WATERLANE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC145365 · ltd · incorporated 1993-07-09
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.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jul 2025
Net worth
£-574
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Buying and selling of own real estate
Sector: Real estate
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed property-backed borrower — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 75). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · oldest 32.6y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 32.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (1 active, 8 linked, 3 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
100 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £574
Net assets shrinking
Down £28,044 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
-£574
↓ 102% YoY
Current Assets
£127k
↓ 18% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
-£574£31k£62k£93k£124k£155kJul 2024Jul 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-07-312024-07-31
Total assets£1.7k£29.8k
Current assets£127.3k£155.3k
Net assets£-574£27.5k

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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-12-01
    ➖
    LC SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  4. 2023-12-01
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  5. 2023-12-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  6. 2023-11-30
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  7. 2023-11-30
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2023-08-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-10-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-03-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-11-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-10-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-04-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-07-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-04-23
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  16. 2017-01-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-10-05
    ➖
    BURNETT & REID LLP resigned
    corporate-secretary
  18. 2016-10-05
    ➕
    LC SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  19. 2013-09-10
    ➖
    KENNEDY, Alistair James resigned
    director
  20. 2012-10-01
    ➕
    BURNETT & REID LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  21. 2012-09-30
    ➖
    BURNETT & REID resigned
    corporate-secretary
  22. 2002-08-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  23. 2002-08-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  24. 2001-07-16
    ➕
    BURNETT & REID appointed
    corporate-secretary
  25. 2000-10-06
    ➖
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS resigned
    corporate-secretary
  26. 2000-03-10
    ➖
    IAIN SMITH & COMPANY resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2000-03-10
    ➕
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS appointed
    corporate-secretary
  28. 1994-12-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  29. 1993-11-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  30. 1993-10-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  31. 1993-10-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  32. 1993-09-28
    ➕
    HOGG, Ian Grant appointed
    director
  33. 1993-09-28
    ➕
    KENNEDY, Alistair James appointed
    director
  34. 1993-09-28
    ➖
    ROXBURGH, Roy resigned
    nominee-director
  35. 1993-07-09
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As WATERLANE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED
  36. 1993-07-09
    ➕
    IAIN SMITH & COMPANY appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  37. 1993-07-09
    ➕
    ROXBURGH, Roy appointed
    nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 33 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
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

3 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Kathleen Montgomery Thomson
Individual · British · DOB 06/1948 · age 78
50–75%
—50-75% shares11/07/2023
Mr Alexander Brodie Robb
Individual · British · DOB 10/1957 · age 69
——sig. influencesignificant influence06/04/2016
Mr Ian Grant Hogg
Individual · British · DOB 01/1951 · age 75
——sig. influencesignificant influence06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Ian Thomsonceased 11/07/2023· 50-75% shares

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 · Property · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
W&W ELRICK LIMITED→
SC709910 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————4y——
WESTBRIDGEAFRICA ESTATES LIMITED→
SC853539 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
WESTHOLME ENTERPRISES LIMITED→
SC446867 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————13y——
WESTHOLME PROPERTY (ABERDEEN) LTD→
SC521921 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————10y——
WESTPUSH LIMITED→
SC137171 · est 1992 · no financials extracted
————34y——
WHITEHEAD HOMES LTD→
SC664889 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
WILBUR PROPERTY LIMITED→
SC611558 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
WILKINSON PROPERTY GROUP LTD→
SC712207 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————4y——
WOODCROFT PROPERTY INVESTMENTS LTD→
SC653375 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————6y——
WRAITH LAND LIMITED→
SC521083 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————10y——
WYM REAL ESTATE LIMITED→
SC452621 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————12y——
X SPACE REAL ESTATE LTD→
SC856565 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated1993-07-09
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC68100 — Buying and selling of own real estate

Registered office

29 Woodend Place
Aberdeen
AB15 6AL
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-28
Last: 2025-11-14

Officers (1 active · 7 resigned)

HOGG, Ian Grant→
director · ~75y · appointed 1993-09-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BURNETT & REID→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2001-07-16 · resigned 2012-09-30
Resigned
BURNETT & REID LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2012-10-01 · resigned 2016-10-05
Resigned
IAIN SMITH & COMPANY→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1993-07-09 · resigned 2000-03-10
Resigned
LC SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2016-10-05 · resigned 2023-12-01
Resigned
LEDINGHAM CHALMERS→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2000-03-10 · resigned 2000-10-06
Resigned
KENNEDY, Alistair James→
director · ~78y · appointed 1993-09-28 · resigned 2013-09-10
Resigned
ROXBURGH, Roy→
nominee-director · ~76y · appointed 1993-07-09 · resigned 1993-09-28
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Standard security1 property22/12/1994—
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Standard security2 properties04/11/199307/08/2002
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Standard security1 property29/10/199307/08/2002
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property12/10/1993—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (100 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-01
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-12-01
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-12-01
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-11-30
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-11-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-08-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-03-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-30