial property portfolio continues to be positive to date, albeit with a note of caution.  The sale 
of the three industrial estates, as mentioned above and reported in the Interim results, completed in January 2022 with 
a significant profit achieved.  It is worth noting that if the same sale took place in the current climate, then the price 
achieved would have been less.  This is reflected in the valuation of the commercial property portfolio being relatively 
similar to last year indicating a plateau in yields.  

In both our office and industrial properties we have seen a general churn of tenants leaving and new tenants leasing 
space.  There has been no rental growth as in recent years as rents, like yields, have remained static.

As reported in the Interim results, construction completed at the second phase of Gartcosh Industrial Park, developed 
through  the  joint  venture  company,  Gartcosh  Estates  LLP.    Whilst  interest  in  the  two  medium  sized  units  remains 
promising, we had hoped that a letting would have been achieved by now.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW (continued) 

TRADING ACTIVITIES (continued)

As predicted the small commercial development at Winchburgh was completed after the end of the financial year.  There 
is good interest in the speculative retail units, although the increased programme, due to delays in utility infrastructure 
delivery, will impact on profit margins.

The second phase at Belgrave Point, Bellshill, a large speculative single user industrial unit, started just after the end 
of the financial year.  The progress in construction is satisfactory to date, but it is too early to gauge demand from any 
prospective tenants.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

We have substantially more work in hand in our own private housing at this time than we did last year.  We do not have 
any real prospects of external contracts at present.  

We currently have several planning applications stuck in the Scottish planning system totalling over 500 residential 
units and over 60,000 sq ft of commercial space.  Regrettably we may have to utilise the appeal process in order to 
hopefully obtain planning consent on more than one of these applications.  

The continuing increases in construction costs, interest rates and inflation and the cost of living crisis all contribute to 
a high degree of uncertainty as to when any of these sites will commence.  As mentioned above, there will be private 
housing sales this year, but what impact the economic problems will have on the level of sales is uncertain.

Due to the above issues, whilst we expect lettings to continue in our commercial property portfolio, it is already evident 
that rents and yields have already started to plateau and property values in our sectors may drop.

At  this  stage  it  is  evident  that  the  headline  profit  will  drop  for  the  year  to  31st  July  2023.    Indeed,  if  commercial 
property values fall, we may make a headline loss.  Profits will continue to be eroded by the lack of external contracting 
work, the lack of recovery of overhead costs and the increase in material costs.

17th November 2022 

DaviD W Smart
Chairman

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS 

31st July 2022

The Directors present their Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Group for the year ended 31st July 2022.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The Company is required, as a premium listed company on the London Stock Exchange, to prepare a report on Corporate 
Governance in accordance with the Financial Reporting Council’s UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code). A copy of 
the Code can by reviewed on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk.  The information required by 
the Code and also the Disclosure and Transparency Rules and the Listing Rules can be found on pages 22 to 28.

RESULTS AND DIVIDENDS

The profit of the Group after tax for the year ended 31st July 2022 amounted to £6,621,000 (2021, £10,970,000).

During the year the Company paid on 28th January 2022 a final dividend for the year to 31st July 2021 of 2.27p per share 
(2021, 2.27p) and paid on 6th June 2022 an interim dividend for the year to 31st July 2022 of 0.96p per share (2021, 
0.95p).

The Directors recommend a proposed final dividend for the year of 2.27p per share, making a total for the year of 3.23p. 
This final dividend is subject to approval by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in January 2023 and has  
not been included as a liability in these financial statements. If this dividend is approved it will be paid to the members  
on the share register of the Company at the close of business on 23rd December 2022. Dividend warrants will be posted 
on 27th January 2023.

DIRECTORS  

The following were Directors of the Company during the financial year ended 31st July 2022:

− 

− 

− 

− 

David W Smart

John R Smart

Alasdair H Ross

Patricia Sweeney

Details of the Directors are given on page 21.

APPOINTMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF DIRECTORS

The Company’s current Articles of Association (the Company’s Articles) and the Articles of Association that are proposed 
to be adopted at the 2022 Annual General Meeting (the Company’s New Articles) give the Directors the power to appoint 
or remove any Director. Initial appointments may be approved by the Board of Directors but anyone so appointed must be 
re-elected by ordinary resolution at the next Annual General Meeting of the Company. In accordance with the Company’s 
Articles, Directors are not required to retire by rotation, however, in accordance with provision 18 of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code all Directors must retire and offer themselves for re-election annually at the Annual General Meeting.  
This provision of the Corporate Governance Code is followed for all the Company’s Directors except for the Chairman.  
The Company’s New Articles have been amended to reflect that each Director (other than the Chairman) must retire at 
each Annual General Meeting.

DIRECTORS’ INTERESTS

Details  of  Directors’  interests  in  the  ordinary  share  capital  of  the  Company  are  given  in  the  Directors’  Remuneration 
Report.  Details of changes in Directors’ interests between 31st July 2022 and 17th November 2022 are given on page 32.

Other  than  the  original  employment  contract  received  on  joining  the  company,  no  Director  has  been  issued  with  a 
Director’s Service Contract on appointment as a director.  No Director has a material interest in any contract to which the 
Company or any Subsidiary Company was a party to during the year.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (continued) 

31st July 2022

DIRECTORS’ POWERS

The Company’s Articles state that the Directors may exercise all of the powers of the Company which also includes the 
right of the Directors to buy back the Company’s shares based on the authority given by the shareholders following the 
passing of a special resolution at the Company’s 2021 Annual General Meeting.

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS

In accordance with the Company’s Articles and to the extent permitted by law, Directors are granted an indemnity by the 
Company in respect of liabilities incurred as a result of their office.  The Directors are also indemnified against the cost 
of defending any proceedings whether criminal or civil in which judgement is given in favour of the Director or in which 
the Director is acquitted or the charge is found not proven.  The Company has maintained Directors’ and Officers’ liability 
insurance cover throughout the financial year.

CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

The  capital  structure  of  the  Company  consists  of  issued  share  capital,  reserves  and  retained  earnings  represented 
predominantly by investment properties, working capital and cash.

The Company’s issued ordinary share capital as at 31st July 2022 comprises a single class of ordinary share of 2p each.  
Details of the issued share capital are shown in note 27 to the financial statements.

At the 2021 Annual General Meeting the Company was authorised by the shareholders to purchase, in the market, up 
to 10% of the Company’s issued share capital, as permitted under the Company’s Articles.  The purpose of the market 
purchase is to enhance the earnings per share and/or the equity shareholders’ funds per share.  The Directors are seeking 
renewal of this authority at the 2022 Annual General Meeting.

During the year the Company made market purchases of 1,113,260 ordinary shares of 2p under the existing authority, for 
a total consideration of £1,749,000.  The shares purchased were subsequently cancelled, and represented less than 2.65% 
of the Company’s issued share capital at the start of the financial year.

All members who hold ordinary shares are entitled to attend and vote at a General Meeting. On a show of hands at a 
General Meeting every member present in person and every duly appointed proxy shall have one vote and on a poll, every 
member present in person or by proxy shall have one vote for every ordinary share held or represented.  The Company is 
not aware of any agreements between shareholders that may result in restrictions on voting rights of shareholders.  Rights 
attached to ordinary shares may only be varied by special resolution at a General Meeting.

There are no specific restrictions on the transfer of securities in the Company, other than those imposed by prevailing 
legislation and the requirements of the Listing Rules in respect of Company Directors.  The Company is not aware of any 
agreements between shareholders that may result in restrictions on the transfer of securities.

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Group’s financial instruments consist of bank balances and cash, financial assets, trade receivables and trade payables. 
The main purpose of the financial instruments are to provide working capital for the Group’s continuing activities and 
provide funding for future activities whether in construction or investment. Given the nature of the Group’s financial 
instruments the main risk associated with these is credit risk, however this is minimised due to the fact that exposure is 
spread over a number of counterparties and customers. The Group is not exposed to interest rate risk as it does not have 
any net debt but it does suffer from falling interest rates on the amount we can earn on monies on deposit.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (continued) 

31st July 2022

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (continued)

Credit risk

The Group’s credit risk is mainly mitigated due to the fact the majority of the Group’s revenue relates to private house 
sales which are made on completion of a legal contract for the transfer of title and are to numerous customers.  Other 
construction contract sales are mainly to social housing providers and government local authorities who undertake projects 
knowing funds are available to fulfil payment of contracts.  With regards to rental income there is no concentration of 
credit risk as exposure is spread over a number of tenants.

Liquidity risk

The Group finances its operation through equity, it has no bank borrowings and therefore has no exposure to liquidity risk.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

The Company’s Articles can only be amended by a special resolution at a General Meeting. At the forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting a resolution will be proposed to adopt new Articles of the Company.  The Articles have been revised to 
bring them in line with current market practice for a company listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.  
In particular the new Articles to be adopted at the Annual General Meeting provide for the appointment of Independent 
Directors, should the Board choose to do this in the future.

LISTING RULES

There are no disclosures required by LR9.8.4 that apply to the Company other than as noted below relating to controlling 
shareholders. 

In the year, a Shareholder Relationship Agreement as required by LR6.5.4R between the Company and the controlling 
shareholders, David W Smart and John R Smart was prepared and duly signed by all parties.  The Company can confirm 
that the independence provisions of LR6.1.4D and procurement obligations have been complied with throughout the year.

CHANGE OF CONTROL

The Company is not party to any significant agreements which take effect, alter or terminate upon change of control of 
the Company following a takeover bid.  The Company does not have any agreements with any Director or employee that 
would provide compensation for loss of office or employment, whether through resignation, purported redundancy or 
otherwise resulting from a takeover bid.

POLITICAL DONATIONS AND POLITICAL EXPENDITURE

It is the policy of the Group not to make donations for political purposes to UK or EU Political Parties or incur UK or 
EU  Political  Expenditure  and  accordingly  neither  the  Company  nor  its  Subsidiaries  made  donations  or  incurred  such 
expenditure in the year.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (continued) 

31st July 2022

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

The  Companies Act  2006  (Strategic  Report  and  Directors’  Report)  Regulation  2013  requires  all  quoted  companies  to 
report the greenhouse gas emissions for which they are responsible and on any environmental matters which are material 
to the company’s operations.

Carbon emissions and energy used by the Group:

Emissions from: 
Combustion of fuel and operation of facilities 
Electricity, heat, steam and cooling purchased for own use 
.   
Total emissions 

.   

. 

. 

. 

.   
.   
.   

. 
. 
. 

Group’s chosen intensity measurement: 
Emissions reported above normalised to per full time equivalent employee 
Emissions reported above normalised to per £million of revenues  

. 

Energy used: 
Electricity 
Natural Gas 
Gas Oil 
Diesel 
Unleaded Petrol 

. 
. 
. 
. 
.   

. 
. 
.   
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
.   

. 
. 
.   
. 
. 

.   
.   
. 
.   
.   

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

2022 
Tonnes of CO2e 

2021 
Tonnes of CO2e

1,184 
98 
1,282 

8.72     
172.54   

kWh 

508,761 
2,413,741 
74,077 
2,225,339 
26,874 

804
63
867

5.25
83.31

kWh

269,765
552,900
89,683
1,886,012
34,188

Overall the total greenhouse gas emissions of the Group have increased this year mainly due to the increase in volume of 
construction work in the year and due to the increased occupancy of our commercial investment properties by tenants post 
the relaxing of the coronavirus restrictions on working from home.

The decrease in the Group’s reported revenue for the year to 31st July 2022 mainly due to volume of private house sales in 
the year, reduced level of contracts with third parties and level of work undertaken on our own private house developments 
has  resulted  in  the  increase  in  the  intensity  measure  of  emissions  reported  per  £million  of  revenues.    Similarly,  the 
reduction in the number of full time equivalent employees in the year has increased that intensity measure.

Our Scope 1 emissions have increased by 22% and our Scope 2 emissions on the location basis have increased by 57% 
and on market basis have increased by 11%.  The main factors behind both emission basis is mainly due to the increased 
occupancy in our commercial investment properties.  The increase in the market basis is less pronounced as the majority 
of our electricity supplies, being 81% of usage is provided by a supplier on a 100% renewable energy tariff.

The Group continues to apply the relevant building regulations for new build housing and industrial properties to ensure 
compliance with the current emission regulations and within its investment property portfolio undertaking measures to 
reduce carbon emissions including replacing lighting with energy efficient LED and PIR lights, installing electric car 
charging points and providing facilities for persons wishing to cycle to work at our commercial properties.

We have reported on all the emission sources required under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors’ 
Report) Regulations 2013 and Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) Regulations. These sources fall within 
our Statement of Accounts. We do not have responsibility for any emission sources that are not included in our Statement 
of Accounts.

We have use the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (revised edition) data gathered to fulfil 
our  requirement  under  these  Regulations  and  emission  factors  from  UK  Government’s  GHG  Conversion  Factors  for 
Company Reporting 2021 and 2022. Emissions are calculated on the location and contract based methodologies, using 
fuel mixes reported from 2021/22.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (continued) 

31st July 2022

WASTE MANAGEMENT

We  manage  waste  in  accordance  with  the  waste  hierarchy  and  ensure  compliance  with  all  applicable  environmental 
legislation across all our operations. Construction waste is managed through site waste management plans which ensure 
waste arising is minimised, reused or recycled. Waste reduction is considered at the building design stage and any waste 
arising  in  construction  is  segregated  into  either  on  site  or  off  site. Where  possible,  waste  is  reused  on  site  and  waste 
to  landfill  is  minimised  with  preference  given  to  recycling  or  energy  recovery.  Training  is  provided  to  all  staff  and 
subcontractors and waste champions are assigned to each site to ensure compliance with our waste policies and procedures.

GOING CONCERN

The Group’s business activities, performance and principal risks and uncertainties are set out in the Strategic Report on 
pages 12 to 20.

The Directors having assessed the business risks of the Company and Group as detailed in the Strategic Report on pages 
16 to 18 confirm that they have a reasonable expectation that the Company and Group has adequate financial resources 
without reliance on external funding to allow the Company and Group to continue in operational existence for a period of 
at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements. The Directors therefore consider the adoption 
of the going concern basis as appropriate for the preparation of the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.

The  Directors  have  made  this  confirmation  after  reviewing  the  expected  cash  position  of  the  Group  under  various 
scenarios taking into account future trading activities around construction projects in hand and anticipated projects, land 
acquisitions, rental income, investment property acquisitions and disposals and other capital expenditure. The Directors 
prepare a number of cash flows to predict the cash position of the Group under these various scenarios. The aim of these 
various cash flows is to ensure at all times regardless of the scenario the Group remains cash positive thus ensuring the 
Group does not have to rely on external funding. The Group ensures that all companies within the Group are financially 
supported by each other and where necessary dividends from cash and reserve positive subsidiaries are paid to the Parent 
Company to allow that company to provide financial support to all subsidiary companies.

Although the coronavirus continues to impact trading activities of the Company and Group it is to a lesser extent than 
previous years.  All of our construction sites remained opened in the year with the required safe working protocols in 
place.  However, supply lead times and the increased cost of construction materials resulting from the current economic 
climate within the United Kingdom with the cost of living crisis, interest and inflation rates rising have resulted in longer 
project programmes for current projects and the postponement of commencement of new projects and reconsidering the 
nature of construction contracts to be undertaken.  Although these issues have an impact of the finances of the Company 
and Group the Directors consider that as they can determine the work programme to be undertaken then they are well 
placed to manage the financial risks in Company and Group are currently experiencing.

Our investment property portfolio however, remains resilient in both the industrial and commercial sectors despite the 
current economic climate.  Rental income, after accounting for the loss of rents following the sale of the properties in the 
year, have remained consistent with no significant loss of income due to reduced occupancy or default in tenants paying 
rents and the Directors do not believe that this situation will significantly change due to the types of investment properties 
held. 

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

It  is  not  anticipated  that  the  activities  of  the  Company  and  its  Subsidiaries,  as  described  in  the  Strategic  Report,  will 
substantially change in the forseeable future.

POST BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

There have been no events occuring after the Statement of Financial Position date that the Directors consider should be 
brought to the attention of the shareholders.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (continued) 

31st July 2022

AUDITOR

The Company’s auditor, BDO LLP, has expressed willingness to continue in office. Resolutions to re-appoint them as 
the Company’s auditor and to authorise the Directors to determine their remuneration will be proposed at the Company’s 
forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT 

The Chairman’s Review on pages 4 and 5 and the Strategic Report on pages 12 to 20 have been prepared to provide 
additional information to members of the Company to assess the Group’s strategy and the potential for the strategy to 
succeed.  It should not be relied on by any other party or for any other purpose.

This  Annual  Report  and  Statement  of  Accounts  contain  certain  forward-looking  statements  relating  to  operations, 
performance and financial status.  By their nature, such statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events 
and depend upon circumstances that will occur in the future.  There are a number of factors, including both economic and 
business risk factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied 
by these forward-looking statements.  These statements are made by the Directors in good faith based on the information 
available to them up to the time of their approval of this Report.

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE TO AUDITOR 

The Directors who held office at the date of approval of the Report of the Directors, confirm that, so far as they are each 
aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s Auditor is unaware; and each of the Directors has 
taken all steps that they ought to have taken as a Director to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and 
to establish that the Company’s Auditor is aware of that information. 

17th November 2022 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Patricia Sweeney
Company Secretary

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT 

31st July 2022

The Directors present their Strategic Report of the Group for the year ended 31st July 2022.

The purpose of the Strategic Report is to provide the members of the Company with information to allow them to assess 
how the Directors have performed their duty to promote the success of the Company and Group.

OUR BUSINESS MODEL, STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES

The Company was established in 1947 and was listed on the Scottish Stock Exchange in 1965 and was admitted to the 
London Stock Exchange on 25th March 1973.

The  principal  activities  of  the  Group  are  building  and  civil  engineering  contracting,  residential  development  for  sale, 
the development of industrial and commercial property for lease and the provision of serviced office spaces.  All the 
construction work involved in these activities is carried out by the Company and its Subsidiaries.  Sub-contracting is kept 
to a minimum.  The main area of operations is the central belt of Scotland. 

The main construction activity undertaken by the Group is that of social housing for several housing associations and 
registered social  landlords  predominately in  the  Edinburgh  area  and  construction of  our  own  private housing  for  sale 
which is undertaken by the Company, J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC.

The  Group  has  a  portfolio  of  self-financed  industrial  and  commercial  properties  which  are  owned  and  managed  by 
subsidiary  company,  C.  &  W. Assets  Limited.    The  investment  properties  are  located  throughout  the  central  belt  of 
Scotland but primarily in the Edinburgh area, this being the area of the country with which we are most familiar.  Our 
portfolio currently extends to almost 762,000 square feet.

The Group has six other subsidiaries, four of which are trading companies. Thomas Menzies (Builders) Limited carries out 
small to medium sized building and civil engineering work for a variety of clients.  McGowan and Company (Contractors) 
Limited provides plumbing support to the main construction companies.  Cramond Real Estate Company Limited, is the 
investment holding company of the Group and holds the Group’s equity investments and monies on bank deposits.  Smart 
Serviced  Offices  Limited  which  trades  as  Foxglove  Offices  provides  serviced  office  and  co-working  spaces  in  Leith.  
Concrete  Products  (Kirkcaldy)  Limited  ceased  to  trade  in  the  year  to  31st  July  2019.  During  the  year  the  joint  venture 
company Northrigg Limited, bought back the share owned by William Sanderson, the other party to the joint venture on 21st 
February 2022 at which point Northrigg Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC.

The Group also has an interest in a Joint Venture Company which was established for the purpose of property development.

The Group operates out of premises in Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy, with the centralised administration and finance function 
being at the head office in Edinburgh.  Full support is given by the company Directors and the finance staff to all Group 
companies based at the two locations.

We maintain a core employee base which is beneficial to the growth and success of the Group due to the fact that they have 
the expertise to ensure the construction activities of the Group are efficiently run, achieve a high level of quality of work 
and retain control over operations.  Employees who manage the Group’s investment property portfolio are fully aware of 
current market conditions and ensure that there is appropriate marketing of the Group’s investment property portfolio.  We 
employ our own maintenance team thereby ensuring that our investment property portfolio is always in good condition 
and ready for let. 

Our objectives are to identify and exploit promising business opportunities as they arise to the benefit of the Group, its 
shareholders and employees without over extending Group resources.  While endeavouring to complete all our operations as 
efficiently and to as high a standard as possible we do not set ourselves general performance yardsticks or volumetric targets.

To achieve these objectives our strategy is to continue to maintain and develop the relationships we have with social housing 
providers and develop relationships with new and existing partners to establish new areas of construction opportunities, 
retain our core workforce and only use specialist subcontractors with proven track records with the Group to ensure work 
quality.  We will continue to build both our residential properties and investment property portfolio within the central belt of 
Scotland, being the area of the country with which we are most familiar.  We will build up our resources to ensure the Group 
has sufficient current working capital facilities and financing for future commercial and private residential developments.

In achieving our objectives we aim to generate value by creating long term and sustainable returns for our shareholders 
by growing our income and profits and increasing the value of our investment portfolio and the net assets of the Group.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

Construction activities

Continuing Operations 
Revenue  
Operating loss  

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

2022) 
£000) 
7,430) 
(2,487) 

        2021)
        £000)
     10,407)
(2,305)

Turnover in the year has significantly decreased again this year and this is due to the fact that in the current year there was 
only one private housing development at The Courtyard, Winchburgh that had sales.  This development had 4 detached 
houses all of which were sold in the year.  The only other private housing development currently underway is at Canal 
View, Winchburgh.   This  is  an  ongoing  development  and  in  there  were  no  concluded  sales  in  the  year.    Sales  at  this 
development are expected in the year to 31st July 2023.  
There were no social housing projects in the year.  
We completed the work in the year for our Joint Venture, Gartcosh Estates LLP at phase 2 of their development consisting 
of two industrial units.  In one of the completed units we also undertook the work to fit out the unit with office and welfare 
facilities.  To date neither of these units have been let.
The turnover of our civil engineering subsidiary decreased slightly in the year and with tighten margins resulted also in a 
slight decrease in the overall profit earned by the subsidiary.
Our construction sites remained open for the entire year throughout the Group, although coronavirus still has an impact 
both operationally and financially on the running of our sites.  We continued to follow the legislation and guidance issued 
by the Scottish Government in relation to coronavirus safe working conditions for all our staff whether they are site or 
office based.  We did not take advantage of the UK Government’s Furlough scheme in the year.
Brexit and the impact of increasing inflation rates, impacting the country as a whole, have also had a financial impact on 
the results for the year via supply chain issues and significant increase in the cost of construction materials and services 
required by the Group.  These increased costs have been borne by the Group resulting in the margins on construction work 
continuing to be tight, although not to the same level as the previous year due to the level and nature of work undertaken 
in the year.
The Directors continue to fully appraise contracts, at various stages, prior to acceptance to ascertain the likely outcome 
of the contract.   These appraisals are also conducted prior to land bank acquisitions.  The contract reporting functions 
between the finance and surveyor teams relating to the recording of costs have been revised and fully implemented this 
year and provide the surveyors with increased detail and analysis of costs.  The surveyors along with the Directors can 
then appraise contract performance on a timely basis to analyse areas of contracts where losses are being incurred with 
the aim to rectify were possible.
Overheads continue to remain relatively constant over time however, the Directors continue to monitor these with a view 
to achieving any savings on costs were possible.  The increased energy costs which will impact on the Group this year 
are been monitored and the Group is entering into supply contracts with the most favourable rates and contract durations 
it is able to obtain. 

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

PERFORMANCE REVIEW (continued)

Investment activities

Income from investment properties  
. 
. 
Profit on sale of investment properties 
Net surplus on valuation of investment properties  
. 
Operating profit from investment properties 

. 
. 

Income from financial assets 
Profit on sale of financial assets 
Net (deficit)/surplus on valuation of financial assets 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Share of profits in Joint Ventures 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

.  
. 
.   
. 

.    
. 
. 

.    

. 
.  
. 
.  

. 
. 
. 

. 

2022) 
£000) 
6,983) 
6,055) 
473) 
10,309) 

        2021)
        £000)
       7,411)
          37)
12,105)
          16,578)

63) 
17) 
(121) 

          36)
              1)
              312)

254) 

       264)

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

Rental income from the Group’s investment property portfolio decreased in the year by 6% (2021, increased by 4%) mainly 
due to reduction in rent following the sale of three of our industrial estates in the year.  For our remaining industrial and 
commercial properties we have experienced increased occupancy but there has been no rental growth as rents have remained 
static.  Recoverability of rental income continues to remain high despite the continuing impact of coronavirus and generally 
the increase in costs due to inflation. 

During the year construction of our office and retail development at Winchburgh continued and was completed and handed 
over to our investment property company just after the conclusion of our year end.  We have a tenant in place for the office 
however, we have still to lease any of the retail units, although we have received a number of enquires for the units.  We 
commenced work on phase 2 at our industrial site at Bellshill for the construction of one 53,735 square foot unit. 

Service charges and insurance receivable income has increased by 4% (2021, decreased by 5%) due mainly to the increased 
occupancy of our commercial properties.  Service charges are dependent on costs incurred in the year that can be recovered 
and varies from year to year.

As noted above the Group sold three of its industrial estates for £24,032,000 which generated a profit on sale of £6,055,000.

The Group has recorded another surplus on the revaluation of investment property portfolio, however this is significantly 
down on the level recorded in the previous year due to the sale of three of our industrial estates and the fact that in the previous 
financial year the yields for our prime industrial stock rose to unprecedented levels.  

Income from our financial assets has risen in the year due to the fact that companies are recommencing the payment of 
dividends after putting these on hold due to the impact of coronavirus.  There were a number of acquisitions is the year to 
our portfolio and disposals which generated a profit of £17,000.  The impact of world and domestic events on the financial 
markets has resulted in a deficit of £121,000 on the fair value of our financial assets being recorded this year. 

The share of the results in our Joint Ventures is a profit this year of £254,000 which is due to the effect of accounting for the 
revaluation surplus relating the completed phases 1 and 2 of the development owned by Gartcosh Estates LLP.  During the 
year the Joint Venture company, Northrigg Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC 
following Northrigg Limited buying back the share of the other party to the Joint Venture.   The Joint Venture company, Duff 
Street Limited was dissolved on 10th August 2021.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

PERFORMANCE REVIEW (continued)

Group results and financial position
Continuing and discontinued activities

Profit before tax 
Net bank position 
Net assets 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

  . 
 .  
. 

. 
. 
. 

2022 

£000 
8,192 
20,795 
124,676 

. 
. 
. 

2021
Restated
Note 35
£000
14,784
7,831
115,737

The  profit  before  tax  reported  by  the  Group  has  decreased  significantly  mainly  due  to  the  level  of  the  surplus  on 
valuation  of  investment  properties  recorded  this  year  in  comparison  to  the  previous  year.    However,  this  impact  is 
mitigated by the level of profit on sale of investment properties recorded this year, being £6,055,000 as compared to 
£37,000 in 2021.  If the surplus on revaluation of investment properties, the profit on sale of investment properties and 
the deficit on the revaluation of the Group’s financial assets are excluded the Group generated a profit for the year of 
£1,785,000 compared to £2,330,000 in the previous year.  The movement being the result of the increase in the loss 
suffered within construction activities and the reduction in rents received from investment properties.
Our net bank position, which comprises monies held on deposit, cash and cash equivalents and the netting of our bank 
overdraft has increased in the year.  This is due to the proceeds received from the sale of investment properties net of 
the cash outflows on current private housing and own industrial development currently in progress. Also, in the year 
the Group lent money to its Joint Ventures amounting to £1,440,000 and invested a further £50,000 in them.  Overall, 
the Group continues to be net debt-free.
The Group’s net assets have increased overall by £8,939,000, the main impact on this being due to the revision in the 
accounting for the pension scheme surplus.  Further advice on the Group’s right to a surplus arising on the pension 
scheme was sought in the year from a firm of lawyers who specialise in this area.  Their advice was that the Group 
had an unconditional right to the surplus based on the original Trust Deed and Deed of Variation and therefore the full 
surplus arising on the calculation thereof under IAS 19 (amended): Employee Benefits should be accounted for in the 
financial statements.  This revised advice impacted on the accounts for the year to 31st July 2021 and resulted in that 
year’s accounts having to be revised.  Full details of this prior year adjustment can be found in note 35 to the financial 
statements.  The profit earned in the year as discussed above and the accounting for share buy backs and dividends paid 
to shareholders in the year also impact on the net assets.

TOTAL DIVIDEND

The  Directors  are  recommending  a  final  dividend  of  2.27p  per  share  which  taken  with  the  interim  dividend  of  0.96p 
already  paid  in  the  year  gives  a  total  dividend  for  the  year  of  3.23p  (2021,  3.22p),  being  an  increase  of  0.3%  on  the 
dividend rate for 2021.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Group and the mitigating factors taken by the Group against these risks 
are detailed below.  The principal risks noted below are not all of the risks faced by the Group but are those risks which 
the Group perceives as those which could have a significant impact on the Group’s performance and future prospects.

Area of principal risk or uncertainty 
and impact 

By  focusing  external  construction 
activities in the social housing sector, 
which 
is  a  competitive  market, 
failure  to  win  new  contracts  would 
impact  on  our  volume  of  work  and 
therefore  the  workforce  required  by 
the Group.

Mitigating actions and controls 

•  Maintain  long  term  relationships  with  social  housing  providers,  resulting 
from  high  standards  of  service,  quality  and  post  construction  care  thus 
giving  the  Group  an  advantage  over  other  builders  when  contracts  are 
awarded on criteria other than cost only. 

•  Identify potential build sites or include the provider within private housing 
developments in relation to the element of affordable housing required.  
•  When workload is reduced workforce can be diverted to the Group’s own 

commercial and private residential developments.

•  Continue  to  acquire  land  for  development  for  either  private  housing 
developments or for resale to social housing providers as part of a construction 
contract.

•  Develop new areas of construction activities.
•  Develop new joint venture opportunities. 

to  bank 

Decline  in  home  buyer  confidence, 
due 
interest  rates,  and 
availability  of  affordable  mortgages 
and  cost  of  living  crisis  resulting  in 
stalling of private house sales. 

•  Building developments in popular residential areas.
•  Building  high  quality  specification  homes  with  attention  to  detail  which 
sets them apart from other new build homes and therefore make them more 
attractive to buyers.

•  Building a range of homes within a development thus providing choice to 

Social  housing  sector  and 
the 
housing  market  in  general  is  highly 
competitive with tight margins.

buyers.

•  Programming  commencement  of  new  build  housing  projects  to  market 

conditions.

•  Providing sales incentives.
•  Considering  the  letting  of  built  homes  at  market  rates  until  the  market 

improves.

•  We  are  an  ‘all  trades’  contractor  who  employs  our  own  personnel  in  all 
basic building trades who are supervised by site agents who are long serving 
employees of the Group, and who have been promoted through their trades, 
thus ensuring control of labour costs on contracts.

•  We have invested heavily in plant and the maintenance thereof and therefore 
limit our costs on contracts by utilising own plant as opposed to incurring 
higher costs of hiring plant.

•  Subcontractors employed by the Group are specialists in their fields and in the 
main subcontractors have previously been used by the Group therefore quality 
of work and reliability is known.  No labour only subcontractors are employed.
•  In house architectural technicians and surveyors provide pre-contract design 
advice to resolve potential technical problems with the build and therefore 
potential costs.

•  Detailed appraisals of contract pre-land acquisiton and pre-construction.

16

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES (continued)

Area of principal risk or uncertainty 
and impact

Reduction 
in  rental  demand  for 
investment properties may result in a 
fall in property valuations. 

Reduction  in  demand  for  UK  real 
estate  from  investors  may  result  in  a 
fall in valuations within our investment 
property portfolio, this could result in 
delays  in  investment  decisions  which 
could impact on our activities.

Political  events  and  policies  result 
in  uncertainty  until  final  decisions 
have  been  made  and  the  impact  of 
decisions are known, this could result 
in  delays  in  investment  decisions 
which could impact on our activities.

Reduction of financial resources.

Mitigating actions and controls 

•  Only commence speculative developments after careful assessment of the 

market.

•  Restricting our operations to the central belt of Scotland being the area of 

the country with which we are most familiar.

•  Continually  maintain  and  refurbish  existing  properties  to  retain  existing 
tenants  and  attract  new  tenants  and  improvements  to  our  properties  for 
improved economic and climate efficiencies.

•  Provide necessary  financial incentives to retain existing tenants at end of 

current leases and attract new tenants.

•  The Directors regularly review the property market to ascertain if changes 
in the overall market present specific risks or opportunities to the Group.
•  Restricting our operations to the central belt of Scotland being the area of 

the country with which we are most familiar.

•  Before any decisions are taken by the Directors in any area of the Group’s 
activities the level of uncertainty and range of potential outcomes arising 
from political events and policies are considered.

•  Ensure resources are not over committed and only undertake commercial 
and private housing developments after due consideration of the financial 
impact on the Group’s financial resources.

•  Build up resources to ensure the Group has sufficient finance for working capital 
requirements and financing of commercial and private housing developments.
•  Spread cash reserves over several banks taking account of the strength of 

the bank and interest rates attainable.

•  Invest  resources  in  equities  also  taking  account  of  the  security  of  the 

investment and the yields attainable.

Continuing impact of coronavirus on 
the Group’s operational and financial 
performance.

•  Continue  to  follow  all  the  legislation  and  guidance  issued  by  Scottish 

Government for the safe working of our construction sites and offices.

•  Helping  current  tenants  in  our  investment  properties  with  rental  payment 

plans for those facing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus.

Failure  to  evolve  business  practices 
and operations in response to climate 
change.

•   Continue to monitor all requirements relating to the construction industry 
in relation to improvements in buildings to ensure they comply with current 
and emerging requirements.

•   Review of designs for new buildings to ensure they are as energy efficient 

as possible.

•   Procurement of building materials from sustainable sources.
•  Investment  in  energy  saving  measures  within  our  investment  property 

portfolio.

17

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES (continued)

Emerging risk
The Group faces a number of emerging risks which could have a significant impact on the Group’s performance and future 
prospects. These risks are discussed by the Directors and appropriate actions taken to mitigate these risks as soon as they 
are considered to be a principal risk of the Group.

VIABILITY STATEMENT

The Directors have assessed the viability of the Group over a three year period to July 2025, taking account of the Group’s 
current financial strength, business model and strategy.  The Directors have also taken account of the principal risks and 
uncertainties facing the Group and the actions being taken to mitigate these risks as described above.
The assessment period of three years has been chosen as the Directors consider this period to be appropriate as it fits well 
with the Group’s development and investment property cycles.
The Group’s financial planning process consists of cash flow projections based on the current financial position together 
with  current  commitments  and  then  assumptions  on  future  developments  and  investment  property  acquisitions  and 
disposals. The continuing impact of coronavirus on future operational and financial commitments is also assessed.
As the Group is net debt-free the Directors are assessing the cash impact of their assumptions of future activity to ensure 
that this position is maintained. The Directors vary their assumptions in terms of economic, investment and other factors 
to different scenarios to assess the impact on the Group’s cash position. Even with these sensitivities applied the Group 
remains net debt-free.  
Based on this assessment the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group will continue in operation and meet 
its liabilities as they fall due over the period to July 2025

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

The Group is required to report the greenhouse gas emissions for which it is responsible and on any environmental matters 
which are material to the Group’s operations. Details of our emissions for the year to 31st July 2022 are set out in the 
Report of the Directors on page 9.

TASK FORCE ON CLIMATE RELATED FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES

The Board at J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC recognises the scale of the climate emergency and its potential impact on 
the construction and commercial and residential real estate sectors.  It also appreciates that immediate action is required 
and  is  seeking  to  collaborate  with  clients,  suppliers  and  the  people  who  occupy  and  use  our  commercial  real  estate 
portfolio to realise this vision.  This is why the Board is committed to reducing the impact of the Company’s operations on 
the planet.  As part of this pathway, we will be working towards decarbonising our operations and our property portfolio 
through various mechanisms.  These will include partnerships with clients and our supply chain to mitigate wherever 
possible our impact on the planet.  In delivering these ambitious plans, we believe we will create value in our business as 
demand increases from occupiers and clients who gravitate to more sustainable products and places.
This year we are required to report in line with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) reporting 
requirements for UK listed companies.  We are currently developing and instigating our strategy and are in the process of 
setting and agreeing goals, targets and metrics for addressing climate change.  As this is an ongoing process, we are aware 
that there are numerous targets, procedures, risks and opportunities that are yet to be identified.   

The Board recognises that it has not fully complied with the Listing Rule requirements as per LR 9.8.6(R)(8) for the 
disclosures for TCFD.  In particular the Board recognises that it has not included disclosures for the actual and potential 
impacts of climate related risks and opportunities on the Group’s business model, strategy and financial planning.  Nor 
have we identified and assessed climate-related risks and identified the metrics and targets to manage these risks.  We have 
not fully complied the disclosures this year because the Sustainability Committee established to oversee the identification, 
assessment and management of our response to climate-related risks and opportunities was only established in the year 
and has not completed its work in these areas and therefore is not yet in a position to submit its recommendations to the 

18

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

TASK FORCE ON CLIMATE RELATED FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES (continued)

Board or fully comply with the disclosures for TCFD.  We are appointing an external Consultant to assist us with our 
strategy and reporting requirements going forward. 

The following sections address how we propose to incorporate climate change into our corporate governance processes, its 
potential impact on our strategy and financial planning, its treatment in our risk management procedures and the relevant 
climate related risks and opportunities for our business.  The following sections and subsection headings correspond with 
the sections of the TCFD framework.

Governance

The Board is taking climate related risks and opportunities into consideration when making business decisions.

The Board Director responsible for climate-related issues is David Smart and the Senior Manager who leads the delivery 
of the sustainability strategy is Jane Oliver.

This  year  saw  the  inauguration  of  our  Sustainability  Committee  which  is  formed  of  representatives  from  across  the 
business including the Joint Managing Directors, members of the Real Estate, Construction, HR, Design and Engineering 
Teams.  Meeting quarterly, this Committee is responsible for identifying, assessing and managing our response to climate-
related risks and opportunities.  The Committee will report to the Board bi-annually with its recommendations.

Strategy

We are currently appointing Consultants to assist us in developing our Climate Strategy.  This will include identifying the 
climate related risks and opportunities that will affect the business over the short, medium and long term.  In undertaking 
this  process  we  have  identified  a  number  of  climate-related  issues  which  will  impact  the  organisation’s  businesses, 
strategy and financial planning.  These include products and services, supply chain and operations.  We will also consider 
the  impact  on  financial  planning  relating  to  operating  costs  and  revenue,  capital  expenditure  and  capital  allocation, 
acquisitions and disposals and access to capital.  

We will then assess the impact of these risks and opportunities and how they affect our businesses, strategies and financial 
planning. Examination of the resilience of the proposed Climate Strategy will be undertaken at this point. This exercise 
should be completed by mid-2023.

The recommendations of our Consultants will be reported to the Sustainability Committee which will then report to the 
Board.  Thereafter, the Board will agree the scope of and programme for the implementation of the strategy.  

Risk Management

The Sustainability Committee and ultimately the Board is responsible for identifying, reporting, managing and mitigating 
(where possible and practical) climate-related risks.  Due to the size of the Company, there is no Risk Committee as these 
responsibilities lie with the Board.  

When  we  have  received  the  reports  and  recommendations  of  our  specialist  Consultants,  we  shall  then  develop  and 
programme action plans based on the level and type of risk presented for both transitional and physical short, medium 
and long term risks and opportunities.  These will include consideration of existing regulatory requirements relating to 
climate change.

Climate risks will be included within the Risk Register and the Board will consider these alongside other risks affecting 
the business.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STRATEGIC REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

TASK FORCE ON CLIMATE RELATED FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES (continued)

Metrics & Targets

Once the Sustainability Committee has the feedback from the Consultants, it, together with the Board will decide how 
to measure the impact of the business on climate change.  We also look forward to compiling data sets year-on-year to 
improve our understanding of where the risks lie within the business and to set targets for mitigating their impact.  We 
have, as part of the existing reporting process, been compiling and reporting on the Group’s greenhouse gas emissions and 
this data reporting will be expanded and will form part of our impact on climate change reporting going forward.

The Board appreciates that action is required and as part of the Company’s commitment to reduce the impact its operations 
have on the environment, we have already introduced the following measures:
• 
Purchase of Eco Site cabins which benefit from a B energy rating.
•  Wind and solar powered CCTV security cameras installed on sites.
•  Hybrid company vehicles have been ordered.
•  New waste recycling regimes introduced on sites and at Head Office.
•  Electric vehicle car chargers installed at industrial estates and office building.
• 
• 

PIR and LED lighting introduced throughout the common areas of all office buildings in the property portfolio.
PV panels installed to residential and commercial properties.

EMPLOYEES

The Group recognises the contribution of the staff to the success of the Group.  The Group operates with a core employee 
base who in the main have been with the Group for a considerable length of time and have gained a significant knowledge 
of the sectors the Group operates in and of the companies within the Group.  Where appropriate the Group promotes from 
within whether that be the Directors, staff or site employees.  The Group recognises the importance of retaining its core 
staff to ensure its future success.

The  Group  does  not  have  a  specific  Human  Rights  policy  but  it  does  have  policies  on  recruitment  and  retention  of 
employees and communication with employees which are aimed at ensuring employees are fairly treated during their 
employment with the Group.

The Group is committed to providing equal opportunities in recruitment and employment, full and fair consideration is given 
to all applicants for employment and to all existing employees for promotion.  Where employees become disabled during their 
employment and are unable to fulfil current duties they are offered suitable alternative employment within the Group, if feasible.

It is the Group’s policy that there should be effective communication with employees at all levels, on matters which affect 
their current jobs or future prospects and all Directors and senior staff members make themselves available to all staff 
to discuss any matters of concern.  In achieving this policy, the Directors are aware of the need to take account of the 
practical and commercial considerations of the Group, and the needs of the employees.  

A breakdown by gender of Directors, senior managers and all employees is given below:

Directors 
Senior Managers   
Total Employees   

Male 
      3 
      1 
  131 

Female
         1
         1
       16

17th November 2022 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Patricia Sweeney
Company Secretary

20

21

 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS 

David W Smart, Chairman and Joint Managing Director Aged 49 
Joined the Company in 1998 
Appointed Director in 2010
Appointed Chairman and Joint Managing Director in 2017

John R Smart, Joint Managing Director Aged 52
Joined the Company in 2002
Appointed Director in 2013
Appointed Joint Managing Director in 2017

Alasdair H Ross Aged 60
Joined the Company in 1989 
Appointed Director in 2012 

Patricia Sweeney Aged 53
Joined the Company in 2011
Appointed Director in 2017

20

21

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

31st July 2022

COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

This statement details how the Company has applied the principles and provisions as set out in the Financial Reporting 
Council’s  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  issued  July  2018  (the  Code). A  copy  of  the  Code  can  be  review  on  the 
Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk.

The Board recognises that it has not complied fully with the Code in the areas of appointment of Non-Executive Directors 
and the establishment of Nomination, Audit and Remuneration Committees and the re-election of executive Directors. It 
also has not complied with the principles relating to division of responsibilities, evaluation of the Board and individual 
Directors.  The  Board  considers  that  due  to  the  nature  of  the  company  including  its  size,  lack  of  complexity  and  the 
ownership of the Company that to follow all the principles of the Code would be onerous and would provide no discernible 
benefit to the Company or shareholders. Full details and explanations of principles and provisions not complied with are 
detailed below.

BOARD LEADERSHIP AND COMPANY PURPOSE 

The Board of Directors (the Board) is committed to ensuring that it maintains good corporate governance of the Company 
so  as  to  achieve  the  long-term  sustainable  success  of  the  Company.  The  Board  remains  committed  to  the  principles 
of openness, integrity and accountability in dealing with the Company’s affairs and believes it has always acted with 
probity in the best interests of the Company, its employees, shareholders and stakeholders without recourse to guidance 
or instruction from others and fully intends to continue to do so in the future.

The Board which is the executive management of the Company consists of the Chairman who is also one of the two Joint 
Managing  Directors  and  two  other  Executive  Directors. The  size  of  the  Board  results  in  efficient  management  of  the 
Company leading to the long-term sustainability and success of the Company and that the Directors fulfil their statutory 
duties under S172 Companies Act 2006. The objectives of the Company as stated in the Strategic Report have been set by 
the Board and are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are being met and that adequate financial and human resources 
are available to meet these objectives.

The Directors are involved in the day to day management of the Company supported by senior management. The Directors 
were all employees of the Company prior to their appointment as a director and therefore have the appropriate skills, 
experience in their particular fields and knowledge of the Company and its culture to ensure that the Board discharges 
its responsibilities effectively to ensure the continued success of the Company. The detailed involvement in the day to 
day management ensures that the Directors interact daily with Company employees and encourage an open approach 
to management allowing employees to raise any concerns they have directly with the Directors and ensures that actual 
workplace policies and practices align to the Company’s values.

The Directors have ascertained the risks and uncertainties which could impact on the continuing success of the Company 
and these are set out in the Strategic Report. The Directors have also established controls with the aim to mitigate these 
risks as best as possible. The risks and the controls in place are regularly reviewed and steps are taken as necessary to 
adapt the controls as it becomes apparent that changes are needed.

The Chairman always makes himself available to shareholders to answer any queries they may have throughout the year 
on matters relating to the governance and performance of the Company and ensures that the views and concerns of the 
shareholders are brought to the attention of the Board as a whole.

Decisions are taken by the Board quickly and effectively following ad hoc consultation among the Directors concerned 
as matters arise. The Board takes the view that this direct and flexible approach is preferable to the more cumbersome 
procedures prevalent in larger organisations and has made a considerable contribution to the Company’s continuing success 
and ensures that this approach best serves the interests of the Company, its employees, shareholders and stakeholders. 

The Board confirms that it will consider and authorise any conflicts of interest between the Directors and the Company 
where there is no detrimental impact to the Company.

22

23

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (continued) 

31st July 2022

BOARD LEADERSHIP AND COMPANY PURPOSE (continued) 

S172 COMPANIES ACT 2006

The Directors are aware of their responsibilities and duties under S172 Companies Act 2006 to promote the success of the 
Company for the benefit of its members whilst having regard to other stakeholders including the Company employees, 
suppliers, customers and tenants. Whenever decisions are being made by the Board they take into account the implications 
of these on all stakeholders.

In the course of this financial year the principal decisions made by the Board were around the sale of three industrial 
estates from the Group’s investment portfolio.  The aim of the sale was to inject cash funds into the Group to enable the 
Group to fund ongoing construction projects and allow the Board to consider the commencement of new construction 
projects  and  land  acquisitions  for  future  development.    The  decisions  were  taken  after  due  consideration  of  market 
conditions at the time and the potential financial outcome of the transaction.  The Board believes that by proceeding with 
the sale of the investment properties they have secured the financial position of the Group which provides security to the 
Group’s employees of future employment and provision of work to our suppliers and subcontractors.  The profit earned 
on the sale of the properties has been reflected in the profit earned by the Group which improves the investment held by 
our shareholders in the Company.

During the year the Company established a Sustainability Committee comprising of some executive Board members and 
senior members of staff from various departments within the Group.  The aim of this Committee is to ensure that the 
Company and Group review the impact of climate change on all aspects of the Group’s operations and take appropriate 
actions to ensure that the impact of climate change is minimised as much as possible.

The welfare of our staff continues to be of upmost importance.  During the year health checks for all employees wishing 
to utilise the service where introduced. Members of staff were also encouraged to attend mental health first aid courses 
for their benefit and also to provide support to other staff members.

RELATIONS WITH SHAREHOLDERS
The Board has in the past and will continue to enter into dialogue with the shareholders wherever possible. The Chairman 
is responsible for ensuring that the views and concerns of the shareholders are communicated to the Board. The Chairman 
is also responsible for discussing governance and strategy matters with the shareholders.
All shareholders have an opportunity at the Annual General Meeting to participate in questions and answers with the 
Board on matters relating to the Company. Although for the 2021 Annual General Meeting due to coronavirus restrictions 
shareholders could not physically attend the meeting they were able to submit questions to the Board via a dedicated 
email  address  prior  to  the  meeting  for  consideration  during  the  meeting.  Only  one  question  was  submitted  regarding 
future investment plans in industrial buildings.  A reply was sent to the shareholder post the Annual General Meeting and 
no further comment was received..
At the Annual General Meeting separate resolutions will be proposed on each substantially separate issue and the number 
of proxy votes received for, against and withheld for each resolution will be announced.

SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS
As at 31st July 2022 and 17th November 2022, excluding holdings of Directors, the Company has been notified of the 
following holdings of substantial voting rights in respect of the issued share capital of the Company:
As at 31st July 2022 
Octet Investments Limited  
. 
Estate of A J Whitehead 

Number 
1,872,400 
2,311,495 

%
4.58
5.66

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

As at 17th November 2022 
Octet Investments Limited  
. 
Estate of A J Whitehead 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

1,872,400 
2,311,495 

4.59
5.67

22

23

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (continued) 

31st July 2022

BOARD LEADERSHIP AND COMPANY PURPOSE (continued) 

S172 COMPANIES ACT 2006 (continued)

EMPLOYEES 

As stated in the Strategic Report the employees of the Company are an important part of the success of the Company. The 
Directors operate an open-door policy whereby any employee can discuss any matters arising from their employment with any 
of the Directors. The Managing Directors visit all sites on a weekly basis which allows all site-based staff to also communicate 
directly with the Directors on matters they wish to raise. The employees can also raise any matters with Human Resources.
Coronavirus  continues  to  impact  the  Group  again  this  year,  all  of  our  sites  are  opened  with  the  appropriate  Scottish 
Government  guidance  in  place  for  safe  working  conditions  relating  to  social  distancing  and  provision  of  personal 
protection equipment.  Office based staff in the main are now working in the office, this move helped to re-establish 
working relationships and communication between departments and helps with the general efficiency of work flow.
During  the  year  health  checks  for  all  employees  wishing  to  utilise  the  service  where  introduced  and  will  take  place 
on an annual basis.  Through our private medical insurance provider a Health & Wellbeing app was made available to 
employees and regular updates are issued to all employees on Wellbeing topics.

SUPPLIERS AND SUBCONTRACTORS 

The Group prefers to use key suppliers and subcontractors which it has existing working relationships with and therefore 
is aware of the quality of products and services provided. The Group has a commitment to ensuring that all suppliers and 
subcontractors are paid within the terms of the supply.
We have continued to support our suppliers and subcontractors by continuing to make payments to them based on standard 
industry terms and we have adopted BACS payment methods thus ensuring suppliers receive their payments directly into 
their bank on the due date for payment.
Supplies of some materials have proven difficult to obtain and costs thereof have also increased, however, were possible 
we have continued to places orders with those suppliers we would normal used.

CUSTOMERS AND TENANTS 
The main customers of the Group are those which the Group has worked with in the past and we have built up strong 
working relationships with them which has resulted in repeat work being awarded to the Group. We maintain dialogue 
throughout contracts with our customers to ensure that they are aware of the progress of all contracts and any issues which 
may arise can be resolved in a timely manner.

Our investment properties are maintained to a high standard with dedicated managers who regularly inspect them and 
communicate with tenants regarding any issues they have.

With  regards  to  rental  payments  from  tenants  we  have  continued  to  allow  tenants  who  are  having  cash  flow  issues 
resulting from the coronavirus pandemic to make monthly payments as opposed to the normal quarterly payments in 
advance. A number of our tenants have and continue to make use of this arrangement.

In our multi let offices where our tenants are now coming back to work in the offices we continue to ensure in the common 
areas relevant coronavirus protocols for safety are still in place.

COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT 
The Group supports the local community by financially supporting local and national charities. The Group complies with 
all local authority guidance and planning conditions to ensure that all building sites are safe for employees, subcontractors 
and suppliers and do not interfere with surrounding neighbours.

The impact of our activities on Greenhouse Gas Emissions is disclosed in the Report of the Directors.

24

25

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (continued) 

31st July 2022

DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY

As mentioned above the Chairman of the Board is also one of the Joint Managing Directors who collectively act as the 
Chief Executive of the Company. Bearing in mind the size of the Company, the Board sees no value in splitting the role 
of Chairman and Managing Director, a policy which has served the Company well over many years. The Chairman is 
responsible for the leadership of the Board, ensuring that all the Directors receive accurate, timely and clear information 
on issues arising at formal and ad hoc Board meetings, setting Board agendas and ensuring adequate time is given to 
discussion of the agenda points.

The Board considers that appointing Non-Executive Directors would increase costs and impose an additional administrative 
burden on the Company for no discernible benefit and therefore would serve no useful purpose. As no Non-Executive 
Directors have been appointed the Company has not established Nomination, Remuneration or Audit Committees. The 
functions of these Committees are undertaken directly by the Board.

As the Company has no Non-Executive Directors then no director has been identified as an Independent Director.

During the year the Board held 3 formal board meetings all of which were attended by all the Directors.

Also,  during  the  year  the  Directors  met  regularly  on  an  ad  hoc  basis  to  undertake  the  executive  management  of  the 
Company and take decisions on all material matters quickly and effectively but with due care and diligence and therefore 
exercising  full  direction  and  control  of  the  Company. All  Directors  openly  express  their  views  and  make  a  valuable 
contribution to the running of the Company.

Due to the makeup and operation of the Board there is no requirement to formally set out in writing the responsibilities of 
the Chairman, Chief Executive or the Board.

All members of the Board have the ability to seek independent professional advice, at the Company’s expense, should they 
consider it necessary to enable them to fulfil their duties as a director. All Directors have access to the advice and services 
of the Company Secretary, who is responsible for ensuring that Board procedures are followed and that applicable rules 
and regulations are complied with.

The Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities is set out on pages 35 and 36.

COMPOSITION, SUCCESSION AND EVALUATION

As the Company has no Non-Executive Directors it has not established a Nomination Committee for the appointment 
of Directors. Nominations of new directors are submitted by the Chairman for approval by the Board. All Directors of 
the Company are long-serving employees of the Company at the date of nomination and appointment which ensures 
that their skills, experience and knowledge are retained within the Company and onto the Board. Although the Group 
does not have a specific policy on diversity, due regard is taken of the benefits of all types of diversity onto the Board 
when  nominations  are  proposed  and  also  takes  into  account  the  skills,  experience  and  professional  background  of 
nominees.

No  formal  tailored  induction  upon  joining  the  Board  is  required  given  all  members  of  the  Board  are  long-term 
employees. As all Board members are full-time employees of the Company they are fully committed to the Company 
and are able to allocate sufficient time to the Company in discharging their duties and responsibilities effectively.

There is no formal system of performance evaluation of the Board or the Directors individually. Directors are encouraged 
to receive any training they consider necessary to ensure they remain up-to-date with their skills and knowledge of the 
Company’s business and that they remain aware of the risks associated with the Company and also are aware of the 
regulatory, legal, financial and other developments to enable them to fulfil their roles effectively.

All Directors, with the exception of the Chairman, offer themselves annually for re-election.

As the Chairman is one of the Joint Managing Directors, then the Chair will not retire after the nine years recommended 
in the Code.

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25

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (continued) 

31st July 2022

AUDIT, RISK AND INTERNAL CONTROL

As the Company has no Non-Executive Directors it has not established an Audit Committee, it is therefore the responsibility 
of the Board to ensure the independence and effectiveness of the external audit function.
The Company does not have an internal audit function. The Board reviews the need for this function regularly and has 
concluded for the time being that no internal audit function is required. 

RISK MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROLS 
The Directors have sole responsibility for the preparation of the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts which taken 
as a whole is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for the shareholders to assess the 
Company’s performance, business model and strategy. The Directors are also responsible for the preparation of the Interim 
Report and other price-sensitive public reports and to ensure that these reports are also fair, balanced and understandable.
The  Board  is  responsible  for  and  annually  reviews  the  Group’s  system  of  internal  controls  in  relation  to  financial, 
operational, compliance and risk management to ensure their continued effectiveness. The systems adopted by the Board 
are designed to manage the risks of failure to achieve the Company’s business objectives as opposed to eliminate them, 
as any system of control can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss. 
The Strategic Report includes a description of the principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Group and the actions 
undertaken by the Group to mitigate these risks.
The Board, in accordance with the Code, has reviewed the effectiveness of the internal controls from the commencement 
of the accounting period to the date of approval of the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts. No significant failings or 
weaknesses have been identified in that period. There has also been a continual process of identification by the Directors 
of key areas of principal and emerging risks within the Group and appropriate action taken to mitigate and monitor such 
risks. The Directors confirm that they have carried out a robust assessment of the principal and emerging risks facing 
the Group, as detailed in the Strategic Report, including those which threaten the business model, future performance, 
solvency and liquidity of the Group.
The main features of the Group’s internal control and risk management systems in relation to the financial reporting process are:
contracts,  development  projects,  land  purchases  and  acquisition  of  property,  plant  and  equipment  are  only  
– 
proceeded with after due consideration by the Directors;

−  monthly reports for each contract and development project are prepared and reviewed by the Directors;
− 
− 

subsidiary Company reports are prepared for consideration by the Directors; and
treasury and cash management are undertaken by the Directors to ensure the Group remains net debt free.

The Board has identified that the interest in its Joint Venture company is material investment. Both parties to the joint 
venture have equal interest in the joint venture and jointly manage it with the regular board meeting being held attended 
by both joint venture parties to discuss construction progress and financial position. All decisions are taken relating to 
the joint venture between both parties. J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC deals with the day to day administration and 
accounting function of the joint venture.

GOING CONCERN AND VIABILITY
In order to ensure the Company and Group have adequate resources to ensure the continuing operations of the Company 
and Group for the foreseeable future the Directors consider current and future trading including taking account of potential 
impact  on  trading  due  to  the  coronavirus,  investment  property  acquisitions  and  disposals  and  cash  requirements. The 
Directors take account of prevailing market conditions in all areas of the Group’s activities and use their knowledge and 
experience  relating  to  the  Group’s  investment  property  portfolio.  Currently  our  construction  activities  are  continuing 
inline with government legislation and guidance and recoverability of rents from our tenants remains high. The Directors’ 
opinion is that the Company and Group have adequate financial resources to allow the Company and Group to continue 
in operational existence for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements and 
therefore consider the adoption of the going concern basis as appropriate for the preparation of these financial statements.
The Directors also consider the viability of the Group over a longer period than twelve months from the date of approval 
of  these  financial  statements,  being  a  three-year  period  from  the  Statement  of  Financial  Position  date.  The  Directors 
statement on this review can be found in the Strategic Report.

26

27

 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (continued) 

31st July 2022

AUDIT, RISK AND INTERNAL CONTROL (continued)

SIGNIFICANT JUDGEMENTS, KEY ASSUMPTIONS AND ESTIMATES 
As there is no Audit Committee, it is the responsibility of the Board to consider areas of the financial statements where 
there are significant areas of judgement regarding estimates and assumptions, which in turn have a significant effect on the 
amounts recognised in the financial statements. In respect of the 2022 financial statements these areas were:
− 

Investment Property Valuations – the valuation of the investment property portfolio is completed by the Directors. The  
valuation  of  the  property  portfolio  is  inherently  subjective  and  requires  significant  judgements  and  assumptions  to  
be  made  especially  around  capitalisation  yields  and  future  rental  streams.  Details  of  impact  on  the  value  of  the  
investment  property  portfolio  incorporated  into  the  financial  statements  is  given  in  note  15. The  Directors  appoint  
external valuers to value the portfolio to provide a sense check on their valuation. The valuations are discussed with the  
Auditor.
Long-term Contract Valuations and Provisions – the Directors consider contract performance to ensure appropriate  
revenue recognition. Future revenue, contract performance and stage of completion of contracts are considered and loss  
provisions determined and recognised where necessary. Both costs and revenues may require to be revised as future  
events unfold and uncertainties are resolved, including the future impact of the coronavirus pandemic on costs and  
supplies, which would have a direct impact on overall performance of these contracts.

− 

−  Retirement Benefit Surplus – the valuation of the retirement benefit obligation is dependent upon a series of assumptions  
which are determined after the Directors take expert advice from the Group’s Actuary. Changes in these assumptions  
could have a material affect on the surplus disclosed in the financial statements, details of the impact of changes in these  
assumptions are given in note 31.

The Board discusses fully all issues relevant to the above areas and obtains where possible information and advice from 
external experts for consideration by the external Auditor and only when fully satisfied with the amounts associated with 
each area are they incorporated into the financial statements.

RELATIONSHIP WITH EXTERNAL AUDITOR
As the Company does not have an Audit Committee, it is the responsibility of the Chairman and the Company Secretary 
to maintain an appropriate relationship with the Group’s external Auditor and to review the scope and results of the audit 
and  its  cost  effectiveness. The  Board  is  responsible  for  monitoring  and  ensuring  that  the Auditor’s  independence  and 
objectivity is not compromised. The Board takes account of the external Auditor’s own policies and procedures regarding 
their integrity and independence and the professional standards they have to adhere to. The Board monitors non-audit 
services. The Board is responsible for setting the remuneration of the Auditor.

REMUNERATION

As the Company has no Non-Executive Directors it has not established a Remuneration Committee, it is therefore the 
responsibility of the Chairman to fix the remuneration packages of the Directors which are based on the scope of their 
duties and responsibilities.

The  main  components  of  Directors’  remuneration  are  detailed  in  the  Directors’  Remuneration  Report  and  consist  of 
basic salary, benefits and pension contributions based on basic salary only. There are no performance or incentive-based 
elements to the Directors’ Remuneration and there are no share award schemes in place.

The Chairman takes account of the remuneration packages of the workforce when determining the level of remuneration 
of the Directors, benefits given are in line with those given to employees and all contributions for pension contributions 
are at the same rates as those for employees.

No  Director  has  a  service  contract  other  than  their  initial  employment  contract  and  therefore  periods  of  notice  and 
termination payments are structured in accordance with current Employment Law.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (continued) 

31st July 2022

REMUNERATION (continued)

The  remuneration  policy,  as  approved  by  the  shareholders  at  the  2021 Annual  General  Meeting,  is  regarded  by  the 
Chairman as fulfilling the provisions of the Code for:

− 

− 

− 

− 

– 

– 

Clarity – the policy is clear and understood by all Directors and by our shareholders who approved the policy.

Simplicity – the remuneration package does not include any complex structures.

Risk – as there are no performance-based elements to the remuneration it does not promote excessive risk taking by  
the Directors.

Predictability – as there are no performance-based elements to the remuneration the level of remuneration for the  
Directors can be predicted with reasonable accuracy.

Proportionality – remuneration levels are based on duties and responsibilities of the Directors and are not considered 
to be excessive.

Alignment to culture – as there are no incentive schemes the remuneration package is considered to be in line with  
the Company’s values and strategy.

17th November 2022 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Patricia Sweeney
Company Secretary 

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29

 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT 

31st July 2022

ANNUAL STATEMENT

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I present the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the year ended 31st July 2022.

In  addition  to  this  statement  the  Report  includes  two  other  parts  being  the  Policy  Report  and  the  Annual  Report  on 
Remuneration, which have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 and Schedule 8 
of The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.  The 
Report also meets the requirements of the UK Listing Authority’s Listing Rules and the Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

The Policy Report has been developed taking account of the principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018.  

The shareholders approved the previous Policy at the 2021 Annual General Meeting and the policy was effective for three 
years from that date.

The Annual  Report  on  Remuneration  will  be  subject  to  a  vote  at  the  2022 Annual  General  Meeting.    Our Auditor  is 
required to report to the shareholders on certain information contained in the Annual Report on Remuneration and that it 
has been prepared in accordance with the Act and the Regulations. The information to be audited is appropriately marked.

There have been no substantial changes to Executive Directors’ remuneration in the year.  Our policy continues to be to provide 
remuneration packages that will retain and motivate the Directors to sustain the long term growth and value of the Company.

17th November 2022 

THE POLICY REPORT

DaviD w Smart
Chairman

As stated in the Corporate Governance Statement the Company does not appoint Non-Executive Directors and therefore 
the  Company  does  not  have  a  Remuneration  Committee  to  set  the  Executive  Directors’  Remuneration  Policy.    The 
Chairman fulfils the function of the Remuneration Committee.

The Company’s remuneration policy is to provide remuneration packages that will retain and motivate the Directors to sustain 
the long term growth and value of the Company and is based on the scope of their duties and responsibilities.  The Directors 
are not entitled to any performance related remuneration, long term incentive schemes or share options.  The remuneration 
of the Directors is not performance related therefore no element of their remuneration is based on performance measures.

The policy table below summarises the main components of Directors’ Remuneration:

ELEMENT 

PURPOSE AND STRATEGY 

                              OPERATION

BASE SALARY

To pay a fair salary commensurate with the individual’s 
role, responsibilities and experience. 

Reviewed  annually  in  July  taking  account  of  the 
individual’s role and experience and the salary increases 
of  employees  throughout  the  Group  as  a  whole.    No 
maximum level is set.

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

THE POLICY REPORT (continued)

ELEMENT 

PURPOSE AND STRATEGY 

                              OPERATION

BENEFITS 

To provide support to enable the Directors to carry out 
their duties effectively. 

PENSION

To provide appropriate levels of retirement benefits.

Benefits  include  cash  in  lieu  of  a  company  car  and 
private  medical  insurance.    No  maximum  level  is  set 
as  the  costs  of  providing  benefits  fluctuate  over  time; 
however the costs are monitored to ensure they remain 
reasonable.

Depending  on  when  a  Director  first  became  an 
employee of the Company will determine whether they 
are members of the Company’s Defined Benefit Pension 
Scheme or Defined Contribution Scheme.

Company contributions to the Defined Benefit Scheme 
are currently 35.4% of base salary.  Contribution levels 
are set in agreement between the scheme trustees and 
the Company and can therefore vary from time to time.

Company  contributions  to  the  Defined  Contribution 
Scheme are currently a minimum of 10% of base salary.

The  Chairman  retains  the  right  to  make  minor  amendments  to  the  above  policy,  to  take  account  of  regulatory,  tax, 
legislative or administrative changes without obtaining shareholder approval for these amendments.

No share options or long term incentive schemes are operated by the Company.  

Directors are entitled to claim relevant expenses incurred by them in respect of their duties.

There are no provisions for the recovery of sums paid to Directors or the withholding of the payment of any sums to 
Directors.

As all remuneration of Directors is fixed remuneration there is no need to illustrate, via a bar chart, the expected values 
of proposed remuneration as it does not contain any elements based on performance and therefore is not subject to 
change based on either the Company’s or Director’s performance. 

APPROACH TO RECRUITMENT OF DIRECTORS

The Company’s approach to appointing new  Executive  Directors is to  appoint from within the Company.  As such 
the remuneration of the Director has already been set by the Company and the package held by the employee prior to 
appointment as a Director will remain in place.  Consideration will be made of the increased duties and responsibilities 
that will apply post appointment as a Director and revision to their base salary may be made to reflect this.

SERVICE CONTRACTS AND POLICY ON CESSATION

No Director has a service contract with the Company, other than their initial employment contract and therefore periods 
of notice and termination payments are structured in accordance with current Employment Law.

CONSIDERATION OF EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE IN COMPANY

The  Chairman  when  considering  the  remuneration  of  the  Executive  Directors  takes  into  account  the  remuneration 
of employees across the Group as a whole.  However, the Chairman does not consult directly with employees on the 
remuneration of the Executive Directors but is mindful of salary increases which are applied across the Group as a 
whole.

30

31

 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

THE POLICY REPORT (continued)

CONSIDERATION OF SHAREHOLDER VIEWS

The Chairman considers all views and concerns he receives from shareholders especially at the Annual General Meeting 
when shareholders have the opportunity to ask questions of the Board on all matters relating to the Company including 
Directors’ Remuneration, or at any other time throughout the year.  

Although no direct communication was held by the Chairman with major shareholders prior to shaping the Remuneration 
Policy  he  believes  that  it  is  a  responsible  approach  to  remuneration  and  its  policies  in  the  past  and  for  the  future  as 
evidenced by the level of approval of the 2021 Directors’ Remuneration Report at the 2021 Annual General Meeting, 
details of which are given in the Annual Report on Remuneration below. 

ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION 

The following provides details of how the remuneration policy was implemented in the year to 31st July 2022. 

Single Total Figure of Remuneration for Executive Directors (Audited Information)
The following table presents the single figure for the total remuneration of each Executive Director for the year ended 
31st July 2022 and the prior year:

Salary 
£000 

Taxable 
Benefits1 
£000 

David W Smart 
2022 
2021 

.   
.   

John R Smart 
.   
2022 
.   
2021 

Alasdair H Ross
2022 
2021 

.   
.   

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Patricia Sweeney
2022 
2021 

.   
.   

. 
. 

90 
.   
.   

.   
.   

.   
.   

.   
.   

6 
.   
.   

.   
.   

.   
.   

.   
.   

96 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

88
.       
.       

.       
.       

.       
.       

.       
.       

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

119 
116 

119 
116 

119 
116 

119 
116 

10 
10 

10 
10 

10 
10 

10 
10 

Pension 
£000 

Total 
£000 

(29)2                     100
144

182 

15 
14 

(7)2 
122 

15 
14 

144
140

122
138

144
140

1.  Taxable benefits consist of cash in lieu of company car and private medical insurance. 
2.  Pension value represents the cash value of pension accrued over one year multiplied by 20 in line with new regulations with allowance for inflation and employee contributions.

30

31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION (continued)

DIRECTORS’ PENSION ENTITLEMENTS 
David  W  Smart  and  Alasdair  H  Ross  are  members  of  the  Company’s  Defined  Benefit  Pension  Scheme  whilst  
John R Smart and Patricia Sweeney are members of the Company’s Group Personal Pension Plan.

The Company’s Defined Benefit Pension Scheme was closed to new members in 2003. The normal date of retirement 
based on the scheme rules is 65 and there is no automatic entitlement to early retirement. Contributions by the employer 
under the scheme are 35.4% of pensionable salary.

Accrued pension 
as at 31 July 2022 
£000 

47   

59 

Accrued pension
as at 31 July 2021
£000
44

     54

David W Smart 

Alasdair H Ross 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

SCHEME INTEREST AWARDS (AUDITED INFORMATION)

There were no scheme interests awarded in the year.

PAYMENTS TO PAST DIRECTORS (AUDITED INFORMATION)

No payments were made to past Directors in the year.

PAYMENTS FOR LOSS OF OFFICE (AUDITED INFORMATION)

No payments for loss of office were made to Directors in the year.

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ SHAREHOLDING AND SHARE INTERESTS (AUDITED INFORMATION)

The Company has no policy that Directors are required to own shares in the Company, although all Directors are currently 
shareholders of the Company.

The interests of the Directors in the ordinary shares of the Company, including beneficial interests, are shown in the table 
below:

Beneficial holdings 
(including interests of the Director’s connected persons)

       4 Dec   er 2020 31 July 2022 

31July 2021

.   
David W Smart 
John R Smart 
.   
Alasdair H Ross  .   
Patricia Sweeney .   

. 
. 
. 
. 

.   
.   
.   
.   

.   
.   
.   
.   

.   782,750   12,782,750 
.   782,750   12,782,750 
.   150,000        150,000 
.   150,000        150,000 

 12,782,750
 12,782,750
      150,000
      150,000

There have been no changes in any Directors’ beneficial holdings between 31st July 2022 and 17th November 2022.

32

33

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
          
 
 
          
          
          
          
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION (continued)

PERFORMANCE GRAPH 

The graph below shows a comparison of the total shareholder return for the Company’s shares for each of the last ten 
financial years against the total shareholder return for the companies comprised in the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT UK index 
which the Company deems to be the most relevant to the Company as it includes companies in the same sector as the 
Company.

The graph compares the value of £100 invested in J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC, including re-invested dividends.

Total Shareholder Return over the last ten financial years

£

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

J Smart & Co (Contractors) PLC

FTSE EPRA / NAREIT UK Index

2013           2014           2015           2016           2017           2018           2019           2020           2021           2022

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTORS TOTAL REMUNERATION

The following table details each of the Managing Directors their single figure of remuneration over the last ten financial 
years:

David W Smart 
John R Smart 
John M Smart 

  179  
  140  
    86 

2022 
£000  
  100 
  144 

2021 
£000 
  144 
  140 
  115 

2020 
£000 
  179 
  140 

2019 
£000  
  177 
  136 
  115 

2018 
£000  
  154 
  133 

2017 
£000  
  148 
  130 
  119 

2016 
£000 
  166 
  126 

2015 
£000 
  165 
  122 
  133

2014 
£000 
  207 
  115 

2013
£000
  184
    52

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTORS CHANGE IN REMUNERATION

The following table compares the change in remuneration of the Group Managing Directors and that of the remuneration 
of the Group’s salaried employees.  This group of employees was chosen as it represents the most comparable group.

Base salary 
Taxable benefits   

.   

. 
. 

.   
.   

. 
. 

. 
. 

3.09 % 
     2 %   

10.35 %
       3 %

 Managing Directors 
% change 2021-2022  

   Other employees
% change 2021-2022

32

33

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION (continued)

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SPEND ON PAY

The  following  table  compares  the  total  spend  on  remuneration  of  all  employees  of  the  Group,  including  Executive 
Directors, and the total amounts paid in distributions to shareholders for the years to 31st July 2022 and 31st July 2021:

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000 

Difference in  Difference as a
percentage
 %

spend 
£000 

Remuneration of employees 
Total distributions paid  
(being dividends and share buy backs) 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

  8,154 
  3,097 

8,137                            17 
2,143                            954) 

(0.2
44.5

IMPLEMENTATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REMUNERATION POLICY FOR 2023

After taking into consideration Group employees’ salary increases for the year to 31st July 2023, an increase of 4% of 
base salary was awarded to all Directors.

David W Smart 
John R Smart 
Alasdair H Ross 
Patricia Sweeney 

.   
.   
.   
.   

. 
. 
. 
. 

.   
.   
.   
.   

. 
. 
. 
. 

 Base salary from 1st July 2022 
£   
123,800 
123,800 
123,800 
123,800 

.        
.        
.        
.        

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

Base salary from 1st July 2021
£
119,100
119,100
119,100
119,100

CONSIDERATIONS BY THE DIRECTORS OF MATTERS RELATING TO DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION

The Chairman is responsible for determining Directors’ Remuneration.  No advice was sought in the year in considering 
Directors’ Remuneration.  

SUMMARY OF SHAREHOLDER VOTING AT THE 2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 2021 Directors’ Remuneration Report was put to the shareholders for their approval at the 2021 Annual General 
Meeting.  The resolution was passed on a show of hands.  

Details of the proxy votes lodged, including those at the discretion of the Chairman, are as follows:

. 
. 

. 
.   
For 
Against 
. 
.   
Total votes cast (excluding votes withheld) 
Votes withheld 
. 
.   
Total votes cast (including votes withheld) 

.   
.   

.   

. 

.   
.   
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
.  

 .    
 .    
. 
. 
.     

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

Total number 
 of votes 
27,495,130 
              454 
27,495,584 
                  – 
  27,495,584 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

% of votes cast

100
        –
    100

Votes withheld are not included in the proxy figures as they are not recognised as a vote in law.

17th November 2022 

34

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Patricia Sweeney
Company Secretary

35

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
 
   
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES 

31st July 2022

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  preparing  the  Annual  Report  and  Statement  of  Accounts  in  accordance  with 
international accounting standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and applicable law 
and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors 
are required to prepare the Group financial statements and have elected to prepare the company financial statements 
in  accordance  with  international  accounting  standards  in  conformity  with  the  requirements  of  the  Companies Act 
2006. 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 Group and Company and of the profit or loss for the Group and 
company for that period. The Directors are also required to prepare financial statements in accordance with UK adopted 
international accounting standards.

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;

state whether they have been prepared in accordance with international accounting standards in conformity with  
the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the  
financial statements;

state  whether  they  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  UK  adopted  international  accounting  standards,  
subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company  
will continue in business; and

prepare  a  Directors’  Report,  a  Strategic  Report  and  Directors’  Remuneration  Report  which  comply  with  the  
requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

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. The Directors are responsible for ensuring that the Annual 
Report and Statement of Accounts, taken as a whole, are fair, balanced, and understandable and provides the information 
necessary for shareholders to assess the Group’s performance, business model and strategy.

WEBSITE PUBLICATION

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  ensuring  the Annual  Report  and  Statement  of Accounts  are  made  available  on  a 
website. Financial statements are published on the Company’s website in accordance with legislation in the United 
Kingdom  governing  the  preparation  and  dissemination  of  financial  statements,  which  may  vary  from  legislation  in 
other jurisdictions. The maintenance and integrity of the Company’s website is the responsibility of the Directors. The 
Directors’ responsibility also extends to the ongoing integrity of the financial statements contained therein.

34

35

 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES (continued) 

31st July 2022

DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITES PURSANT TO DTR4

The Directors confirm to the best of their knowledge:
− 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with UK adopted international accounting standards  
and give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit and loss of the Group and  
Company.
The Annual Report and Statement of Accounts includes a fair review of the development and performance of  
the business and the financial position of the Group and Company, together with a description of the principal  
risks and uncertainties that they face.

–  

17th November 2022 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Patricia Sweeney
Company Secretary

36

37

 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  

31st July 2022

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF J. SMART & CO. (CONTRACTORS) PLC 

OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

In our opinion:

• 

• 

• 

• 

the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 
31st July 2022 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with UK adopted international accounting 
standards;

the Parent Company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with UK adopted international 
accounting standards and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and

the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

We have audited the financial statements of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC (the ‘Parent Company’) and its subsidiaries 
(the  ‘Group’)  for  the  year  ended  31st  July  2022  which  comprise  the  Consolidated  Income  Statement,  Consolidated 
Statement  of  Comprehensive  Income,  Consolidated  and  Company  Statement  of  Financial  Position,  Consolidated  and 
Company Statement of Changes in Equity, Consolidated and Company Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial 
statements,  including  a  summary  of  significant  accounting  policies.  The  financial  reporting  framework  that  has  been 
applied in their preparation is applicable law and UK adopted international accounting standards and as regards the Parent 
Company financial statements, as applied in accordance with the provisions 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 believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to 
provide a basis for our opinion. Our audit opinion is consistent with the additional report to the Board. .

INDEPENDENCE
We were appointed by the Board on 28th January 2021 to audit the financial statements for the year ending 31st July 2021 
and subsequent financial periods. The period of total uninterrupted engagement including retenders and reappointments is 
two years covering the years ending 31st July 2021 and 31st July 2022. We remain independent of the Group and the Parent 
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 as applied to listed public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical 
responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. The non-audit services prohibited by that standard were not provided 
to the Group or the Parent Company.

36

37

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

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. Our evaluation of the Directors’ assessment of the Group and 
the Parent Company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting included:

•  Evaluation of the Directors’ assessment in respect to their ability to continue as a going concern for at least twelve 
months from the date of this Annual Report. This included checking the mathematical accuracy of the models used;

•  Evaluation and challenge of the Directors’ key assumptions, cash flow projections and judgements made in respect to 
their going concern assumption. We did this by considering the appropriateness of the assumptions and judgements 
made by the Directors, based on our understanding of the business and challenging the Directors as to the accuracy 
of these assumptions and judgements relative to the equivalent metrics actually achieved in the recent history of the 
Group’s performance. We challenged these based on our understanding of the business in respect to construction 
contracts won, ability to deliver these within agreed timeframes and the probability of the cash flows materialising. 
We evaluated the Directors’ sensitivity analysis for appropriateness and performed our own sensitivity analysis based 
on our own assumptions and judgements comparing results to the Directors’ outcomes;

•  We performed stress tests in order to identify key areas that would cause the Group to fail and assessed the likelihood 
of these. We performed these sensitivities by identifying what key indicators such as revenue, cash and profit would 
need  to  reduce  by  before  the  Group  would  no  longer  have  the  ability  to  repay  their  debts  as  they  became  due. 
We considered new construction contracts and private housing sales to be some of the main assumptions made by 
management and duly sensitised these by assuming much reduced trading profit, noting that the Group had sufficient 
cash and reserves to absorb any such reasonable downside scenarios;

•  We performed ratio analysis to identify key risk areas in relation to going concern;

•  We performed procedures to identify unrecorded liabilities that may exist in the Group. These procedures included 
inspection of Director meeting minutes, post year end payments and invoice sampling, inspection of correspondence 
with  management’s  legal  advisors  including  obtaining  confirmation  of  no  material  claims  or  litigations  of  which 
we were not aware, as well as challenging new contracts taken out in the year in order to identify any unrecorded 
liabilities or conditions not otherwise met by the Group. This included testing the Directors’ ability to forecast by 
comparing previous forecasts to actual outturns and current year forecasts to post year end positions achieved and 
corroborating evidence such as quoted costs, especially in relation to construction contracts in order to identify any 
potentially material forecasting errors.

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 and 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. 

In relation to the Parent Company’s reporting on how it has applied the UK Corporate Governance Code, we have nothing 
material to add or draw attention to in relation to the Directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether the 
Directors considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant 
sections of this report.

38

39

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

OVERVIEW

Coverage1 

100% (2021: 99%) of Group profit before tax
100% (2021: 100%) of Group revenue
94% (2021: 94%) of Group total assets

Key audit matters 

Revenue recognition 
Valuation of defined pension benefit scheme  
Valuation of investment properties   

 2022

2021
		✓
		✓
		✓

  ✓	
  ✓	
  ✓	

Materiality 

Group financial statements as a whole
£1,200,000 (2021: £1,000,000) based on 0.82% of total assets

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCOPE OF OUR AUDIT

Our Group audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the Group and its environment, including the Group’s 
system of internal control, and assessing the risks of material misstatement in the financial statements. We also addressed 
the  risk  of  management  override  of  internal  controls,  including  assessing  whether  there  was  evidence  of  bias  by  the 
Directors that may have represented a risk of material misstatement.

The Group manages its operations from a central location in the UK and has common financial systems, processes and 
controls covering all significant components. 

In  assessing  the  risk  of  material  misstatement  in  the  Group  financial  statements,  and  to  ensure  we  obtained  adequate 
quantitative  coverage  of  significant  categories  of  balances  in  the Annual  Report,  we  determined  that  two  significant 
components,  J.  Smart  &  Co.  (Contractors)  PLC  and  Thomas  Menzies  (Builders)  Limited,  represented  the  principal 
business units within the Group. A full scope audit was undertaken on these components by the Group audit team. 

In addition, we scoped in the significant investment property balance and revenue of C. & W. Assets Limited for full scope 
audit work. We did not scope in the entire C. & W. Assets Limited subsidiary on the basis that only these two balances 
form the significant risk and value areas of the subsidiary with all other balances not being significant from a Group 
perspective.

The Group audit team performed analytical procedures in respect of the non-significant components and obtained further 
reasoning for movements exceeding a pre-determined threshold. In addition, we performed specific tests over risk areas 
such as revenue, journals and costs in respect to these insignificant components by testing a statistical sample of these 
balances to corroborating evidence, focussing on the cut-off and manual journals.

38

1.    These are areas which have been subject to a full scope audit by the Group engagement team

39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

KEY AUDIT MATTERS

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the 
financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether 
or not due to fraud) that we identified, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy, the 
allocation of resources in the audit, and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters were addressed in the 
context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a 
separate opinion on these matters.

KEY AUDIT MATTER

How the scope of our audit addressed the key audit matter

REVENUE 
RECOGNITION
(Note 1 and 3)

The Group’s revenue is 
generated from construction 
activities. 

These construction activities 
result in revenue that is derived 
from construction contracts as 
well as from the sale of private 
housing. 

Revenue from private house 
sales is recognised when 
control has been transferred 
to the purchaser which will 
normally occur at handover/legal 
completion. 

Revenue from construction 
contracts (disaggregated 
into Social Housing, Civil 
Engineering, Industrial and 
General Construction in note 3) 
is recognised based on different, 
individual, commercial contract 
terms. This includes areas of 
judgement such as when to 
recognise the right to revenue 
arising from the value of work 
performed based on valuations 
and the identification and 
recognition of losses in respect to 
loss making contracts.

Given the nature and complexity 
of revenue and its importance 
to the activities of the business, 
we considered there to be a 
significant risk arising in respect 
of the completeness, accuracy 
and existence of revenue in all 
revenue streams. 

As a result, we consider revenue 
recognition to be a key audit 
matter.

We reviewed the revenue accounting policies and practices 
as well as the basis of material recognition estimates for 
consistency of application and whether they were in accordance 
with the requirements of the applicable accounting standards.

We tested the Group’s material revenue streams individually 
according to their characteristics, performing detailed testing, 
as articulated in the following paragraphs below, of a sample 
of contracts during the year based on pre-determined metrics 
(related to contribution to revenue and profit) designed to 
address higher risk contracts and areas of judgement, as well as 
an additional unpredictable sample of contracts.

We engaged in detailed discussions with the relevant 
commercial directors and other key individuals in ascertaining 
and verifying the judgements made for each contract. As 
part of this process, we critically assessed and challenged the 
recognition of revenue and profit by reference to costs incurred 
to total costs as well as valuations performed at year end in 
comparison to our site attendance and other corroborating 
evidence such as the revenue contract agreement, testing of 
material variations and claims, as well as year-end payment 
certificates and cash received. This also included testing 
the recoverability of contract balances and trade debtors, 
certification of works and billing by matching the year end 
balance to post year end receipts, where material to test.                                      

Through our audit work we obtained an understanding of the 
key estimates taken by management around these contracts 
and sought detailed explanations and support for judgements 
taken, in particular where material claims for variations 
had been recognised. We then obtained evidence to support 
recoverability of these variations or claims by reference to 
customer agreement as well as cash payment of these variations 
and, where appropriate, consulted with management’s experts 
(in the form of Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors) 
to gain an understanding of the basis for the judgements made. 
We reviewed legal correspondence relating to significant 
claims and variations in order to identify evidence contrary to 
our understanding and management’s judgements. Our revenue 
and contract profit recognition testing focused on the timing 
of and amounts recognised in respect of any variable income 
to check that it is improbable that a significant reversal of 
amounts recognised will occur.

40

41

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

KEY AUDIT MATTERS (continued)

KEY AUDIT MATTER

REVENUE 
RECOGNITION
(continued)

How the scope of our audit addressed the key audit matter

We agreed the calculations underlying the estimate of costs 
to complete in relation to ongoing contracts to supporting 
agreements and documentation.

For a sample of projects, we carried out site visits to improve 
our understanding of the projects and their risk and attended 
contract review meetings to understand the process and 
challenges identified.

As part of testing of construction contracts, we also 
agreed a sample of applications for payment to customer 
correspondence and agreed a sample to cash receipt.

We checked that costs had been appropriately allocated to 
a particular contract, including the application of payroll, 
subcontractor and purchasing costs by sampling all costs in 
the year over all contracts and checking that the corroborative 
evidence obtained in relation to these samples supported the 
allocation of the cost to the particular contract being tested.

As part of our detailed testing, we reviewed post year end 
performance of contracts to corroborate estimates taken at 
the year-end in respect of costs expected to be incurred and 
challenged assumptions which appeared inconsistent with 
actual post year end performance. This included assessing the 
reliability of management estimates considering the positions 
adopted in previous years compared to actual outturn.

Revenue recognised in respect to private housing sales has 
been subjected to detailed testing. We checked that revenue 
had only been recognised at the point at which all performance 
obligations had been met and reviewed legal correspondence 
corroborating this by reference to the passing of legal title. By 
testing to source documentation and to cash receipt, we also 
checked that the Group recognised the appropriate value in the 
correct period.

We tested a sample of private housing stock by reconciliation 
to opening balances and movements in the year, which 
included additions and disposals resulting in revenue. This 
testing, together with review of Director meeting minutes, 
testing over cost of sales and cut-off testing, we are able to gain 
assurance over the completeness of private housing revenue.

Key observations 

Based on our procedures we found management’s judgements 
in respect of revenue recognition to be appropriate.

40

41

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

KEY AUDIT MATTERS (continued)

KEY AUDIT MATTER

VALUATION AND 
RECOVERABILITY 
OF DEFINED 
BENEFIT PENSION 
SCHEME NET 
ASSET
(Note 1 and 31)

The Group has a defined 
benefit pension scheme. 

The pension valuation 
is dependent on market 
conditions and key 
assumptions made by 
management, relating to 
investment markets, discount 
rate, inflation expectations and 
life expectancy assumptions. 
The Group has recognised 
the full scheme surplus 
when historically they 
have restricted the asset to 
what they believe can be 
recovered through future 
reduced contributions. This 
has resulted in a prior period 
adjustment and represents 
another area of significant 
judgement.

This area represented a key 
audit matter given that the 
setting of these assumptions 
is complex and requires 
the exercise of significant 
management judgement 
with the support of third 
party actuaries. The related 
sensitivities of any changes in 
assumptions are disclosed in 
note 31.

How the scope of our audit addressed the key audit matter

In testing the pension valuation, we utilised pension actuarial 
experts to review the key actuarial assumptions used, both 
financial and demographic, and in conjunction with our experts 
considered the appropriateness of the methodology utilised to 
derive these assumptions. 

We benchmarked the scheme assumptions against publicly 
available published data. Specifically, we challenged the 
discount rate, inflation and mortality assumptions applied in 
the calculation by using pension experts to benchmark the 
assumptions applied against comparable third party data and 
assessed the appropriateness of the assumptions in the context 
of the Group’s own position. We performed sensitivity analysis 
on the assumptions determined by the Directors. 

We considered the recoverability of the surplus to gain 
assurance that the Group has an unconditional right to 
recover the asset. We have seen legal confirmation that the 
Group has unconditional right to the scheme surplus and 
challenged this by reference to the Trust Deed, concluding 
that this is appropriate. We checked the Group’s restatement 
of comparatives in light of International Accounting Standard 
8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and 
Errors, checking that the disclosure was accurate complete and 
that the numbers agreed back to the prior year actuarial report.

We confirmed the competence, independence and ability 
to perform the work of the third party actuaries used by 
management by obtaining independence confirmations as well 
as checking that they are qualified actuaries.

We assessed the disclosure of the net pension asset and the 
related assumptions and sensitivities in the financial statements 
against the relevant accounting framework and the findings of 
our work.

Key observations 

We have not identified any evidence to suggest that the 
methodology and assumptions applied in relation to 
determining the pension valuation are not within an acceptable 
range.

42

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

KEY AUDIT MATTERS (continued)

KEY AUDIT MATTER

How the scope of our audit addressed the key audit matter

VALUATION OF 
INVESTMENT 
PROPERTIES
(Note 1 and 15)

The Group has a significant 
portfolio of investment property.

All investment properties have been agreed to title deeds to 
check that the Group holds the right of ownership.

Judgement is required by 
management in terms of the 
assessment of the effect on the 
valuation of the individual nature 
of each property, its location, 
expected future rental income, 
tenure and tenancy profiles, 
prevailing market yields and 
comparable market conditions. 

Input inaccuracies or 
unreasonable bases used in these 
assumptions could result in a 
material misstatement in the 
financial statements.

In auditing the investment property portfolio, we utilised 
audit experts, who are independent 3rd party RICS valuers, 
to independently review a sample of the investment property 
portfolio valuation in order to assess the key assumptions 
used and considered the appropriateness of the methodology 
utilised to derive these assumptions as well as the 
appropriateness of the valuation technique used.

We performed detailed testing on a sample of properties, 
agreeing the key judgements such as the nature of each 
property, its location, expected future rental income, 
tenure and tenancy profiles and prevailing market yields to 
corroborating documentation, to check that the valuations are 
based on accurate and reliable information in relation to those 
properties.

This area represented a key audit 
matter given that the setting of 
these assumptions is complex 
and requires the exercise 
of significant management 
judgement with the support of 
third party valuation experts.

A sample of additions to investment properties were agreed to 
legal documentation and the other properties at year end were 
agreed to the prior year listing to confirm the completeness of 
the portfolio.  We performed further tests such as inspection 
of Director meeting minutes and post year end receipts to 
identify any unrecorded disposals. A sample of properties was 
physically inspected by our audit experts.

We confirmed the competence, independence and ability to 
perform the work of the third party valuation experts used 
by management by obtaining independence confirmations as 
well as checking that they are qualified valuers.

Assumptions made by management in their valuation, such 
as rental amounts and yields, were challenged by agreeing a 
sample of these assumptions to corroborating evidence in the 
form of rental contracts and engagement of our own experts 
to review these, to consider whether they are appropriate. 

The completeness and accuracy of disclosure in the financial 
statements were checked with reference to our knowledge 
obtained during the audit and the requirements of the relevant 
accounting standards.

Key observations 

We have not identified any evidence to suggest that the 
methodology and assumptions applied in relation to 
determining the investment property valuation are not 
within a tolerable range. Based on our procedures we found 
management’s valuation in respect of investment properties to 
be appropriate.

42

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

OUR APPLICATION OF MATERIALITY 

We apply the concept of materiality both in planning and performing our audit, and in evaluating the effect of misstatements.  
We consider materiality to be the magnitude by which misstatements, including omissions, could influence the economic 
decisions of reasonable users that are taken on the basis of the financial statements. 
In order to reduce to an appropriately low level the probability that any misstatements exceed materiality, we use a lower 
materiality level, performance materiality, to determine the extent of testing needed. Importantly, misstatements below these 
levels will not necessarily be evaluated as immaterial as we also take account of the nature of identified misstatements, and 
the particular circumstances of their occurrence, when evaluating their effect on the financial statements as a whole. 
Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole and performance 
materiality as follows:

Materiality
Basis for determining 
materiality
Rationale for the 
benchmark applied

Performance 
materiality
Basis for determining 
performance 
materiality

Group financial 
statements
2022
£
£1,200,000
0.82% of total assets at 
the year end
We consider this 
to be the principal 
consideration in 
assessing the financial 
performance of the 
Group as the Group 
considers total 
assets to be their key 
performance indicator, 
which demonstrates 
less volatility than 
other performance 
measures.

Group financial 
statements
2021
£
£1,000,000
0.73% of total assets at 
the year end
We consider this 
to be the principal 
consideration in 
assessing the financial 
performance of the 
Group as the Group 
considers total 
assets to be their key 
performance indicator, 
which demonstrates 
less volatility than 
other performance 
measures.

Parent company 
financial statements
2022
£

Parent company 
financial statements
2021
£

£200,000
0.54% of total assets at 
the year end.
We consider this 
to be the principal 
consideration in 
assessing the financial 
performance of the 
company as the 
company considers 
total assets to be their 
key performance 
indicator, which 
demonstrates less 
volatility than other 
performance measures.

£120,000
0.54% of total assets at 
the year end.
We consider this 
to be the principal 
consideration in 
assessing the financial 
performance of the 
company as the 
company considers 
total assets to be their 
key performance 
indicator, which 
demonstrates less 
volatility than other 
performance measures.

£840,000

£650,000

£140,000

£78,000

70% of the above 
materiality thresholds 
to address the 
expected total value 
of known and likely 
misstatements, our 
knowledge of the 
Group’s internal 
controls and 
management’s attitude 
towards proposed 
adjustments. Given 
this is now our second 
year of engagement, 
we considered it 
appropriate to increase 
this threshold.

65% of the above 
materiality thresholds 
to address the 
expected total value 
of known and likely 
misstatements, our 
knowledge of the 
Group’s internal 
controls and 
management’s attitude 
towards proposed 
adjustments, given 
this is our first year of 
engagement.

70% of the above 
materiality thresholds 
to address the 
expected total value 
of known and likely 
misstatements, our 
knowledge of the 
Group’s internal 
controls and 
management’s attitude 
towards proposed 
adjustments. Given 
this is now our second 
year of engagement, 
we considered it 
appropriate to increase 
this threshold.

65% of the above 
materiality thresholds 
to address the 
expected total value 
of known and likely 
misstatements, 
our knowledge 
of the Group’s 
internal controls 
and management’s 
attitude towards 
proposed adjustments, 
given this is our first 
year of engagement.

44

45

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

OUR APPLICATION OF MATERIALITY (continued) 

Component materiality 

We set materiality for each component of the Group based on a percentage of between 7.5% and 90% of Group materiality 
dependent on the size and our assessment of the risk of material misstatement of that component.  Component materiality 
ranged from £90,000 to £1,000,000. In the audit of each component, we further applied performance materiality levels 
of 70% of the component materiality to our testing to ensure that the risk of errors exceeding component materiality was 
appropriately mitigated.

Reporting threshold 

We agreed with the Board that we would report to them all individual audit differences in excess of £36,000.  We also 
agreed to report differences below this threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds.

We agreed with the Board that we would report to them all individual audit differences in excess of £30,000.  We also 
agreed to report differences below this threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds.

OTHER INFORMATION

The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the 
Annual Report and Statement of Accounts other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. 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.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT 

The Listing Rules require us to review the Directors’ statement in relation to going concern, longer-term viability and that 
part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to the Parent Company’s compliance with the provisions of the UK 
Corporate Governance Statement specified for our review. 

Based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements of the Corporate 
Governance Statement is materially consistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained during the audit.

GOING CONCERN 
AND LONGER-TERM 
VIABILITY

•  The Directors’ statement with regards to the appropriateness of adopting the going concern 

basis of accounting and any material uncertainties identified set out on page 26; and

•  The  Directors’  explanation  as  to  its  assessment  of  the  entity’s  prospects,  the  period  this 

assessment covers and why the period is appropriate set out on page 26.

OTHER CODE 
PROVISIONS

•  Directors’ statement on fair, balanced and understandable set out on page 26;
•  Board’s  confirmation  that  it  has  carried  out  a  robust  assessment  of  the  emerging  and 

principal risks set out on pages 26 and 27;

•  The  section  of  the  Annual  Report  that  describes  the  review  of  effectiveness  of  risk 

management and internal control systems set out on pages 26 and 27; and

•  The section describing the work of the Board set out on page 25.

44

45

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

OTHER COMPANIES ACT 2006 REPORTING

Based on the responsibilities described below and our work performed during the course of the audit, we are required by 
the Companies Act 2006 and ISAs (UK) to report on certain opinions and matters as described below.

STRATEGIC REPORT 
AND REPORT OF 
THE DIRECTORS

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
• 

the information given in the Strategic Report and the Report of the Directors for the 
financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the 
financial statements; and
the Strategic Report and the Report of the Directors have been prepared in accordance 
with applicable legal requirements.

• 

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and Parent Company and its 
environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements 
in the Strategic Report or the Report of the Directors.

DIRECTORS’ 
REMUNERATIONS

In our opinion, the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly 
prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

MATTERS ON 
WHICH WE ARE 
REQUIRED TO 
REPORT BY 
EXCEPTION

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 by the Parent Company, or returns 
adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the Parent Company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report to be audited 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.

• 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTORS

As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibility, 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 Group’s and the Parent 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 Group or the Parent Company or to cease 
operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

46

47

 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022 

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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.

Extent to which the audit was capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with 
our responsibilities, outlined above, 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. 
Based on our understanding and accumulated knowledge of the Group and the sector in which it operates we considered the 
risk of acts by the Group which were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud and whether such actions 
or non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. These included but were not limited to those 
laws and regulations that relate to the form and content of the financial statements, such as the Group accounting policies, 
IFRS’s, the UK Companies Act 2006; those that relate to the payment of employees; and industry related such as regulations 
impacting the construction industry. All team members were briefed to ensure they were aware of any relevant regulations 
in relation to their work.
We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including 
the risk of override of controls), and determined that the principal risks were related to posting inappropriate journal entries, 
controls around supplier payments and information changes, management bias in accounting estimates and improper revenue 
recognition associated with year-end cut-off. Our audit procedures included, but were not limited to:
•  Agreement of the financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
•  Challenging assumptions and judgements made by management in their significant accounting estimates, in particular 
in relation to the recognition of revenue, the assumptions and estimates used in the valuation of investment property and 
the defined pension benefit scheme net asset (for more information on how we audited these areas, refer to the “Key 
audit matters” section above). We sought to identify any areas of management bias by corroborating these estimates 
and  judgements  and  challenging  management  as  to  their  appropriateness  based  on  third  party  empirical  evidence, 
recalculating management’s estimate, following up on information in relation to estimates to the date of issue as well as 
in some cases developing our own estimate range and comparing this to management’s estimate;

•  At the planning stage, engaging forensic accounting experts in our risk assessment in order to identify areas of potential 
manipulation  or  fraud  based  specifically  on  construction  entities  and  designed  targeted  audit  tests  to  address  these 
concerns which included:

- testing for unusual capitalised assets;
- remaining aware to the possibility of money laundering in construction contracts;
- consideration of unusual cash payments by use of our data analytics software;
- comparison of bank accounts between suppliers and payroll in order to identify any duplicates;
- reviewing supplier transactions to identify unusual movements;
- testing supplier changes to identify unauthorised or fraudulent changes; and
- testing petty cash movements in order to identify any large or unusual items which could be indicative of

potentially fraudulent payment.

• 
• 

Focussing on revenue year end cut-off procedures and the inclusion of revenue in the correct accounting periods;
Identifying and testing journal entries, in particular any journal entries posted with specific keywords, manual journals 
to revenue and cash, journals posted by individuals with certain system access levels and an unpredictable sample of 
journals;

•  Discussions with management, including consideration of known or suspected instances of non-compliance with laws 

and regulation and fraud;

•  Review  of  minutes  of  Board  meetings  throughout  the  period  in  order  to  identify  any  evidence  of  contradictory 

information;

•  Obtaining an understanding of the control environment in monitoring compliance with laws and regulations;
•  Testing of payroll calculations and payments in order to identify potential fraud by ensuring that processors of payroll 

only received what is contractually due to them with reference to their employment contracts.

46

47

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT (continued) 

31st July 2022

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

Our audit procedures were designed to respond to risks of material misstatement in the financial statements, recognising that 
the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, 
as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery, misrepresentations or through collusion. There are 
inherent limitations in the audit procedures performed and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is 
from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we are to become aware of it.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: 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 Parent 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 Parent 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 Parent Company and the Parent Company’s 
members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

aliStair rae (Senior Statutory Auditor)
For and on behalf of BDO LLP, Statutory Auditor
Edinburgh, UK
17th November 2022

BDO LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales (with registered number OC305127)

48

49

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
for the year ended  31st July 2022 

CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Group construction activities  
. 
Less: Own construction work capitalised 

. 

REVENUE     
Cost of sales 

GROSS PROFIT 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

Other operating income  . 
Net operating expenses  . 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

OPERATING PROFIT BEFORE PROFIT ON SALE AND NET SURPLUS 
ON VALUATION OF INVESTMENT PROPERTIES  . 

. 

. 

Profit on sale of investment properties  
Net surplus on valuation of investment properties 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
OPERATING PROFIT 
. 
Share of profits in Joint Ventures 
. 
Income from financial assets 
. 
Profit on sale of financial assets  
. 
Net (deficit)/surplus on valuation of financial assets  . 
. 
Finance income  . 
. 
. 
Finance costs 
. 
Gain on remeasurement of subsidiary company 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

PROFIT BEFORE TAX 

Taxation 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

PROFIT FOR THE YEAR FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS 
Loss for the year from discontinued operations 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

PROFIT FOR YEAR ATTRIBUTABLE TO EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS 

EARNINGS/(LOSS) PER SHARE 
From continuing operations – basic and diluted 

From discontinued operations – basic and diluted 

. 

. 

. 

. 

From continuing and discontinued operations – basic and diluted 

48

49

Notes 

2022 
£000 

2021
£000

2 

3 

4 

15 

6 
16 
7 

8 
8 

9,597 
   (2,167) 

12,308
  (1,901) 

7,430 
   (5,853) 

10,407
    (8,977)

1,577 

1,430

7,012 
   (7,295) 

7,446
  (6,745) 

1,294 

2,131)

6,055 
       473) 

37
  12,105)

7,822          14,273)
264)
36
1
(312)
4
(25)
           –) 

254) 
63  
17 
4((121) 
141  
(12) 
         28) 

8,192           14,865  

9 

   (1,571) 

   (3,802) 

6,621           11,063  

10                      –)              (93) 

11               6,621          10,970 

13              15.90p          26.16p 

13                     –            (0.22)p

13              15.90p         25.94p 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 
for the year ended 31st July 2022

PROFIT FOR THE YEAR 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

               6,621           10,970

Notes 

2022  

£000  

2021 
Restated
Note 35
£000 

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 
Items that will not be subsequently reclassified to Income Statement: 
. 
Remeasurement gains on defined benefit pension scheme 
Deferred taxation on remeasurement gains 
on defined benefit pension scheme 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

31 

7,219)  

(9,126)

.                  25              (1,804) 

  (1,476)

TOTAL ITEMS THAT WILL NOT BE SUBSEQUENTLY 
RECLASSIFIED TO INCOME STATEMENT . 

. 

TOTAL OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR, NET OF TAX 

ATTRIBUTABLE TO EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

              5,415) 

    7,650)

              5,415)            7,650)

    12,036           18,620) 

  12,036  

      18,620)

50

51

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY 
as at 31st July 2022

                                   Capital 
Share  Redemption 
Reserve  

Capital 

Retained  
Earnings         Total
Restated        Restated
Note 35         Note 35
£000             £000          £000

£000  

At 1st August 2020  

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
Profit for the year 
Other comprehensive gain 
. 
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
.    

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

853 

              155 

       98,252       99,260

.                      –                    –            10,970      10,970
.                      – 
          –)            7,650        7,650)
.                      –                     –)         18,620)     18,620)

TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS, RECORDED DIRECTLY IN EQUITY 
Shares purchased and cancelled  
. 
Transfer to Capital Redemption Reserve 
. 
Dividends  

.   
.   
.   

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

TOTAL TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS  . 

At 31st July 2021 - Restated  

Profit for the year 
. 
Other comprehensive gain 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

         2,436 
TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS, RECORDED DIRECTLY IN EQUITY 
. 
Shares purchased and cancelled  
Transfer to Capital Redemption Reserve 
. 
Dividends  

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

TOTAL TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS  . 

At 31st July 2022  . 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

.     

.     

. 

. 

50

51

.                   (13)                    –              (769)         (782)
. 
13                   13)              –
           –                      –           (1,361)       (1,361)
. 

–   

 .                (13)                  13            (2,143)      (2,143)

 .                840                 168 )  

114,729     115,737

.     
–                      –             6,621        6,621
.                      –)                   –             5,415)      5,415)
.                      –)                    –          12,036      12,036

      3,064

.                   (22)                   –            (1,727)     (1,749)
–                    22                (22)              –
. 
           –                      –)            (1,348)      (1,348)
. 

.                   (22)                 22           (3,097)      (3,097)

.                  818                 190         123,668     124,676

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
                               
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

COMPANY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY 
as at 31st July 2022

Capital 
Share  Redemption  
Reserve 

Capital 

£000 

£000 

Retained  
Earnings 

Total
Restated                   Restated
Note 35                    Note 35
£000
£000 

853 

155 

2,349 

3,357

At 1st August 2020 

. 

. 
Loss for the year  
Other comprehensive gain 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

 – 
              – 

– 
             – 

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR 

             –                      – 

TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS, RECORDED DIRECTLY IN EQUITY
Shares purchased and cancelled  
. 
Transfer to Capital Redemption Reserve 
. 
Dividends  

             – 

. 
. 
.  

(13) 

– 
–                    13  
             – 

. 

. 

. 

(482) 
     7,650) 

    7,168) 

((482)
     7,650)

     7,168)

(769) 
(13) 
    (1,361) 

(782)
–
    (1,361)

TOTAL TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS  . 

. 

         (13) 

          13 

   (2,143) 

    (2,143)

At 31st July 2021 - Restated 

Profit for the year 
. 
Other comprehensive gain 

. 

. 
. 

. 

.               840                  168   

    7,374    

     8,382

.     
. 

. 
. 

–                      – 
               – 

                – 

10,244) 
    5,415) 

10,244)
     5,415)

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR 

                – 

               – 

 1 5,659) 

   15,659)

TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS, RECORDED DIRECTLY IN EQUITY 
Shares purchased and cancelled  
. 
Transfer to Capital Redemption Reserve 
. 
Dividends  

(22) 
          –  
                – 

.  
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

– 
22 
              – 

(1,727) 
(22) 
   (1,348) 

(1,749)
–
    (1,348)

TOTAL TRANSACTIONS WITH OWNERS  . 

.                (22) 

          22 

   (3,097) 

      (3,097) 

At 31st July 2022  . 

. 

. 

. 

.                818 

        190 

   19,936 

   20,944 

52

53

 
 
 
 
           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
          
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
as at 31st July 2022

. 

NON-CURRENT ASSETS 
Property, plant and equipment  . 
. 
Investment properties 
. 
Investments in Joint Ventures 
. 
Financial assets 
. 
Trade and other receivables 
. 
Retirement benefit surplus 
. 
. 
Deferred tax assets 

. 

. 

CURRENT ASSETS 
. 
Inventories 
Contract assets 
. 
Corporation tax asset 
Trade and other receivables 
Monies held on deposit   
Cash and cash equivalents 

. 
. 
. 

TOTAL ASSETS 

. 

. 

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 
. 
Deferred tax liabilities 
. 
Lease liabilities 

CURRENT LIABILITIES 
Trade and other payables 
. 
Lease liabilities 
Corporation tax liability  
. 
Bank overdraft 

TOTAL LIABILITIES 

NET ASSETS 

. 

. 

. 

EQUITY 
Called up share capital 
Capital redemption reserve  
Retained earnings 

. 

. 

TOTAL EQUITY 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

  Notes 

14 
15 
16 
18 
21 
31 
25 

19 
20 
2 9 
21 
22 
22 

25 
26 

23 
26 
9 
22 

27 
27 
27 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
.  

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

2022  

£000  

2021 
                Restated
                 Note 35
£000 

1,207  
77,777  
1,532  
1,069  
3,010  
15,096  
          13  

1,245
93,060
1,267
1,184 
1,570 
7,863
        179 

   99,704  

 106,368

12,454  
16  
–  
2,442  
48  
   31,796  

7,531
246
35 
2,945 
48
   19,355 

   46,756    

   30,160

  146,460  

 136,528

8,172  
        212   

5,956 
        213

     8,384  

     6,169

2,306  
1  
44  
     11,049  

3,050
– 
–
   11,572

   13,400  

   14,622

    21,784   

   20,791 

 124,676   

  115,737

818  
190  
 123,668   

840
168
  114,729 

 124,676  

  115,737 

52

The financial statements on pages 49 to 96 were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 
17th November 2022 and were signed on its behalf by:

DaviD w Smart 
Director 

Company Number SC025130

53

John r Smart
Director

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

COMPANY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
as at 31st July 2022

NON-CURRENT ASSETS 
. 
Property, plant and equipment  . 
Investments in Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures 
. 
Trade and other receivables 
. 
Retirement benefit surplus 
. 
. 
Deferred tax asset 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

CURRENT ASSETS 
. 
Inventories 
. 
Contract assets 
Trade and other receivables 
Corporation tax asset 
Cash and cash equivalents  

. 
. 

. 

TOTAL ASSETS 

. 

. 

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 

Deferred tax liabilities 

. 

CURRENT LIABILITIES 
Trade and other payables 
. 
Bank overdraft 

TOTAL LIABILITIES 

NET ASSETS 

. 

. 

. 

EQUITY 
Called up share capital 
Capital redemption reserve 
Retained earnings 

. 

. 

TOTAL EQUITY 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

  Notes 

14 
16 
21 
31 
25 

19 
20 
21 

22 

25 

23 
22 

27 
27 
27 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

2022 

£000 

2021 
                Restated
                 Note 35
£000 

670 
1,748 
3,374  
15,096  
            – 

683
1,698 
1,570 
7,863 
            –

   20,888 

   11,814

12,067 
16 
2,448 
1,421 
            – 

7,477
246 
1,924 
962 
            – 

   15,952 

   10,609 

   36,840 

   22,423

     3,856 

     2,047

     1,997 
   10,043 

     2,229
     9,765

   12,040 

   11,994 

   15,896 

   14,041

   20,944 

     8,382 

818 
190 
   19,936 

840 
168
     7,374

    20,944 

        8,382 

A  separate  Statement  of  Comprehensive  Income  for  the  Company  has  not  been  presented  as  permitted  by 
Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. The profit for the Company is £10,244,000 (2021, loss £482,000). 

The financial statements on pages 49 to 96 were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue 
on 17th November 2022 and were signed on its behalf by:

DaviD w Smart 
Director 

Company Number SC025130

John r Smart
Director

54

55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 
for the year ended 31st July 2022

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

)

Profit after tax – continuing and discontinued operations 
Tax charge for year 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Profit before tax – continuing and discontinued operations 
Adjustments for:  
. 
Share of profits from Joint Ventures 
. 
Depreciation 
. 
Unrealised surplus on valuation of investment properties 
. 
Unrealised deficit/(surplus) on valuation of financial assets  . 
. 
Profit on sale of property, plant and equipment 
. 
. 
Profit on sale of investment property 
. 
Profit on sale of financial assets  
. 
. 
Gain on remeasurement of subsidiary company 
. 
. 
Change in retirement benefits 
. 
. 
. 
Interest received   
. 
. 
. 
Interest paid 
. 
. 
. 
Change in inventories 
. 
. 
. 
Change in contract assets 
. 
. 
. 
Change in receivables  
. 
. 
. 
Change in payables 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

CASH (OUTFLOW)/INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

Tax paid 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

NET CASH (OUTFLOW)/INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES 
. 
Additions to property, plant and equipment 
. 
Additions to investment properties 
Expenditure on own work capitalised - investment properties 
. 
Proceeds of sale of property, plant and equipment 
. 
Proceeds of sale of investment property 
. 
Purchase of financial assets 
. 
. 
. 
Proceeds of sale of financial assets 
Acquisition of investment in Subsidiary – net cash acquired  
. 
Interest received   
. 
. 
Loan to Joint Ventures 
. 
. 
. 
Investment in Joint Ventures 
. 
Dividend received from Joint Ventures . 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

NET CASH INFLOW/(OUTFLOW) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES  

54

55

  Notes 

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
.  
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

6,621 
     1,571 

10,970
     3,814

8,192 

14,784

(254) 
399 
(473) 
121 
(29) 
(6,055) 
(17) 
(28) 
(14) 
(20) 
12 
(4,584) 
230 
503 
   (1,113) 

(264)
349
(12,105)
(312)
(35)
(37)
(1)
– 
187
(4)
12
(1,350)
177
(122)
       (22)

(3,130) 

1,257

     (914) 

     (361)

                  (4,044) 

       896)

(380) 
(54) 
(2,167) 
48 
24,032) 
(47) 
(8758) 
97) 
20 
(1,440) 
(50) 
           – 

(336)
(439) 
(1,901)
45
62)
–)
15
–)
4

(1,320) 
(133)
        31

  20,117) 

  (3,972)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (continued) 
for the year ended 31st July 2022

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 
Interest costs on leases 
. 
Purchase of own shares  . 
. 
Dividends paid 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 

. 
. 
. 

. 

INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR 

  Notes 

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

(12) 
(1,749) 
  (1,348) 

(12)
(782)
  (1,361)

  (3,109) 

  (2,155)

                 12,964) 

  (5,231)

.  28 (a) 

    7,783 

 13,014

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF YEAR  

. 

.  

.  28 (a) 

  20,747 

   7,783

56

57

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

COMPANY STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 
for the year ended 31st July 2022

CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 
. 
Profit/(loss) after tax 
. 
Tax charge 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

Profit/(loss) before tax 
Adjustments for:  
. 
. 
Depreciation 
Profit on sale of property, plant and equipment 
Dividend received from Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures 
Change in retirement benefits 
Interest received   
. 
. 
Change in inventories 
Change in contract assets 
Change in receivables – non-current 
Change in receivables - current  
. 
Change in payables 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES  

Tax received 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

. 

. 

. 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Additions to property, plant and equipment 
Proceeds of sale of property, plant and equipment 
. 
Interest received   
Loan to Joint Ventures 
. 
Investment in Joint Ventures 
Dividend received from subsidiaries and Joint Ventures 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

NET CASH INFLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES 

. 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 
Purchase of own shares  . 
. 
Dividends paid 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 

DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS   

. 
. 

. 

. 

56

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF YEAR 

. 

  Notes 

2022)  
£000)  

2021) 
£000)

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

10,244 
                     (466) 

9,778 

211 
(3) 
(12,360) 
(14) 
(2) 
(4,590) 
230 
(364) 
(524) 
(232) 

(482)
      274

(208)

166
(2)
(2,531)
187
-
(1,387)
31
-
2,251
79

(7,870) 

(1,414)

        12)  

      382)

  (7,858)  

 (1,032)

(204) 
9   
2   
(1,440) 
(50) 
  12,360)  

   (326)
8) 
–) 
(1,320) 
(133)
   2,531)

  10,677)  

      760)

(1,749) 
   (1,348) 

(782)
 (1,361)

   (3,097) 

  (2,143)

       (278)  

 (2,415)

.  29 (a) 

   (9,765) 

 (7,350) 

.  29 (a) 

 (10,043) 

        (9,765)

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

57

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 

31st July 2022

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES 

GENERAL INFORMATION 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC which is the ultimate Parent Company of the J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC 
Group is a public limited company registered in Scotland, incorporated in the United Kingdom and listed on the 
London Stock Exchange. 

STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE 
The  financial  statements  are  prepared  in  accordance  with  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (IFRS) 
and  International  Financial  Reporting  Interpretations  Committee  (IFRIC)  Interpretations  in  accordance  with 
international  accounting  standards  in  conformity  with  the  requirements  of  the  Companies  Act  2006  and  in 
accordance with UK adopted international accounting standards. 

STANDARDS, AMENDMENTS TO STANDARDS AND INTERPRETATIONS EFFECTIVE IN THE YEAR TO 31st JULY 2022 

The following new standards and amendments to standards and interpretations relevant to the Group have been 
issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and are mandatory for the first time for the financial year 
to 31st July 2022:

• 

• 

• 

• 

IFRS1 (amended): Financial Instruments: Disclosures.

IFRS 9 (amended): Financial Instruments.

IFRS 16 (amended): Leases.

IAS 39 (amended): Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurements.

None of the above amendments to standards had a significant impact on the Group’s financial statements.

NEW STANDARDS, AMENDMENTS TO STANDARDS AND INTERPRETATIONS NOT YET APPLIED
The following new standards, amendments to standards and interpretations relevant to the Group have been issued 
by  the  International Accounting  Standards  Board  but  are  not  yet  effective  for  the  Group  at  the  date  of  these 
financial statements, and have not been adopted early:

• 

IFRS 16 (amended): Leases (effective in the year ending 31st July 2025).

IAS 12 (amended): Income Taxes (effective in the year ending 31st July 2024).

• 
The Directors do not consider that the application of these amendments to standards will have a material impact 
on the financial statements. 

BASIS OF PREPARATION 
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except where the measurement 
of balances at fair value is required as noted below for investment properties, financial assets and assets held by 
the defined benefit pension scheme.
The accounting policies set out below have been consistently applied to all periods presented in these financial 
statements. 
The  preparation  of  financial  statements  requires  management  to  make  estimates  and  assumptions  concerning  
the  future  that  may  affect  the  application  of  accounting  policies  and  the  reported  amounts  of  assets  and  
liabilities and income and expenses.  Management believes that the estimates and assumptions used in the preparation 
of these financial statements are reasonable.  However, actual outcomes may differ from those anticipated. 

58

59

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

GOING CONCERN 
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The Directors have prepared a number 
of cashflows scenarios taking account of trading activities around construction projects in hand and anticipated 
projects,  land  acquisitions,  rental  income,  investment  property  acquisitions  and  disposals  and  other  capital 
expenditure. The Directors also have taken account of the continuing impact of the coronavirus on the construction 
and  investment  activities  of  the  Group.  In  each  scenario  reviewed  by  the  Directors  the  Group  remains  cash 
positive with no reliance on external funding and therefore remains net debt free. The net assets of the Group 
are £124,676,000 at 31st July 2022 and the Group’s net current assets amount to £33,356,000. Taking all of the 
information  the  Directors  currently  have  they  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  Company  and  Group  are  well  placed 
to manage its financial and business risks and have a reasonable expectation that the Company and Group have 
adequate financial resources to continue in operational existence for a period of at least twelve months from the 
date of approval of these financial statements and therefore consider the adoption of the going concern basis as 
appropriate for the preparation of these financial statements.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND JUDGEMENTS 
INVESTMENT PROPERTIES 
Investment properties are revalued annually by the Directors in accordance with the RICS Valuation Standards. 
The valuations are subjective due to, among other factors, the individual nature of the property, its location and the 
expected future rental income.  As a result, the valuation of the Group’s investment property portfolio incorporated 
into the financial statements is subject to a degree of uncertainty and is made on the basis of assumptions which 
may prove to be inaccurate, particularly in periods of volatility or low transaction flow in the property market. 
The assumptions used by the Directors are market standard assumptions in accordance with the RICS Valuation 
Standards and include matters such as tenure and tenancy details, ground conditions of the properties and their 
structural conditions, prevailing market yields and comparable market conditions.  If any of the assumptions used 
by the Directors prove to be incorrect this could result in the valuation of the Group’s investment property portfolio 
differing from the valuation incorporated into the financial statements and the difference could have a material 
effect on the financial statements.

REVENUE RECOGNITION 
Revenue recognition on construction contracts requires judgement on the stage of completion of the contract at the 
Statement of Financial Position date to calculate the revenue to be recognised. 

LONG TERM CONTRACT PROVISIONS 
Judgement is required in the area of provisions for losses on long term contracts. The Directors make judgements 
relating to estimated costs to complete and the percentage stage of completion of current contracts when determining 
the provision for losses. The Directors consider adequate, but not excessive provisions have been made in this respect. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATION 
The valuation of the retirement benefit obligation is dependent upon a series of assumptions, mainly discount rates, 
mortality rates, investment returns, salary inflation and the rate of pension increases, which are determined after 
taking expert advice from the Group’s Actuary.  If different assumptions were used then this could materially affect 
the results disclosed in the financial statements.  These are set out in note 31 to the financial statements.

The Group has concluded that the trust deed relating to the defined benefit scheme grants the unconditional right to 
any surplus of the scheme on the full settlement of the scheme liabilities to the Group and therefore have concluded 
that any surplus on the scheme can be incorporated into the Group and Company financial statements.
Advice on the Group’s right to a surplus arising on the pension scheme was sought in the year from a firm of 
lawyers who specialise in this area.  Their advice was that the Group had an unconditional right to the surplus 
based on the original Trust Deed and Deed of Variation and therefore the full surplus arising on the calculation 
thereof under IAS 19 (amended): Employee Benefits should be accounted for in the financial statements.  This 
revised advice impacted on the accounts for the year to 31st July 2021 and resulted in that year’s accounts having 
to be revised.  Full details of this prior year adjustment can be found in note 35 to the financial statements.

58

59

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

BASIS OF CONSOLIDATION 
The Group financial statements consolidate the financial statements of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC and all of its 
Subsidiaries made up to 31st July each year. Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Company. Control is assumed 
where the Company has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity so as to obtain benefits 
from its activities. 
Intra-group  balances  and  any  income  or  expenses  arising  from  intra-group  transactions  are  eliminated  in 
preparing the Group financial statements. 
No Income Statement is presented for the Parent Company as provided by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. 

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS AND GOODWILL
Subsidiaries  acquired  in  the  year  are  accounted  for  using  the  acquisition  method  of  accounting.    Identifiable 
assets acquired and liabilities assumed are measured at their fair values at the acquisition date.  The consideration 
transferred  for  the  acquisition  is  the  fair  value  of  the  assets  given,  equity  instruments  issued  and  liabilities  
incurred  or  assumed  at  the  acquisition  date.    The  excess  of  the  cost  of  acquisition  over  the  fair  value  of  the  
Group’s share of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. 

INVESTMENT IN JOINT VENTURES 
Joint Ventures are those entities over which the Company exercises joint control under a contractual arrangement. 
The results of Joint Venture undertakings are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Under this 
method the investment is initially recorded at cost and is subsequently adjusted to reflect the Group’s share of the 
net profit or loss in the Joint Venture. 
The financial statements of the Group’s Joint Ventures have been prepared in accordance with UK GAAP. The Group’s 
interest in the assets and liabilities of the Joint Ventures have only been restated in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards where such restatement is considered material to an understanding of the Group’s 
interest.

CAPITAL MANAGEMENT 
Group  objectives  in  managing  capital  are  to  safeguard  the  interests  of  the  Group  to  operate  as  a  net 
debt free going concern, of its employees to maintain wherever possible security of employment, remuneration 
and retirement provisions and of its shareholders to maintain continuity of dividends and stability of share price. 
The  capital  structure  of  the  Group  consists  of  issued  share  capital,  reserves  and  retained  earnings  represented 
predominantly by investment properties, working capital and cash. 
These  assets  are  purchased,  managed  and  maintained  by  the  Group’s  management  and  employees,  advised 
where  appropriate  by  independent  outside  professionals.  Refer  to  pages  16  to  18  of  this  report  for  details  of 
relevant risk factors and management measures.
The Group has sufficient cash reserves and readily realisable assets available to meet its foreseeable commitments. 

60

61

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

INVESTMENT PROPERTIES 

Investment properties are properties which are either owned or leased by the Group which are held for long term 
rental income or for capital appreciation or both.

Investment  properties,  whether  completed  or  under  development,  are  initially  recognised  at  cost  and  revalued  at 
the Statement of Financial Position date to fair value as determined by the Directors in accordance with the RICS 
Valuation  Standards.   The  Directors  also  requested  a  third  party  external  valuer  to  value  the  Group’s  investment 
property portfolio.  The valuations are compared to ensure no material variations between the valuations.  Fair value 
is based on the market value of properties at the Statement of Financial Position date.  Surpluses or deficits from the 
changes in fair value are included in the Income Statement in the year in which they arise.  In accordance with IAS 
40: Investment Property, as the Group uses the fair value model, no depreciation is provided in respect of investment 
properties including integral plant.

Additions to investment properties consist of costs of a capital nature and, in the case of properties under construction, 
includes certain internal staff and associated costs directly attributable to the management of the development of 
these properties.  Properties are treated as acquired when the Group assumes control of the properties.  Properties 
are treated as disposed when control of the property is transferred to the buyer.  Profits or losses on disposal are 
determined as the difference between the sales proceeds and the carrying value amount of the asset at the beginning of 
the accounting period plus any capital expenditure in the period to the date of disposal.  Profits or losses are presented 
separately in the Income Statement.

Some of the Group’s investment properties are built on leasehold land on which the Group pays ground rent.  Under 
IFRS 16: Leases where the rent on the land is not contingent on the rents the Group receives from tenants on the 
investment  properties  built  on  the  land  then  a  right-of-use  asset  is  required  to  be  incorporated  into  the  financial 
statements for the land and an associated lease liability also requires to be incorporated into the financial statements.  
The lease liability is calculated as the discounted present value of the outstanding rental payments and the right-of-
use asset is set as being equal to the liability.  As the right-of-use asset relates to investment properties after initial 
recogition will be included at fair value. 

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT 
Items of property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. 
Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying value or recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, only 
when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of 
them can be measured reliably. All other repairs and maintenance expenditure is charged to the Income Statement 
as incurred. 

DEPRECIATION 
Depreciation  is  provided  on  all  items  of  property,  plant  and  equipment,  other  than  investment  properties  and 
freehold land, at rates calculated to write off the cost less residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, 
as follows: 
Freehold buildings 
Plant and machinery 
Office furniture and fittings 
Motor vehicles 

-  40 to 66 years 
-  3 to 4 years
-  3 to 5 years
-  3 years

IMPAIRMENT REVIEWS 
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT 

Individual assets are grouped into cash generating units for impairment assessment purposes at the lowest level at 
which there are identifiable cash inflows independent of the cash inflows of other groups of assets.

60

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

IMPAIRMENT REVIEWS (continued) 
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (continued) 

The Group assesses at each Statement of Financial Position date whether there is an indication that an asset may be 
impaired. If an indication exists the Group makes an estimate of the recoverable amount of each asset group, being 
the higher of its fair value less costs to sell and its value in use as is determined for an individual asset, unless the 
asset does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets. An 
impairment loss is recognised where the recoverable amount is lower than the carrying value of assets.
If there is an indication that previously recognised impairment losses may have decreased or no longer exist, a 
reversal of the loss may be made. The carrying amount of the asset is increased to its recoverable amount only up 
to the carrying amount that would have resulted, net of depreciation, had no impairment loss been recognised for 
the asset in prior years.
Impairment losses and any subsequent reversals are recognised in the Income Statement.

INVENTORIES AND WORK IN PROGRESS 

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.  Where necessary, provision is made to reduce 
cost to no more than net realisable value after having regard to the nature, condition, and sales value of inventory. 
Land held for development is included at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 
Work in progress is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 
Cost includes materials, on a first-in first-out basis and direct labour plus attributable overheads based on normal 
operating activity, where applicable. Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less anticipated disposal costs.

LONG-TERM CONTRACTS 
Amounts  due  from  customers  for  construction  contracts  which  have  not  yet  been  invoiced  are  disclosed  as 
Contract Assets and are stated at cost as defined above, plus attributable profit to the extent that this is reasonably 
certain after making provision for maintenance costs, less any losses incurred or foreseen in bringing contracts to 
completion, and less amounts received as progress payments. 
For any contracts where receipts exceed the book value of work done, the excess is included in trade and other 
payables as payments on account. 

INCOME TAX 
The  charge  for  current  UK  corporation  tax  is  based  on  results  for  the  year  as  adjusted  for  items  that  are  non-
assessable or disallowed and any adjustments for tax payable in respect of previous years. It is calculated using 
rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the Statement of Financial Position date.

DEFERRED TAXATION 

Deferred tax is provided using the liability method in respect of temporary differences between the carrying value 
of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of 
taxable profit. Deferred tax is provided on all temporary differences.  The measurement of deferred tax reflects the 
tax consequences that would follow the manner in which the Group expects, at the end of the reporting period, to 
recover or settle the carrying amounts of its assets and liabilities for Investment Properties that are measured at 
fair value.
Deferred tax is determined using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the Statement of 
Financial Position date and are expected to apply when the deferred tax asset is realised or the deferred tax liability 
is settled.  It is recognised in the Income Statement except when it relates to items credited or charged directly to 
Equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in Equity. 
Deferred  tax  assets  are  recognised  to  the  extent  that  it  is  probable  that  future  taxable  profits  will  be  available 
against which the temporary differences can be utilised. 

62

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

PENSIONS 
The  Group  operates  a  defined  benefit  pension  scheme,  which  was  closed  to  new  members  during  the  year 
to 31st July 2003 and which requires contributions to be made to an administered fund. 

The  obligations  of  the  scheme  represent  benefits  accruing  to  employees  and  are  measured  at  discounted 
present  value  while  scheme  assets  are  measured  at  their  fair  value.  The  discount  rate  used  is  the  yield  on 
AA credit rated corporate bonds that have maturity dates approximating to the terms of the Group’s obligations. 
The calculation is performed by a qualified actuary using the projected unit credit method. 

The  operating  and  financial  costs  of  such  plans  are  recognised  separately  in  the  Income  Statement,  service 
costs are spread systematically over the working lives of the employees concerned and financing costs are recognised 
in the year in which they arise.  Actuarial gains and losses are recognised immediately in the Consolidated Statement 
of Comprehensive Income. 

The Group has concluded that the trust deed relating to the defined benefit scheme grants the unconditional right to 
any surplus of the scheme on the full settlement of the scheme liabilities to the Group and therefore have concluded 
that any surplus on the scheme can be incorporated into the Group and Company financial statements. 

The Group also operates a defined contribution Group Personal Pension Plan for eligible employees. The plan is 
externally administered and professionally managed. Contributions payable are expensed to the Income Statement 
as incurred. 

LEASES 
Leases  are  classified  according  to  the  substance  of  the  transaction.  A  lease  that  transfers  substantially  all 
the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessee is classified as a finance lease. All other leases are classified as 
operating leases. 

GROUP AS A LESSEE 
In  accordance  with  IAS  40:  Investment  Property,  leases  of  investment  property  are  assessed  on  a  property 
by property basis.  For ground leases where payments to the lessors are not contingent on rents received by the 
Group from tenants then a right-of-use asset has to be recognised and a corresponding lease liability has also to 
be recognised.  On initial recognition the liability is calculated as the discounted present value of the outstanding 
rental payments.  The lease payments are allocated between the liability and finance charges which are recognised 
in Finance Costs in the Income Statement.  Both lease payments and finance charges are disclosed in the Statement 
of Cash Flows under Financing Activities. 

For ground leases where payments to the lessors are contingent on rents received by the Group from tenants the 
Group recognises the lease payments as ground rent payable and are charged to the Income Statement as incurred 
and included in Statement of Cash Flows under Operating Activities.

GROUP AS A LESSOR 
Properties leased out under operating leases are included in investment property, with rental income recognised on 
a straight line basis over the lease term and disclosed in the Statement of Cash Flows under Operating Activities.

62

63

 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

REVENUE 
IFRS  15:  Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  establishes  a  five  step  model  to  determine  the  amount  and 
timing of revenue recognition.

Revenue is recognised by the Group from long and short term construction contracts, sale of private residential 
housing.

Revenue from long term construction contracts is based on the stage of completion of the contract at the Statement 
of  Financial  Position  date.  The  stage  of  completion  is  based  on  valuations  agreed  with  third  party  surveyors. 
Invoices are raised to customers based on these agreed valuations. The Group uses the output method to recognise 
revenue from construction contracts as it is recognised over time as the work progresses. Prior to raising invoices, 
the Group will recognise a contract asset for work performed, only when the invoice is raised will the contract 
asset be reclassified to trade receivables. When it is probable that the total costs of construction will exceed the 
total contract revenue, the expected loss is recognised immediately in the Income Statement. When it is probable 
that total revenue will exceed the total costs of construction the anticipated profit will only be accounted for when 
the profit is reasonably certain. This policy requires judgement to be made on the anticipated costs to complete and 
the Group has in place procedures to ensure that the evaluation of the total costs of the contract and its revenues is 
based on reliable estimates.

Construction  contracts  consist  of  the  structure  being  built  and  all  associated  external  and  internal  services. 
Contracts for construction are typically accounted for as one performance obligation. Modification to contracts 
are assessed on a case by case basis but are generally modifications of the existing performance obligation and are 
therefore accounted for under the existing obligation. In some cases land held by the Group is sold to third parties 
and then a build contract is obtain for construction work on the land, the sale of land is a separate obligation from 
the construction contract and recognised at the point in time the land is sold.

The value of construction work undertaken by the Group for its investment properties is excluded from revenue.

Revenue from sale of private residential housing is recognised at the point in time when there is legal completion 
of the sale and the transfer of title. Revenue is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received.

The Group has no obligations for returns or warranties.

Rental  income  from  investment  properties  leased  out  under  an  operating  lease  is  recognised  in  the  Income 
Statement on a straight line basis over the term of the lease and is disclosed under Other operating income. Rental 
income is generally charged quarterly in advance.

Revenue for service charges and insurance receivable for the year in relation to the Group’s investment properties 
are based on annual invoices raised in advance to tenants and are also disclosed under Other operating income in the 
Income Statement.

All revenue is stated net of Value Added Tax.

All invoices raised are due for payment no later than 30 days from date of invoice. 

GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND ASSISTANCE 
Government assistance provided under the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme for payroll costs for employees 
placed on furlough due to the coronavirus pandemic was recognised for directly to the Income Statement on a 
received basis. The amount received has been disclosed within payroll costs as set out in note 5 to the financial 
statements.

64

65

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued) 

FINANCE INCOME AND COSTS 
Finance income arising from short term deposits is accounted for on a received basis.
Finance costs relating to leases are accounted for on a straight line basis.
Finance  income  or  costs  relating  to  retirement  benefit  obligations  are  accounted  for  in  accordance  with  the 
requirements of IAS 19 (amended): Employee Benefits. 

DIVIDEND INCOME 
Dividend income from financial assets is accounted for on a received basis. 

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS 

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised in the Group’s Statement of Financial Position when the 
Group  becomes  a  party  to  the  contractual  provision  of  the  instrument.    The  principal  treasury  objective  is  to 
provide sufficient liquidity to meet operational cash requirements.  The Group operates controlled treasury policies 
which are monitored by the Board to ensure that the needs of the Group are met as they arise. 

FINANCIAL ASSETS 
Financial assets represent investments in quoted shares which are recognised at fair value at the year end.  The 
movement in fair value is accounted for in the Consolidated Income Statement.

TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES 
Trade and other receivables are recognised at invoiced value less provisions for impairment of lifetime expected 
credit losses. Cash flow movements relating to loans to Joint Ventures are disclosed under Investing Activities 
whereas all other items of trade and other receivables are disclosed under Operating Activities in the Statement of 
Cash Flows. 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 
Cash  and  cash  equivalents  comprise  cash  in  hand,  deposits  with  banks  and  other  short-term  highly  liquid 
investments with original maturities of three months or less.  For the Statement of Cash Flows, cash and cash 
equivalents consist of cash and cash equivalents as defined above, net of outstanding bank overdrafts.

MONIES HELD ON DEPOSIT 
Monies  held  on  deposit  with  original  maturity  dates  exceeding  three  months  are  disclosed  separately  in  the 
Statement of Financial Position.  As these monies originated from investing activities any movements in the year 
on these monies are disclosed under Investing Activities in the Statement of Cash Flows.

TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES 
Trade and other payables are non-interest bearing and are recognised at invoiced amount. Cash flow movements in 
trade and other payables are disclosed under Operating Activities in the Statement of Cash Flows.

64

65

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

1. 

ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES (continued)

MEASUREMENT OF FAIR VALUES

A  number  of  the  Group’s  accounting  policies  and  disclosures  require  the  measurement  of  fair  values,  for  both 
financial and non-financial assets and liabilities.

When measuring the fair value of an asset or a liability, the Group uses market observable data as far as possible.  
Fair values are categorised into different levels in a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used in the valuation 
techniques as follows:
•  Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
•  Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either  
  directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices).
•  Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).

If the inputs used to measure the fair value of an asset or a liability might be categorised in different levels of the 
fair value hierarchy, then the fair value measurement is categorised in its entirety in the same level of the fair value 
hierarchy as the lowest level input that is significant to the entire measurement.

The Group recognises transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy at the end of the reporting period during 
which a change has occurred.

Further information about the assumptions made in measuring fair values is included in the following notes:
•  Note 15 – Investment Properties;
•  Note 18 – Financial Assets;
•  Note 24 – Financial Instruments;
•  Note 31 – Retirement Benefit Obligations.

DIVIDENDS 
Final Dividends are recognised as a liability in the year in which they are approved by the Company’s shareholders. 
Interim Dividends are recognised when they are paid. Dividends paid in the year are included in the Statement of 
Cash Flows under Financing Activities.

66

67

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

2. 

SEGMENTAL INFORMATION 

IFRS 8: Operating Segments requires operating segments to be identified on the basis of internal reporting about 
components of the Group that are regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker to allow the allocation 
of resources to the segments and to assess their performance. The chief operating decision maker has been identified 
as the Board of Directors. The chief operating decision maker has identified two distinct areas of activities in the 
Group being construction activities and investment property activities.
All  revenue  and  investment  property  income  arises  from  activities  within  the  UK  and  therefore  the  Board  of 
Directors does not consider the business from a geographical perspective. The operating segments are based on 
activity and performance of an operating segment is based on a measure of operating results.

                                                      External             Internal                 Total  
Revenue 

Revenue             Revenue 

Other
Operating
Income

Operating
  Profit / (Loss)

2022 
Construction
- continuing operations 
Investment property 
- continuing operations 

2021 
Construction  
- continuing operations 
Construction 
- discontinued operations 
Investment property 
- continuing operations 
Investment property 
- discontinued operations 

£000                £000 

£000                   £000 

                   2022               2021
£000)

£000 

7,430 

2,167 

9,597 

7) 

(2,487) 

–)

            –) 

          – 

         – 

    6,976) 

 10,309 

         –) 

     7,430) 

   2,167 

  9,597 

    6,983) 

   7,822 

         –)

  10,407 

1,901 

12,308 

        – 

     – 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

–) 

–) 

(2,305)

(81)

7,411 

(–) 

16,578)

             – 

         – 

         – 

            7 

          –) 

         –) 

  10,407 

  1,901 

12,308 

     7,418 

          –) 

 14,192)

OPERATING PROFIT (2021: continuing and discontinued activities) 
. 
Share of results of Joint Ventures 
. 
Finance and investment income  
Finance and investment costs 
. 
. 
Gain on remeasurement of subsidiary company 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAX  
(2021: continuing and discontinued activities)

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

 . 
.      
.      
.       
.       

. 

  7,822  
254) 
221  
     (133)
    28)

    8,192) 

14,192) 
264)  
353)  
    (25)
          –)

 14,784) 

Internal  revenue  relates  to  own  work  capitalised,  and  inter  group  transactions  are  eliminated  on  consolidation. 
The Group had sales from construction activities from two customers amounting to £2,051,000 and £1,387,000 
respectively (2021, sales from construction activities from two customers amounting to £1,335,000 and £1,638,000 
respectively).

66

67

        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

2. 

SEGMENTAL INFORMATION (continued) 

OTHER SEGMENTAL INFORMATION 

2022 
Construction activities 
Investment activities 
Joint Ventures 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

Allocation of corporation tax creditor   

. 
. 
. 

. 

2021 - Restated
Construction activities - continuing operations . 
Construction activities 
- discontinued operations 
. 
Investment activities 
. 
Joint Ventures 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

                      Non-Current Assets 

                             Additions  Depreciation 
                                    £000                £000 

Segment 
Segment 
    Assets  Liabilities 
£000 

£000 

. 
. 
 .) 

. 

. 

. 
. 
 .) 

 .             380)                 351 
 .          2,221)                   48 
 .                 –)                    –) 

)36,679) 
109,748) 
    1,532) 

16,744)
6,539)
            –)

. 

. 

. 

. 

147,959) 
   (1,499) 

23,283)
   (1,499)

146,460) 

   21,784)

 .             336)                 293 

)23,228) 

14,301)

 .                 –)                     7) 
 .          2,348)                   49 
 .                 –)                    –) 

21) 
113,012) 
    1,267) 

529)
6,961)
            –)

Allocation of corporation tax creditor   

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

137,528) 
   (1,000) 

21,791)
   (1,000)

136,528) 

   20,791)

3. 

REVENUE
 The Group derives its revenue from contracts with customers for the transfer of goods over time in relation to construction 
contracts and also at point in time in relation to housing sales. This is consistent with the revenue information that is 
disclosed for Construction Activities segment under IFRS 8: Operating Segments.

Construction contracts are generally for social housing or industrial and commercial properties. The Group provides 
a complete service including architectural and surveyor services from the pre-contract design through to completion. 

Disaggregation of Revenue
Continuing operations:   
. 
Social housing 
. 
Civil engineering  
. 
Industrial   
. 
. 
General construction 
. 
Private house sales 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

2022) 
£000) 
9) 
4,330) 
1,387) 
42) 
    1,662) 

2021) 
£000
1,514) 
4,521) 
1,638) 
421) 
    2,313) 

    7,430)  

  10,407) 

The transaction price allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations in respect of construction activities at 31st 
July 2022 are as set out below.

Social housing 
. 
Civil engineering  
. 
Industrial   

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

–) 
422) 
         –) 

–) 
801) 
   1,264) 

The Directors expect that 100% (2021, 100%) of the transaction price allocated to the unsatisfied contracts as at 
31st July 2022 will be recognised as revenue in the year to 31st July 2023.

68

69

 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

4. 

OTHER OPERATING INCOME   

Rental income 
Service charges and insurance receivable 
Sundry income 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Direct property costs 

Net rental income 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000

6,158) 
824) 
           1) 

6,619) 
792) 
           –) 

6,983) 

7,411) 
   (2,997)          (2,800) 

    3,986)  

    4,611) 

Direct  property  costs  included  £904,000  (2021,  £1,011,000)  in  respect  of  investment  properties  that  did  not 
generate rental income in the year.

Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment 

Total other operating income 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

         29) 

         35)

    7,012)  

    7,446) 

5. 

STAFF COSTS AND DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION  

Group 

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000 

          2018)            2017) 

Company 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000) 

Staff costs during the year amounted to:
Wages, salaries and short term benefits  
6,374 
Government assistance – HMRC Job Retention Scheme                      –               (519) 
Social security costs 
694 
. 
    1,069 
Post-employment benefits 

732 
      1,030 

6,392 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

4,744) 
– )  
554) 

4,613) 
(413) 
515) 
        840)              889 )

      8,154 

    7,618 

     6,138)  

    5,604) 

The average monthly number of employees during the year was made up as follows: 
No. 
143 
         22 

Construction and related services 
. 
Office and management   

No. 
123 
           24 

.. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

No.) 
81) 

No.) 
96) 
          18)                  17 )

         147 

       165 

       ,  99)  

        113) 

Directors’ remuneration: 
Salaries and short term benefits  
. 
Social security costs 
. 
Post-employment benefits 

. 
. 
. 

.  . 
.  . 
.  . 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
.  

. 
. 
. 

Group and Company 
2021) 
£000) 

2022) 
£000) 

516) 
68) 
        114) 

504)
64)
       111)

        698) 

       679) 

David W Smart and Alasdair H Ross are members of the Group’s defined benefit pension scheme.

John R Smart and Patricia Sweeney are members of the Group’s defined contribution Group Personal Pension Plan.

Key management is comprised solely of the Directors of the Company. Full details of Directors’ remuneration is 
given in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 29 to 34.

All staff costs including Directors’ remuneration relate to the Group’s continuing operations only. The Group’s 
discontinued operations incurred no staff costs.

68

69

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

6. 

OPERATING PROFIT 

This is stated after charging:
Cost of inventories recognised as an expense  . 
.  . 
Staff costs (note 5) 
.  . 
Hire of plant and machinery 
.  . 
Ground rents 
.  . 
Depreciation of owned assets 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

Auditor’s remuneration
   Audit of these financial statements 
Amounts receivable by the auditor in respect of: 
   Audit of these financial statements of subsidiaries pursant to legislation  . 
. 
   Audit of the financial statements of Joint Venture companies 

.  . 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

2022)  
£000) 

       2021) 
£000)

2,125) 
8,154) 
572) 
78) 

        399)    

1,906) 
7,618) 
390) 
175)
       342)

51) 

46)

          81) 
            5) 

         68
         10

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

Amounts  paid  to  the  Company’s  Auditor  in  respect  of  services  to  the  Company,  other  than  the  audit  of  the  
Company’s financial statements has not been disclosed as the information is required instead to be disclosed on a  
consolidated basis.

7. 

8. 

9. 

INCOME FROM INVESTMENTS 
Dividend income from financial assets  

  . 

. 

. 

FINANCE INCOME AND COSTS 
Income: 

Interest on short term deposits  . 
. 

. 
. 
  Other interest received 
  Net interest income on retirement benefit asset 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

Costs: 

Interest on leases  

. 
. 
  Net interest expense on retirement benefit obligations 

. 

. 

. 

TAXATION  
UK Corporation Tax
Current tax on income for the year 
Corporation tax (over)/under provided in previous years 

. 

. 

. 

Deferred taxation (note 25) 

. 

. 

. 

Current Tax Reconciliation  
. 
Profit on ordinary activities before tax  
Share of  profits of Joint Ventures 
. 
. 
Gain on remeasurement of subsidiary company 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

Current tax at 19.00% (2021, 19.00%)  
Effects of: 
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes 
Ineligible depreciation 
Non taxable income including revaluation surplus 
Chargeable gains  
. 
. 
. 
Effect of change in tax rate 
Adjustments to corporation tax charge in respect of prior years 
Adjustments to deferred tax charge in respect of prior years  
. 
Deferred tax not recognised 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

.  
. 
. 

.  
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

) 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

) 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

)
          63) 

         36

17) 
             3) 
        121) 

4)
          –)
            –)

        141) 

          4) 

12) 
            –) 
          12) 

12)
          13)
         25) 

)

997)      

           (4) 

450)
           3)

993) 
         578) 

453)
     3,349)

      1,571) 

    3,802)

8,192) 
      (254) 
        (28) 

14,865)
      (264)
           –

     7,910) 

  14,601)

1,503)      

2,774)

124) 
(1,189)     
(103)     
752)   
547)   
 (4)   
  (30)   
         (29) 

45)
–)
(1,223)
–)
1,320)
3)
466)
       417)

      1,571) 

    3,802)

70

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

9. 

TAXATION (continued)  

The Finance Act 2020, which received Royal assent on 22nd July 2020, states that the corporation tax rate for the 
financial year commencing 1st April 2020 is 19%. The Finance Act 2021, which received Royal assent on 24th 
May 2021, states that the corporation tax rate for the financial year commencing 1st April 2023 is 25%.

The effective corporation tax rate is 19.00% (2021, 19.00%) being the average rate applicable over the period.  
Deferred tax provisions have been calculated using the 25% rate.

In  addition  to  amounts  charged  to  the  Income  Statement,  a  deferred  tax  charge  of  £1,804,000  (2021  restated, 
charge, £1,476,000) relating to actuarial gains on the defined benefit pension scheme has been recognised directly 
to Equity. 

There are no income tax consequences attached to dividends paid or proposed by the Company to its shareholders.

10. 

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS  

In the year to 31st July 2019 Concrete Products (Kirkcaldy) Limited ceased trading.

The results of the discontinued operation, which have been included in the profit for the year, were as follows:

Revenue 
Cost of sales 

Gross Loss  

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

Other operating income   
Net operating expenses  . 

Loss Before Tax 

. 

Taxation 
Corporation tax  . 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

Net loss attributable to discontinued operations 
(attributable to owners of the Company) 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

The operating loss is stated after charging/(crediting): 
. 
Cost of inventories recognised as an expense  . 
. 
. 
. 
Staff costs (note 5) 
. 
. 
. 
Hire of plant and machinery 
. 
. 
Depreciation of owned assets 
. 
. 
. 
. 
Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment 
Auditor’s remuneration – audit of these financial statements  

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

.   

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

2022) 
£000) 
5,–) 
           –) 

2021) 
£000

–) 
          –) 

–) 

–) 

5,–) 

7) 
           –)               (88) 

–) 

(81) 

           –) 

       (12) 

           –)  

       (93) 

5,–) 
5,–) 
5,–) 
5,–) 
5,–) 
          –) 

–) 
–) 
–) 
7) 
   –) 
           4) 

During  the  year,  Concrete  Products  (Kirkcaldy)  Limited  had  cash  outflows  of  £nil  (2021,  inflow  £64,000)  in 
relation to Operating activities and contributed £nil (2021, £nil) in respect of Investing activities.

70

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

11. 

PROFIT  FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR   

)

The Group uses underlying profit before tax as an alternative performance measure, which is the profit before tax 
excluding net surplus or deficit on valuation of investment properties and financial assets accounted for through 
the Income Statement. As the net surplus or deficit on valuation of investment properties and financial assets can 
fluctuate from year to year and is not a realised surplus or deficit by excluding this amount the Directors consider 
that a truer reflection of actual Group performance is obtained. Analysis of this alternative performance measure 
is as follows:

Profit before tax  – continuing and discontinued operations  . 
. 
Surplus on valuation of investment properties  
. 
Deficit/(Surplus)on valuation of financial assets 

. 
. 

12. 

DIVIDENDS 

2020 Final Dividend of 2.27p per share,  
2021 Interim Dividend of 0.95p per share 
2021 Final Dividend of 2.27p per share 
2022 Interim Dividend of 0.96p per share 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
.  
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

2022)  
£000) 

       2021)
£000)

8,192) 
(473) 
        121) 

(14,784)
((12,105)
     (312)

    7,840) 

    2,367)

)

–) 
–) 
948) 
       400) 

961)
400)
–)
           –)

    1,348) 

    1,361) 

The Board is proposing a Final Dividend of 2.27p per share (2021, 2.27p) which will cost the Company no more 
than £926,000. 

The proposed Final Dividend is subject to approval by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting and has not 
been included as a liability in these financial statements. 

72

73

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

13. 

 EARNINGS/(LOSS) PER SHARE 

CONTINUING OPERATIONS 
Profit attributable to Equity shareholders   £000 
Basic Earnings per share 

. 

. 

. 

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS 
Loss attributable to Equity shareholders 
. 
Basic Loss per share 

. 

. 

£000 
. 

CONTINUING AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS 
Profit attributable to Equity shareholders  £000 
Basic Earnings per share 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

2022)  

       2021)

6,621) 
     15.90p 

11,063)
  26.16p

– 
                 – 

(93))  
  (0.22)p

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
6,621) 
.                      15.90p 

10,970)
  25.94p

Basic earnings per share are calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity shareholders by the weighted 
average number of shares in issue during the year.

The weighted average number of shares for the year to 31st July 2022 amounted to 41,638,000 (2021, 42,284,000).

There is no difference between basic and diluted earnings per share.

72

73

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

14. 

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

(a) GROUP 

Cost: 
  At 1st August 2021 
  Additions 
  Disposals 

. 
. 

  At 31st July 2022 

. 
. 
. 

. 

Depreciation:  
  At 1st August 2021 
. 
  Provided during year . 
. 
  Disposals 

. 

  At 31st July 2022 

Net book value: 
  At 31st July 2022 

Cost: 
  At 1st August 2020 
  Additions 
  Disposals 

. 
. 

  At 31st July 2021 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

Depreciation: 
. 
  At 1st August 2020 
  Provided during year . 
. 
  Disposals 

. 

  At 31st July 2021 

Net book value: 
  At 31st July 2021 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

Land and 
buildings 
Freehold 
£000 

Plant,)
equipment)
and vehicles) 
£000) 

Total) 
£000) 

896 
– 
            – 

4,848) 
380) 
      (215) 

5,744) 
380
     (215)

        896 

     5,013) 

     5,909)

666 
8 
            – 

3,833) 
391) 
       (196) 

4,499) 
399) 
     (196)

        674 

     4,028) 

     4,702)

        222 

        985) 

     1,207)

896 
– 
            – 

4,857) 
336) 
       (345) 

5,753) 
336)
     (345)

        896 

     4,848) 

   5,744)

651 
15 
            – 

3,834) 
334) 
       (335) 

4,485) 
349) 
     (335) 

        666 

     3,833) 

   4,499)

        230 

     1,015) 

   1,245) 

Included within Freehold Land and Buildings is land costing £13,000 (2021, £13,000) which is not depreciated.

74

75

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

14. 

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (continued) 

(b) COMPANY 

                       Land and) 
            buildings) 

Plant,) 
equipment) 
 Freehold)  and vehicles) 
£000) 

£000) 

Total)
£000)

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

.  

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

 . 

.  

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

361) 
–) 
             –) 

2,747) 
204) 
          (66) 

3,108) 
204) 
         (66) 

        361) 

      2,885) 

     3,246)

140) 
5) 
             –) 

2,285) 
206) 
          (60) 

2,425) 
211)
         (60) 

         145) 

      2,431) 

     2,576)             

         216) 

         454) 

        670)

. 
.        
. 

361) 
–) 
            –) 

2,540) 
326) 
       (119) 

2,901)
326)
       (119)

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

         361) 

      2,747)  

     3,108)

135) 
5) 
            –) 

2,237) 
161) 
       (113) 

2,372) 
166)
       (113)

         140) 

      2,285) 

     2,425)

         221) 

         462) 

        683)

Cost: 
  At 1st August 2021 
  Additions 
  Disposals 

. 
. 

  At 31st July 2022 

. 
. 
. 

. 

Depreciation: 
  At 1st August 2021 
. 
  Provided during year . 
. 
  Disposals 

. 

  At 31st July 2022 
) 
Net book value: 
  At 31st July 2022 

Cost: 
  At 1st August 2020 
  Additions 
  Disposals 

. 
. 

  At 31st July 2021 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

Depreciation: 
  At 1st August 2020 
. 
  Provided during year . 
. 
  Disposals 

. 

  At 31st July 2021 

Net book value: 
  At 31st July 2021 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

.  

. 
. 
. 

.  

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

.  
. 
. 

. 

. 

75

74

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

15. 

INVESTMENT PROPERTIES 

Cost or valuation: 
  At 1st August 2021 
  Additions 
  Disposals 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
(Deficit)/surplus on valuation 

. 
. 
. 

  At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

Cost or valuation: 
. 
  At 1st August 2020 
. 
  Additions 
  Disposals 
. 
  Surplus/(deficit) on valuation 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

  At 31st July 2021 

. 

. 

            Land and)      Land and)
            buildings)      buildings        Right-of-use)
 Freehold)     Leasehold                   Asset) 
£000 
       £000)              £000   

Total  
£000) 

.                75,744)           17,103) 69,             2132 
.                  2,218                      3)                     –   
.                 (9,303)            (8,674))                     –  
       1,225)                      –) 
.                           (752) 

93,060) 
2,221) 
(17,977) 
       473) 

.                 67,907) 

       9,657)                  213) 

  77,777)

.                65,337)            13,090)                 205   
.                  1,773)                 567)                     8   
.                     (25)                     –)                      –  
.                        8,659)             3,446                        –) 

78,632) 
2,348) 
(25) 
  12,105) 

.                75,744) 

     17,103)                  213) 

  93,060)

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

Right-of-use Asset relates to a ground lease on which the Group has built investment properties. The rent paid by 
the Group to the lessee for the ground is a set annual rent and is not contingent on rents received by the Group from 
tenants and therefore the lease falls within the definition of IFRS 16: Leases.

Valuation Process
The  Group’s  investment  properties  are  valued  by  David  W  Smart,  MRICS,  who  is  a  Director  of  the  Parent 
Company, on the basis of fair value, in accordance with the RICS Valuation – Global Standards 2017, incorporating 
the International Valuations Standards, and RICS Professional Standards UK January 2014 (revised April 2015).   
The  Directors  also  requested  a  third  party  external  valuer  to  value  the  Group’s  investment  property  portfolio.  
The valuations prepared by the Director and the external valuers are compared to ensure that there are no material 
variations between the valuations. 

Investment properties, excluding ongoing developments, are valued using the investment method of valuation.  
This  approach  involves  applying  capitalisation  yields  to  current  and  estimated  future  rental  streams  and  then 
allowing for voids arising from vacancies and rent free periods and associated running costs.  The capitalisation 
yields and rental values are based on comparable property and leasing transactions in the market, using the valuers’ 
professional judgment and market observations.  Other factors taken into account in the valuations include the 
tenure of the property, tenancy details and ground and structural conditions.

In the case of ongoing developments, the approach applied is the residual method of valuation, which is the same as 
the investment method, as described above, with a deduction for all costs necessary to complete the development, 
together with a further allowance for remaining risk.

In accordance with IAS 40: Investment Property, net annual surpluses or deficits are taken to the Income Statement 
and no depreciation is provided in respect of these properties.

76

77

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

15. 

INVESTMENT PROPERTIES (continued)

The Group considers all of its investment properties fall within ‘Level 3’ of the fair value hierarchy as described 
by IFRS 13: Fair Value Measurement.  Level 3 valuations are those using inputs for the asset or liability that are 
not based on observable market data.  The main unobservable inputs relate to estimated rental value and equivalent 
yield.  There have been no transfers of properties in the fair value hierarchy in the financial year.  

The  table  below  summarises  the  key  unobservable  inputs  used  in  the  valuation  of  the  Group’s  Freehold  and 
Leasehold investment properties:

 £000 

Fair Value at 31st July 2022
Investment
Commercial 
Industrial 

22,113 
55,451 

Fair Value at 31st July 2021
Investment
Commercial 
Industrial 

21,885 
70,962 

      Estimated Rental Value 
£ per sq ft 
Low  Average   High 

Equivalent Yield
%
High

Low  Average 

11.00 
4.75 

15.25 
7.75 

19.50 
10.75 

6.78 
6.00 

8.60 
7.19 

10.57
9.06

11.00 
4.75 

15.25 
7.75 

19.50 
10.75 

6.70 
5.89 

8.91 
7.02 

11.67
8.89

The following table illustrates the impact of changes in the key unobservable inputs (in isolation) on the fair value 
of the Group’s Freehold and Leasehold investment properties:

£000 

Fair Value at 31st July 2022
Investment
Commercial 
Industrial 

22,113 
55,451 

Fair Value at 31st July 2021
Investment
Commercial 
Industrial 

21,885 
70,962 

      5% change in estimated 
rental value 
Decrease 
£000 

Increase 
     £000 

   25bps change in equivalent 
yield
    Increase
 £000

 Decrease 
£000 

1,183 
2,511 

1,094 
3,426 

(1,183) 
(2,511) 

(1,094) 
(3,426) 

696 
1,785 

655 
2,588 

(658)
(1,667)

(618)
(2,407)

The Group had obligations of £6,133,000 (2021, £1,442,000) in respect of future developments and repair costs of 
investment properties at the Statement of Financial Position date.

16. 

INVESTMENTS 

Shares in Subsidiaries at Cost  . 
. 
Joint Ventures 

. 

. 

Group 

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000 

Company 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000) 

– 
      1,532 

– 
     1,267 

708) 

708) 
     1,040)                990 )

      1,532 

     1,267 

     1,748)  

     1,698) 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

77

76

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

16. 

INVESTMENTS (continued) 

Group 

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000

) 

As at 1st August 2021 
Less: Net assets of joint venture now a subsidiary company 

.            .                 1,267  
        (39) 

. 

. 

. 

 901)
           –)

Investment in Joint Venture in year 
Group’s share of profit and total comprehensive income 
Dividends received  

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

    1,228) 

       901)

50) 
254) 
           –) 

133)
264)
         (31)

As at 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

    1,532) 

   1,267)

(a)  JOINT VENTURES 

The Directors considered Gartcosh Estates LLP to be a material joint venture. The following table summarises the 
financial information as included in its own financial statements adjusted for differences in accounting policies.

Non-Current assets 

. 

. 

Current assets 
. 
     Of which are cash and cash equivalents 

. 

. 

 . 

. 
 . 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

Non-Current liabilities 
    Of which are financial liabilities excluding trade and other payables and provisions 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Current liabilities  
    Of which are financial liabilities excluding trade and other payables and provisions 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Net assets  

. 

. 

Group’s interest in net assets 

Revenue 

. 

. 

Other Operating Income  

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

 . 

. 

 . 

Profit and total comprehensive income   

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Group’s share of profit and total comprehensive income 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

20211
2022) 
£000)            £000)

      5,866) 

      3,846)

         235) 
115) 

      370)
       51)

         (3,010) 
          (3,010) 

      (1,570)
         (1,570)

         (1,011) 
                  –) 

      (666)
                 –)

      2,080) 

      1,980)

      1,532) 

      1,227)

             –) 

             –)

         123) 

         111)

         511) 

         534)

         256) 

         267)

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

The Group accounts for all Joint Ventures using the equity method of accounting.

78

79

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

16. 

INVESTMENTS (continued) 

(a) JOINT VENTURES (continued) 

The Group’s interests in its other Joint Venture companies at 31st July 2022 are not considered to be material and 
the aggregate financial information for these associated companies is as follows: 

Aggregate carrying amount of individually immaterial joint ventures 

Aggregate carrying amount of the Group’s share of:    
. 
Loss after tax and total comprehensive loss 
. 
Dividend received 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

Total comprehensive loss 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

2022) 
£000) 
             –) 

2021)
£000)
          40)

. 

.                         (2)                 (3)
        (31)
.                           –) 

.                         (2) 

         (34)

. 

. 
. 

. 

Name of Joint Venture 
Gartcosh Estates LLP 

Registered in and 
Principal Country 
of Operation 
Scotland 

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC 
Interest in Joint Venture 
50% 

Name of Joint Venture 
Gartcosh Estates LLP 

Jointly managed with 
Fusion Assets Limited 

Issued Share capital
Partnership Interest 

50 A Shares

All  of  the  Joint  Venture  companies  were  established  for  the  purposes  of  property  development  and  all  have 
accounting years ending on 31st July.

Duff Street Limited was dissolved on 10th August 2021.

On 21st February 2022 the joint venture company Northrigg Limited, bought back the share owned by William 
Sanderson,  the  other  party  to  the  joint  venture  and  at  which  point  Northrigg  Limited  became  a  wholly  owned 
subsidiary of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC. 

(b) SUBSIDIARIES 

At 1st August 2021 and 31st July 2022  

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

2022) 
£000) 
        708) 

2021)
£000)
       708)

At 31st July 2022 the Company held the entire issued share capital of the following companies, all of which are 
registered in and operate in Scotland: 

McGowan and Company (Contractors) Limited  Plumbing contractors 
Cramond Real Estate Company Limited 
Thomas Menzies (Builders) Limited 
Concrete Products (Kirkcaldy) Limited 
C. & W. Assets Limited 
Smart Serviced Offices Limited 
Northrigg Limited 

Investment holding 
Civil engineering contractors 
Non trading 
Investment property company
Serviced office and co-working space provider
Investment property company

78

79

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

17.   BUSINESS COMBINATIONS 

On 21st February 2022 the Joint Venture company, Northrigg Limited bought back the share held by the joint 
venture  partner,  William  Sanderson.    Therefore,  from  this  date  Northrigg  Limited  became  a  wholly  owned 
subsidiary of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC, which now has full control over Northrigg Limited.

Fair value of assets acquired:
    Inventories 
    Other receivables 
    Cash and cash equivalents 
    Creditors acquired 

    Fair value of net assets acquired 
    Fair value of previously held interest 

    Consideration   
    Gain on bargain purchase 

£000

339
–
97
(364)

72
36

36
–
(36)

The gain on the bargain purchase of Northrigg Limited was accounted for in the company financial statements of 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC within Net Operating Expenses and was eliminated on consolidation and arose 
due to the fact J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC paid no consideration to obtain full control of Northrigg Limited.
Northrigg Limited contributed £nil to the Group’s revenue and decreased the Group’s profit by £3,000 from the 
date J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC obtained full control of Northrigg Limited.  Had the date of obtaining full 
control of Northrigg Limited happened on 1st August 2021, the impact on the Group’s revenue for the year to 31st 
July 2022 would have been £nil and the profit for the year would have decreased by £6,000.

18.  

FINANCIAL ASSETS 

Listed investments 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Group 

2022) 
£000) 
     1,069) 

2021) 
£000) 
     1,184)

Listed investments are measured at fair value with changes in their value taken to the Income Statement.

The fair value movement on financial assets held at 31st July 2022 before tax was a deficit of £121,000 (2021, 
surplus of £312,000) and was taken to the Income Statement.

There has been no impairment adjustment on financial assets in this or the previous year.

As the Group’s financial assets consisted entirely of equities of companies listed on quoted markets then these fall 
within ‘Level 1’ of the fair value hierarchy as described by IFRS 13: Fair Value Measurement.  Level 1 valuations 
are those using inputs which are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities the 
Company can access at the year end date.

19. 

INVENTORIES 

. 
Work in progress  
Land held for development 
. 
Raw materials and consumables 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

2022) 
£000) 
8,264) 
4,107) 
       83) 

Group 

Company 

2021) 
£000) 
4,118) 
3,329) 
         84) 

2022) 
£000) 
8,264) 
3,768) 
         35) 

2021) 
£000) 
4,118)
3,329)
         30)

 12,454) 

    7,531) 

  12,067) 

    7,477)

 . 
 . 
 . 

80

81

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

19. 

INVENTORIES (continued) 

CONTRACTS IN PROGRESS AT THE 
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DATE: 
Aggregate amount of costs incurred and 
recognised profits less recognised losses to date 
Retentions outstanding  . 
. 
Advances received 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Net value of contracts in progress 

. 

. 

Group 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000) 

Company 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000) 

 . 
 . 
 . 

 . 

4,959) 
46) 
     (5,028) 

2,271) 
44) 
   (2,140) 

3,183) 
23) 
       (3,190) 

1,763)
25)
   (1,542)

       (23) 

        175) 

         16) 

       246)

20. 

CONTRACT BALANCES
The timing of revenue recognition results in amounts due from customers for construction contracts, those 
which have not yet been invoiced are disclosed as Contract Assets and once invoiced they are disclosed as 
Trade Receivables (note 21). The Group does not receive deposits or payments in advance for contracts and 
therefore has no Contract Liabilities to disclose. The Group did not incur costs to obtain contracts.

Contract Assets  . 

. 

. 

. 

. 

As at 1st August 2021 
 . 
. 
Transfers from contract assets recognised at the 
beginning of the year to trade receivables 
 . 
Increase related to services provided in the year 

. 

. 

As at 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

21. 

TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES 

NON-CURRENT ASSETS: 
Loan to Joint Venture companies 
Loans to Subsidiary Companies 

. 

CURRENT ASSETS: 
Trade receivables  
. 
Amounts owed by Subsidiaries . 
Other receivables  
. 
Prepayments and accrued income 
Loans to Joint Venture companies 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

Group 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000) 

Company 

2022) 
£000) 

2021) 
£000) 

       16) 

       246) 

        16) 

       246)

246) 

423) 

246) 

277)

(246) 
            16) 

(423) 
       246) 

(246) 
             16) 

(277)
       246)

         16) 

       246) 

         16) 

       246)

3,010) 
         –  

1,570) 
          –  

3,010) 
       364  

1,570)
           –

    3,010) 

    1,570) 

    3,374) 

    1,570)

1,242  
–  
974  
226  
         –  

1,431  
–  
1,137  
201  
      176  

179  
2,116  
34  
119  
           –  

246  
1,374  
–  
128  

       176

   2,442  

    2,945  

    2,448  

    1,924

 . 

. 

. 
 . 

 . 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

80

81

   1,242  

    1,431  

       179  

      246)  

The ageing of past due but not impaired trade debtors is as follows:
Less than 30 days 
30 to 60 days 
Greater than 60 days 

826  
203  
     213  

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

1,207  
130  
         94  

134  
43  
           2  

227  
19  

          –

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

21. 

TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES (continued) 

Trade receivables are subject to standard payment terms and conditions normal for construction industry being 
14 days from date applications are issued or 30 days from date of invoice whichever is applicable and for the 
investment property rent it is payable in advance and insurance and service charge invoices due on demand.
The Group measures the loss allowance on trade receivables at an amount equal to lifetime expected credit loss 
using  the  simplified  model  in  IFRS  9:  Financial  Instruments  which  are  estimated  by  reference  to  past  default 
experience  of  debtors  and  an  analysis  of  debtors’  current  financial  position  and  adjusted  for  items  specific  to 
debtors. There has been no change in the estimation techniques or significant assumptions in the year.
The Group has considered the measure of the loss allowance separately for its construction activities and investment 
activities as the transactions within each activity differ significantly as does previous credit experience.
For  construction  activities  due  to  the  nature  of  the  customers  of  the  Group  which  tend  to  be  social  housing 
providers or local government and in respect of private house sales which do not occur until receipt of proceeds 
the risk of credit loss is almost non existent. In the years to 31st July 2022 and 31st July 2021 the Group had no 
specific bad debt write offs. Therefore, based in this past experience the Group has no expected credit loss for 
construction activities requiring to be incorporated.
For investment activities the Group has reviewed the bad debts written off in previous years, which occurs when 
the Group has information indicating that the debtor is in severe financial difficulty and the Group has no realistic 
prospect of recovery of the debt and has calculated over the last three financial years an average expected credit 
loss percentage of 0.34% (2021, 0.14%).
The Group is able to review all of this trade receivables in its investment activities and make specific provisions 
as it considers necessary based on the knowledge of its debtors and likelihood of recoverability of the debts. As at 
31st July 2022 the Group made a provision for lifetime expected credit losses of £72,000 (2021, £23,000).
Trade  receivables  and  amounts  recoverable  on  contracts  includes  £167,000  (2021,  £262,000)  in  respect  of 
outstanding retentions. 
The loans to Joint Venture companies (note 16(a)) are repayable on demand, with the exception of the loan to 
Gartcosh Estates LLP.  Given the expected future repayment profile this loan has been disclosed as due after one 
year. These loans are not subject to significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition and consequently 
there is no lifetime credit losses for non-current receivables.
Amounts owed by subsidiaries are repayable on demand and are interest free. The loans to subsidiary companies 
are repayable on demand and are interest free.
The Directors consider that the carrying amount of trade and other receivables approximates to their fair value.

22. 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 
Cash and cash equivalents comprise the following: 

Cash at bank and on hand 
Short term available deposits 

Bank overdrafts   

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

Group 

2022 
£000  
11,071 
   20,725 

2021 
£000 
11,531 
     7,824 

Company

2022 
£000  
–) 
           –) 

2021 
£000
––
          ––

   31,796 

    19,355 

            –) 

          ––

. 
. 

.              (11,049)              (11,572) 

 (10,043) 

   (9,765)

    20,747 

      7,783 

 (10,043) 

   (9,765)

Monies  held  on  deposit  of  £48,000  (2021,  £48,000)  are  held  in  bank  accounts  which  have  original  maturity 
dates exceeding three months and therefore do not meet the criteria of cash and cash equivalents as defined in  
IAS 7: Statement of Cash Flows.
The  bank  has  been  granted  guarantees  and  letters  of  offset  by  each  member  of  the  Group  in  favour  of 
the bank on account of all other members of the Group as a continuing security for all monies, obligations and 
liabilities owing or incurred to the bank. Overall the Group does not have an overdraft facility, however individual 
companies within the Group may have an overdrawn bank balance.

82

83

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

23. 

TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES 
CURRENT LIABILITIES: 

                              Group 

. 

. 

Trade payables 
. 
Amounts owed to Subsidiaries  . 
Other taxes and social security costs 
Other creditors and accruals 
Deferred income  

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

2022 
759 
– 
250 
1,087 
        210 

                  Company
2021               2022              2021
641 
500 
50 
105 
410
139 
1,128
1,253 
            – 
           – 

858 
– 
633 
1,094 
        465 

Included in Other creditors and accruals are contract loss provisions.

24. 

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS 

     2,306 

     3,050 

    1,997 

     2,229

The Group’s financial instruments comprise of bank balances and cash, financial assets, trade and other receivables 
and trade and other payables. The amounts presented in relation to trade receivables are net of allowances for 
expected credit losses.
Financial assets are held at fair value as per IFRS 13: Fair Value Measurement with changes in value being taken 
to the Income Statement all other instruments are carried at cost which approximates to their fair value.
The financial instruments are held to finance the Group’s operations.
Details of significant accounting policies and methods adopted in relation to recognition and measurement are 
given in note 1 to the financial statements.
The principal risks arising from the Group’s financial instruments are credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. 
All transactions for the Group are undertaken in pounds sterling and therefore the Group is not exposed to foreign 
exchange rate risk. 

CREDIT RISK 

In relation to the Group’s financial assets, the Group has no significant concentration of credit risk, as exposure 
is spread over a number of counterparties and customers who the Group assess as being creditworthy. In some 
instances, relating to tenants within investment properties, guarantees from parent companies and/or deposits are 
obtained prior to granting of a lease should the Group assess any potential issues with creditworthiness.
There is no significant impairment loss recognised or significant receivables that are past due but not impaired.

Trade receivables - Trade receivables are subject to standard payment terms and conditions normal for construction 
industry and for the investment property rent is payable in advance and insurance and service charge invoices 
are due on demand. The Group measures the loss allowance on trade receivables at an amount equal to lifetime 
expected  credit  loss  which  are  estimated  by  reference  to  past  default  experience  of  debtors  and  an  analysis  of 
debtors’  current  financial  position  and  adjusted  for  items  specific  to  debtors. There  has  been  no  change  in  the 
estimation techniques or significant assumptions in the year.
Trade receivables are written off when the Group becomes aware that the debtor is in severe financial difficulty and 
there is no prospect of recovery of the debt.
As at 31st July 2022 for the Group 33.5% being £416,000 (2021, 15.7%, £224,000) of the trade receivables are past 
due but not impaired and for the Company 24.9% being £44,000 (2021, 7.7%, £19,000).
Joint Ventures - The Group has assessed that there is no significant credit risk in relation to loans to Joint Venture 
companies given the underlying value of the assets within these entities.
Subsidiaries - With regards to loans to subsidiary companies the Company has assessed that where a subsidiary has 
insufficient assets to repay the loans then there is a risk the loan may not be repaid and so has provided in full for 
these loans.  
Bank deposits - The Group deposits surplus monies with various banks and accounts to reduce the Group’s exposure 
to any one financial institution or product.

82

83

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

24. 

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (continued) 

MARKET RISK

The Group’s exposure here is in relation to interest rates. The Group only has monies on deposits it has no bank 
borrowings, so the risk relates to interest receivable only.
IFRS 7: Financial Instrument Disclosures requires a company to undertake a sensitivity analysis on its financial 
instruments which are affected by changes in interest rates. The Group financial instruments affected by interest 
rate fluctuations are bank deposits and bank overdrafts. Based on the Group’s net position at the year end, a 1% 
increase or decrease in the interest rates would change the Group’s profit before tax by approximately £211,000 
and £17,000 respectively (2021, £78,000 and £4,000 respectively).

LIQUIDITY RISK

The Group pays all trade creditors in accordance with standard payment terms in the construction industry being 
end of month following receipt of invoice. All other creditors are paid in accordance with their standard terms.

25. 

DEFERRED TAXATION 

DEFERRED TAX ASSETS    

. 
At 1st August 2020 
Credited to Income Statement – continuing operations 
. 
Charged to Equity 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

At 31st July 2021 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Charged to Income Statement – continuing operations 

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

. 

.  

Group 

  Retirement 
        Benefit 

Company
                           Retirement
                                    Benefit 
  Obligations           Other            Total          Obligations
                £000           £000             £000 
£000
313               204
. 
2,417            2,347
. 
   (2,551)
. 

      109
         204 
      2,347            70
    (2,551 )             –     (2,551)) 

.                    –

    179

      179

           –

.                – 

      (166)        (166) 

         –)

.                –)           13)         13) 

         –)

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES
GROUP 

. 

At 1st August 2020  
Charged to Income Statement 
– continuing operations   
. 
Credited to Equity 

At 31st July 2021 - Restated  

. 

. 
. 

. 

Valuation
            Accelerated Retirement        Surplus on
                   Capital  
Benefit 
            Allowances Obligations 
Restated 
Note 35 
£000 

Investment  
Properties  

£000  

. 

     1,244

£000  
£000 
–                  –                –   

Fair  

Other
Timing

Value   Differences  

Total
                                         Restated
                                          Note 35
£000  
1,265  

£000  
21  

.                   509 
 5,766) 
.                       –)        (1,075)                –                  –)                 –)        (1,075)

3,041           2,209 

1  

6 

.               1,753        1,966          2,209                6               22  

   5,956

(Credited)/charged to Income Statement 
. 
– continuing operation 
. 
Charged to Equity 

. 
. 

. 

       ((13)              4 )             429               (6) 
(2) 
            –)       1,804                 –)               –)               –)  

 412) 
   1,804)

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

     1,740

    3,774

      2,638

         –                  20  

   8,172

84

85

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

25. 

DEFERRED TAXATION (continued) 

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES (continued)

COMPANY 

 Accelerated      Retirement                Other

At 1st August 2020 
. 
Charged/(credited) to Income Statement 
. 
Credited to Equity 

. 

. 

. 

. 

At 31st July 2021 - Restated 

. 

. 

Charged/(credited) to Income Statement 
. 
Charged to Equity 

. 

. 

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

26. 

LEASE LIABILITIES 

Amounts payable under leases:
Within one year   
. 
In two – five years exclusively  . 
After five years 
. 
Present value of lease liabilities  . 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

Due for settlement within one year (shown in current liabilities) 

. 

Due for settlement after one year (shown in non-current liabilities)  

. 

. 

                      Capital             Benefit              Timing  
               Allowances      Obligations       Differences  

Total
                                        Restated                                           Restated
                                          Note 35                                            Note 35
£000

                         £000                 £000                  £000  
10                 –                 16  
56          3,041                 (1) 
                         –)        (1,075)                 –) 

26  

 (3,096
 (1,075) 

           66           1,966

          15  

     2,047

5 

4 )               (4) 
            –)         1,804                  –) 

5)
   1,804) 

           71          3,774

         11  

     3,856

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
.            . 

                           Group

2022 

2021) 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 

1 
. 
. 
1 
.             211) 
.             213) 

–) 
–) 
       213) 
       213)

.                 1) 

           –)

.             212) 

       213)

27. 

SHARE CAPITAL 

Issued and fully paid ordinary shares of 2p each
. 
. 
At 1st August 2021 
. 
Purchased and cancelled  
. 
. 
At 31st July 2022 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

  2022 

 Number  

£000  

2021

Number  

£000

. 
. 
. 

41,960,393  
 (1,113,260) 
40,847,133  

840  
     (22) 
    818  

42,610,409  
   (650,016) 
41,960,393   

853
       (13)
      840

During the year to 31st July 2022 the Company purchased for cancellation 1,113,260 ordinary shares of 2p each 
with a nominal value of £22,000 for a consideration of £1,749,000.
All shareholders of ordinary shares have a right to receive dividends paid by the Company in accordance with their 
shareholding. Each shareholder has the right to attend and vote at a General Meeting and each share attracts one 
vote. There are no restrictions on the distribution of dividends or repayment of capital.

Capital redemption reserve
The Capital redemption reserve relates to the nominal value of issued share capital bought back by the Company 
and cancelled.

Retained earnings
Retained earnings represents the accumulated profits or losses, net of distributions made and the accounting for 
share capital bought back by the Company.

84

85

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

28.  NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 

(a) CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS FOR STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 

Cash and cash equivalents 
. 
Bank overdraft 
. 
Net position 

. 
. 

(b) ANALYSIS OF NET FUNDS 

Cash and cash equivalents 
.  
Bank overdraft 

. 

Net funds  

. 

. 

(c) ANALYSIS OF DEBT 

As at 1st August 2021 
Cash flows 
As at 31st July 2022 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 

As at 1st August 2020 
Non-cash movement in year 
   Increase in liability in year 
Cash flows 
As at 31st July 2021 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
 . 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

 . 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

29.  NOTES TO THE COMPANY STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 

(a) CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS FOR STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 

Cash and cash equivalents 
. 
Bank overdraft 

Net position 

. 

. 

(b) ANALYSIS OF NET FUNDS  

Cash and cash equivalents 
. 
Bank overdraft 

Net funds  

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

86

2022  
£000  
31,796  
  (11,049) 
   20,747   

2021  
£000
19,355  
  (11,572)
     7,783

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

At 1st  
 August 2021  
£000  
19,355  
  (11,572)  

Cash  
Flow  
£000  
12,441  
         523   

At 31st  
July 2022  
£000  
31,796     
 (11,049)

     7,783  

   12,964  

   20,747

Lease
Liabilities
£000
213  
          –)
      213

205  
–  
7  
          1)
      213

2022  
£000  

2021
£000  

–  
   (10,043) 

–
   (9,765)

       (10,043)       (9,765)

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

At 1st    
  August 2021  
£000  
.              2,9 –  
.             (9,765) 

Cash        At 31st
Flow    July 2022
£000            £000  

(2,94–) 
   (278) 

–
 (10,043)

. 

   (9,765)  

    (278) 

 (10,043)

87

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

30. 

FUTURE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 

There were no amounts of Capital Expenditure relating to Property, plant and equipment contracted for at 31st July 
2022 or 31st July 2021. 
The Group had obligations of £6,133,000 (2021, £1,442,000) in respect of future developments and repair costs of 
investment properties at the Balance Sheet date. 
The Group’s share of Capital Expenditure contracted for by its Joint Ventures as at 31st July 2022 amounted to 
£nil (2021, £nil).

31. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS 

The Group operates a defined benefit pension scheme for certain active and former employees of the Group.  The 
scheme was closed to new members in the year to 31st July 2003. The scheme is subject to the funding legislation 
outlined in the Pensions Act 2004 together with documents issued by the Pensions Regulator and Guidance Notes 
adopted by the Financial Reporting Council.

The Group has concluded that the trust deed relating to the scheme grants the unconditional right to any surplus 
of the scheme on the full settlement of the scheme liabilities to the Group and therefore have concluded that any 
surplus on the scheme can be incorporated into the Group and Company financial statements. 

Advice on the Group’s right to a surplus arising on the pension scheme was sought in the year from a firm of 
lawyers who specialise in this area.  Their advice was that the Group had an unconditional right to the surplus 
based on the original Trust Deed and Deed of Variation and therefore the full surplus arising of the calculation 
thereof under IAS 19 (amended): Employee Benefits should be accounted for in the financial statements.  This 
revised advice impacted on the accounts for the year to 31st July 2021 and resulted in that year’s accounts having 
to be revised.  Full details of this prior year adjustment can be found in note 35 to the financial statements.   

The  scheme  is  administered  by  a  separate  Board  of  Trustees  which  is  composed  of  employer  nominated 
representatives and member nominated Trustees and is a separate legal entity.  The assets of the scheme are held 
separately from the assets of the Group and are administered and managed professionally under the supervision 
of the Trustees.  The Trustees are required by law to act in the best interests of all classes of beneficiaries to the 
scheme and are responsible for the investment policy and the day-to-day running of the scheme.  The Trustees 
are also responsible for jointly agreeing with the employer the level of contributions due to the Pension scheme.

The scheme provides qualifying employees with an annual pension based on final pensionable salary on attainment 
of a normal retirement age of 65.  Active members also benefit from life assurance cover. However the payment of 
these benefits are at the discretion of the Trustees of the scheme.

The  pension  scheme’s  independent  qualified Actuary  carries  out  a  triennial  valuation  using  the  Projected  Unit 
Credit Method to determine the level of the scheme’s surplus or deficit.  The last completed triennial valuation was 
as at 31st October 2018 which revealed a surplus of £1,451,000, representing a funding level of 104%. Following 
this latest triennial valuation the Group and the scheme Trustees agreed that employer contributions to the scheme 
as from 31st October 2019 would increase from 31.9% to 35.4% and employee contributions are to remain at 3%.

The triennial valuation as at 31st October 2021 is being prepared but as at the date of this Annual Report and 
Statement of Accounts it has not yet been completed. 

There were no outstanding contributions at the year end.

The Group expects to pay a contribution of £501,000 (2021, £559,000) during the financial year to 31st July 2023.                                

86

87

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

31. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued) 

ASSUMPTIONS
The financial assumptions used to calculate scheme liabilities under IAS 19 (amended): Employee Benefits are: 

. 
. 

. 
. 
Valuation method 
. 
Discount rate 
. 
. 
Inflation rate - Retail price index 
. 
Inflation rate - Consumer price index  . 
. 
Salary increases  . 
. 
Pension increases 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

   2022 
.     Projected Unit  
  3.5% 
. 
  3.4% 
. 
  2.8% 
. 
. 
  3.4% 
 .       2.0% – 3.5% 

2021 
Projected Unit 
1.6%
3.4%
2.7%
3.4%
2.0% – 3.5%

The mortality assumptions imply the following expectations of years of life from age 65: 

2016  2015 

2014

Man currently aged 65  . 
Woman currently aged 65 
Man currently aged 45  . 
Woman currently aged 45 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

  21.4 
  23.9 
  22.6 
  25.3 

21.4 
23.9
22.6 
25.3

SENSITIVITY TO KEY ASSUMPTIONS

The  scheme  exposes  the  Group  to  actuarial  risks,  such  as  interest  rate  risk,  inflation  risk,  longevity  risk  and 
investment risk.  The key assumptions used for IAS 19 are discount rate, inflation rates and mortality.  If different 
assumptions were used then this could materially affect the results disclosed in the financial statements.  Movements 
in the key assumptions would have the following effect on the level of the surplus:

 Change in assumption 

Discount rate 
Inflation rate 
Mortality rate 

. 
 Decrease of 0.25% 
 Increase of 0.25% 
. 
 Increase in life expectancy of 1 year 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Increase in scheme liabilities
2021
£000

2022 
£000 

. 
. 
. 

.  
. 
 . 

. 
. 
. 

851 
231 
1,165 

 1,349
363
1,733

The sensitivity information has been prepared using the same methodology as the calculation of the current year 
scheme obligations.

88

89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

31. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued) 

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DISCLOSURES 

The investments held by the scheme and the reconciliation of the scheme assets and liabilities to the Statement of 
Financial Position were:

EQUITIES   
UK 
. 
Overseas   
Multi-asset diversified funds 
Absolute return funds 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

BONDS 
Government 
Corporate  

OTHER 
Cash 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

Fair value of scheme assets 
Present value of scheme liabilities 
Scheme surplus/(deficit)  
Deferred taxation  
. 
Net pension scheme surplus/(deficit) 

. 
. 

  Valuation  
2022  

Valuation  
2021  

                                Restated 
                                 Note 35

£000  

12,765  
19,763  
4,292  
870  

1,292  
2,760  

   3,692  

45,434  
(30,338) 
15,096) 
   (3,774) 
   11,322) 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

£000  

13,001  
22,441  
3,507  
973  

1,158  
3,632  

    2,565  

47,277  
(39,414) 
7,863) 
   (1,996) 
    5,867) 

Valuation
2020

£000

11,054
17,846
3,399
952

1,302
3,824

   1,978

40,355
(41,431)
(1,076)
      204
     (872)

88

89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

31. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued) 

In the most recent triennial valuation dated 31st October 2018, the defined benefit scheme liabilities were split 34% 
in respect of active scheme members, 6% in respect of deferred scheme members and 60% in respect of retirees.

The duration of the defined benefit scheme liabilities as at 31st July 2022 is 11 years (2021, 14 years). 

The  assets  of  the  scheme  are  invested  in  funds  managed  by  Standard  Life  Wealth,  in  direct  investments  via 
Rathbone Investment Management Limited, in insurance policies with companies belonging to the Royal London 
Group and in bank accounts.  The assets do not include any directly owned ordinary shares issued by J. Smart 
& Co. (Contractors) PLC.  The fair value of the assets of the pension scheme are determined based on publicly 
available market prices wherever available.

The following amounts are incorporated into the financial statements 

Analysis of amounts charged to operating profit: 
. 
Current service cost 
. 
Past service cost   

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Total service cost  

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

Analysis of amounts charged to net finance income: 
Interest income 
Interest costs 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

Movement in present value of defined benefit obligations:
. 
. 
. 
At 1st August 2021 
. 
. 
. 
Service cost 
. 
. 
. 
Interest cost 
. 
. 
Charges paid 
. 
. 
. 
Employee contributions  
. 
. 
. 
Benefit payments  
Actuarial movements due to scheme experiences 
. 
. 
Actuarial movements due to changes in demographic assumptions  . 
. 
Actuarial movements due to changes in financial assumptions 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

2022  

£000  

2021
        Restated
Note 35
£000  

(642) 
          –  

(642)      
       (85)

     (642) 

     (727)

744  
     (623) 

521       
     (534)

         121  

        (13)

  39,414  
642  
623  
–) 
32  
(1,592) 
((987)        
(117) 
  (7,677) 

41,431

727  
534

  –) 
36  
(1,273) 
(231)  
(970) 
     (840)

     30,338  

  39,414

90

91

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022 

31. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued) 

Movement in fair value of scheme assets:
. 
. 
At 1st August 2021 
. 
Interest income    
. 
. 
Employer contributions . 
. 
Employee contributions . 
. 
. 
Benefits paid 
Charges paid 
. 
. 
Return on plan assets excluding amount shown in interest income  . 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Movement in scheme surplus /(deficit): 
. 
. 
At 1st August 2021 
. 
. 
Current service cost 
. 
. 
Past service cost   
Contributions 
. 
. 
. 
Net finance income/(costs) included in finance income/(costs) 
. 
Actuarial remeasurement of pension scheme liability  

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

Analysis of the actuarial gain included in the statement of comprehensive income:
(Loss)/return on scheme assets excluding amounts shown in interest income 
Changes in assumptions underlying present value of scheme liabilities 

. 
. 

. 

2022  

£000  

2021
        Restated
Note 35
£000  

47,277  
744  
535  
32  
(1,592) 
 –) 
    (1,562) 

40,355  
521
553  
36  
(1,273) 
–) 

    7,085

   45,434  

  47,277

7,863  
(642) 
 –  
535  
121) 
      7,219) 

(1,076)
(642)
 (85)
553  
(13) 
    9,126)

        15,096) 

    7,863

(1,562) 
     8,781  

7,085
    2,041)

At 31st July 2022 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

History of experience gains and losses: 
(Loss)/return on scheme assets 

Amount (£000) 
. 
Percentage of market value of scheme assets 

. 

. 

. 

. 
.  

. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

Changes in assumptions underlying present value of scheme liabilities 

Amount (£000) 
. 
Percentage of market value of scheme liabilities  . 

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

Total amounts included in Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income 
. 

Amount (£000) 
. 
Percentage of market value of scheme liabilities  .  

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 

. 

. 

.  

     7,219) 

    9,126

. 
. 

. 
. 

. 
. 

.         (1,562)          7,085
15.0%
. 

       3.4% 

.          8,781)         2,041
  5.2%
.          28.9%   

.          7,219)         9,126
.         23.8%          23.2%

90

91

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

31. 

RETIREMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS (continued) 

DEFINED CONTRIBUTION SCHEMES

In the year to 31st July 2003 the Group commenced operation of a defined contribution Group Personal Pension 
Plan for eligible employees. The plan is externally administered and managed professionally by AEGON UK plc. 
The net contribution to the plan for the year was £307,000 (2021, £253,000) and are expensed through the Income 
Statement as incurred. 

STAKEHOLDER SCHEMES

The Group has stakeholder pension arrangements for those employees not eligible for membership of either the 
Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution schemes.  The Group makes contributions to these schemes and has no 
liability beyond these contributions.  The contributions to these schemes in the year amounted to £65,000 (2021, 
£63,000) and are expensed through the Income Statement as incurred. 

MULTI EMPLOYER SCHEME

The Group was also a member of the multi-employer pension scheme, Plumbing & Mechanical Services (UK) 
Industry  Pension  Scheme  which  closed  to  future  benefit  buildup  effective  30th  June  2019.   The  Group  makes 
contributions to this scheme which in the year amounted to £1,000 (2021, £4,000) and are expensed through the 
Income Statement as incurred.

No provision has been made for amounts payable by the Group in respect of Section 75 pension liabilities relating 
to the Group’s participation in this scheme given that, as at the date of these financial statements, any potential 
liability has not yet been assessed.

32. 

CONTINGENT LIABILITIES 
The Company and certain of its Subsidiaries have, in the normal course of business, entered into counter-indemnities 
in respect of performance bonds relating to their contracts.  As at 31st July 2022 these amounted to £nil.
The bank has been granted guarantees and letters of offset by each member of the Group in favour of the bank on 
account of all other members of the Group as a continuing security for all monies, obligations and liabilities owing or 
incurred to the bank.  Overall the Group does not have an overdraft facility, however individual companies within the 
Group may have an overdrawn bank balance.  As at 31st July 2022 the balances in overdraft of subsidiary companies 
which the Company has given guarantees and letters of offset amounted to £1,006,000.

92

93

J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

33.  OPERATING LEASE ARRANGEMENTS 

GROUP – AS LESSEE 
Future minimum lease payments payable under non-cancellable operating leases for ground leases were payments 
to the lessors are contingent on rents received by the Group from tenants and as such, do not fall within the scope 
of IFRS 16: Leases for capitalisation: 

Within one year  . 
. 
In two – five years exclusively  . 
. 
After five years  . 

. 

. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 

2022 
£000 
91 
302 

2021
£000 
106
322
       203                   244

       596 

        672

GROUP – AS LESSOR
Gross property rental income earned in the year amounted to £6,158,000 (2021, £6,626,000).  At the Statement 
of  Financial  Position  date,  the  Group  had  contracted  with  its  tenants  for  the  following  future  minimum  lease 
payments:

. 
Within one year  . 
Within one and two years 
Within two and three years 
Within three and four years 
Within four and five years 
. 
After five years  . 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

5,917 
5,099 
4,370 
4,024 
3,193 
    9,542 

6,642
5,344
4,492
3,935
3,425
     8,313 

  32,145 

   32,151

92

93

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

34. 

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

(a) SUBSIDIARIES 
Transactions  between  the  Company  and  its  Subsidiaries,  which  are  related  parties  of  the  Company,  have  been 
eliminated on consolidation. Details of transactions between the Company and Subsidiaries are as follows: 

SUBSIDIARY 

2021 
£000 
                                              Sale of goods and             Purchase of goods and
                                                    services to Subsidiaries     services from Subsidiaries 

2022 
£000 

2022 
£000 

2021 
£000 

McGowan and Company (Contractors) Limited  
Cramond Real Estate Company Limited 
Thomas Menzies (Builders) Limited 
. 
Concrete Products (Kirkcaldy) Limited 
. 
. 
C. & W. Assets Limited . 
. 
Smart Serviced Offices Limited  
. 
. 
Northrigg Limited 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
.       
.       

131 
– 
72 
– 
3,287 
         116 
           – 

126 
– 
126 
2 
3,031 
         118 
             – 

246 
– 
6 
– 
– 
           –  
           –  

298
– 
5
–
–
           –
           –

In addition, during the year the Company received a dividend of £12,360,000 from C. & W. Assets Limited (2021, 
£2,500,000).

SUBSIDIARY 

Amounts owed 
by Subsidiaries 

Amounts owed 
to Subsidiaries 

McGowan and Company (Contractors) Limited 
Cramond Real Estate Company Limited 
Thomas Menzies (Builders) Limited 
. 
Concrete Products (Kirkcaldy) Limited 
. 
C. & W. Assets Limited . 
. 
. 
Smart Serviced Offices Limited  
. 
. 
Northrigg Limited 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 

. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
.       
.       

– 
– 
1 
– 

– 
– 
4 
– 
       2,115          1,370 
         940 
       1,020 
         176 
       364 

7105 
– 
– 
– 

50 
–
– 
– 
             –                – 
           –
           –

           –  
           –  

During the year the Company advanced a further £80,000 to its subsidiary Smart Serviced Offices Limited and 
as at 31st July 2022 the total due from the subsidiary was £1,020,000.  As at 31st July 2022 the Company has 
provided in full against this debt.

As detailed in note 17, Northrigg Limited became a wholly owned Subsidiary of J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC 
in the year after previously being a Joint Venture of the Company. At 1st August 2021, Northrigg Limited owed the 
Company £176,000.  Prior to becoming a wholly owned Subsidiary, the Company advanced a further £188,000 to 
Northrigg Limited.  As at 31st July 2022 the total due from this Subsidiary was £364,000.  No provision for bad or 
expected credit loss has been made against this loan. 

The Company has also incorporated a provision against the net liabilities of Concrete Products (Kirkcaldy) Limited 
amounting to £571,000 (2021, £529,000) due to the fact that the Company is providing financial support to this 
subsidiary to meet all of its liabilities as they fall due for a period of twelve months from the date of approval of 
its financial statements.

94

95

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

34. 

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (continued)

(b) JOINT VENTURE COMPANIES

Transactions  between  the  Group  and  its  Joint  Venture  Companies  were  the  sale  of  materials  and  services  of 
£1,616,000 (2021, £1,408,000) and receipt of dividends of £nil (2021, £31,000).

During  the  year  the  Group  was  repaid  £nil  (2021,  £nil)  of  outstanding  loans  to  Joint  Venture  Companies  and 
advanced £1,440,000 (2021, £1,320,000) to Joint Venture Companies. 

As at 31st July 2022 loans outstanding from Joint Venture Companies amounted to £3,010,000 (2021, £1,746,000).

The amounts outstanding are unsecured and will be settled for cash.  No expense has been recognised in the year 
for bad or doubtful debts in respect of the amounts owed by Joint Venture Companies.

(c) DIRECTORS’ INTEREST IN CONTRACTS 

David W Smart and John R Smart, throughout the year had material beneficial interests in Plean Precast Limited, 
Sterling Precast Limited and The Roofing and Building Supply Co. Limited, which have interests in continuing 
contracts for the purchase of materials and services from and for the sale of materials and services to the Group. 

During the year to 31st July 2022 the Group purchased materials amounting to £67,000 (2021, £10,000) from these 
companies and sold materials and services amounting to £103,000 (2021, £82,000) to these companies. 

All transactions were at normal commercial rates.

As at 31st July 2022 the Group owed these companies £nil (2021, £4,000) and was owed £41,000 (2021, £53,000).

(d) DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION 

The remuneration of the Directors, who are the only key management of the Company, is set out in note 5 to the 
financial statements with further information contained in the audited part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

(e) DIRECTORS’ DIVIDENDS 

During the year the Directors received dividends from the Company as follows: 

. 
David W Smart 
John R Smart 
. 
Alasdair H Ross  . 
Patricia Sweeney . 

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(f) DIRECTORS’ TRANSACTIONS 

2022 
£000 
413 
413 
5 
5 

The following Directors received goods and services from Group Companies in the year amounting to:

. 
David W Smart 
John R Smart 
. 
Alasdair H Ross  . 
Patricia Sweeney . 

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1 
40 
– 
– 

2021
£000
412
412
5
5

24
75
–
–

(g) PENSION SCHEMES

Disclosures in relation to the pension schemes are included in note 31 to the financial statements.

During the year the Company paid fees and expenses on behalf of the defined benefit pension scheme amounting 
to £273,000 (2021, £179,000).

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J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (continued) 

31st July 2022

35. 

PRIOR YEAR ADJUSTMENT 

During the year the Group sought further advice on the Group’s right to a surplus arising on the pension scheme 
from a firm of lawyers who specialise in this area.  Their advice was that the Group had an unconditional right 
to the surplus based on the original Trust Deed and Deed of Variation and therefore the full surplus arising on 
the  calculation  thereof  under  IAS  19  (amended):  Employee  Benefits  should  be  accounted  for  in  the  financial 
statements.    This  revised  advice  impacted  on  the  accounts  for  the  year  to  31st  July  2021  and  resulted  in  the 
accounts for that year being revised.   

The impact of this new advice is that it is now clear to the Company that the full surplus arising on the pension 
scheme should be accounted for and should not have been reduced by the asset ceiling adjustment to reduce the 
surplus to the present value of economic benefits available in the form of reductions in future contributions to the 
plan.

There has been no impact on the Consolidated Income Statement as the asset ceiling adjustment was only accounted 
for in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.  The pension scheme asset in the Consolidated and 
Company Statement of Financial Position has increased as has deferred tax liability on the asset.  

Details of the impact of the revision on the figures in the financial statements are given below:

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 

Other Comprehensive Income – as previously reported
Items that will not be subsequently reclassified to Income Statement: 
Remeasurement gains on defined benefit pension scheme 

Other Comprehensive Income – as restated 
Items that will not be subsequently reclassified to Income Statement: 
Remeasurement gains on defined benefit pension scheme 

Impact on Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income - increase  

Tax 
Increase in deferred tax adjustment based on above increase 

Net impact on Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income 

CONSOLIDATED AND COMPANY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

Retirement benefit surplus – as previously stated 
Retirement benefit surplus – as restated 

Increase in asset   
Increase in deferred tax adjustment based on above increase 

Increase in net assets of the Group and Company   

Increase in retained earnings of Group and Company 

 £000

5,988 

9,126 

3,138 

  (785) 

2,353 

4,725 
7,863 

3,138 
  (785) 

2,353 

2,353 

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