AB SPECIAL PROJECTS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
05233483 · ltd · incorporated 2004-09-16
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2025
Net worth
£425.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Construction of other civil engineering projects n.e.c.
Sector: Construction
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 11.1y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 11.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: high (85/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
3 years of iXBRL accounts extracted + narrative notes parsed
95
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (1 active, 8 linked, 2 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
76 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £425,194
Net assets shrinking
Down £118,144 YoY
Cash YoY
+69586%
Year on year
Key financials
3 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£70k
↑ 69586% YoY
Net Worth
£425k
↓ 22% YoY
Current Assets
£638k
↑ 31% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-09-30 | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.02M | £937.3k | £1.09M |
| Current assets | £637.6k | £486.2k | £675.3k |
| Cash | £69.7k | £100 | £237.1k |
| Debtors | £567.9k | £486.1k | £438.3k |
| Net assets | £425.2k | £543.3k | £640.8k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (41 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-03-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-03-12🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2025-03-12🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2025-03-07📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-03-04🔒Charge registered #4Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2024-08-14📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-08-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-07-23📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-06-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-06-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2023-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-26📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2023-05-25📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2023-05-24🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Tremletts (Skicraft) Limited
- 2023-05-24🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Tremletts (Skicraft) Limited
- 2022-06-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-03-15📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2015-06-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2009-06-04➖THOMPSON JENNER LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2008-01-31➖ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee resignedsecretary
- 2008-01-31➕THOMPSON JENNER LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2008-01-31➖ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee resigneddirector
- 2006-05-10➕ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee appointedsecretary
- 2006-05-10➖HAWKINS, Alison Julie resignedsecretary
- 2005-09-15➖ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee resignedsecretary
- 2004-09-16🏢Company incorporatedAs AB SPECIAL PROJECTS LIMITED
- 2004-09-16➕BAILEY, Andrew William appointeddirector
- 2004-09-16➕ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee appointedsecretary
- 2004-09-16➕HAWKINS, Alison Julie appointedsecretary
- 2004-09-16➕SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-09-16➖SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-09-16➕ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee appointeddirector
- 2004-09-16➕CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-09-16➖CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrew William Bailey Individual · British · DOB 08/1969 · age 57 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Dr Belinda Stanleyceased 31/03/2024· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Construction · EX postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A & R BLATCHFORD LIMITED→ 06900633 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| A P MADDOX LIMITED→ 06122434 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| A P PLANT SOUTH WEST LTD→ 16198832 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A R BOLAND LIMITED→ 04875667 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| AE SERVICES (ELECTRICAL) LTD→ 16356320 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ALL IN ONE SERVICES LTD→ 11190369 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ALM FIRE AND SECURITY LIMITED→ 16852278 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALPHA GLOBAL LTD→ 11579616 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AMTEL SERVICES (UK) LIMITED→ 05778199 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ANCHOR PROPERTY CARE & CO LIMITED→ 13354993 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ANDERSON & EVANS LIMITED→ 05597956 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ANDREW PIKE BUILDERS LIMITED→ 05651029 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2004-09-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC42990 — Construction of other civil engineering projects n.e.c.
Registered office
Mordicus House Unit 1a Tremletts Boatyard
Odhams Wharf
Topsham
Devon
EX3 0PB
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-23
Last: 2025-08-09
Officers (1 active · 7 resigned)
BAILEY, Andrew William→
Activedirector · ~57y · appointed 2004-09-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-05-10 · resigned 2008-01-31
ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-09-16 · resigned 2005-09-15
HAWKINS, Alison Julie→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-09-16 · resigned 2006-05-10
SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-09-16 · resigned 2004-09-16
THOMPSON JENNER LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2008-01-31 · resigned 2009-06-04
ALLINGTON, Vaughn Lee→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2004-09-16 · resigned 2008-01-31
CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-09-16 · resigned 2004-09-16
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 2 properties | 04/03/2025 | — | |
| satisfied | Tremletts (Skicraft) Tremletts (Skicraft) Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/05/2023 | 12/03/2025 | |
| satisfied | Tremletts (Skicraft) Tremletts (Skicraft) Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/05/2023 | 12/03/2025 | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 25/06/2015 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (76 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-06-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-03-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-03-12
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-03-07
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-08-14
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-08-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-14
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-07-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-06-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-06-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-06-09