Barnell Limited

Reference number: 447297

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Appointed representative

This firm does not hold FCA authorisation of its own, and acts under a principal firm, which is legally responsible for its regulated business.

Responsible principal firm

The Whitechurch Network Limited Reference number: 190859 Authorised View firm →
What does this mean?
  • An appointed representative (AR) can carry out regulated financial services, but is not directly authorised by the FCA. A principal firm holds the authorisation and is legally responsible for the AR's conduct.
  • Barnell Limited (FRN 447297) is an AR of The Whitechurch Network Limited (FRN 190859). When you use Barnell's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
  • Example: if you take financial advice from Barnell, complaints and compensation usually follow the same rules as dealing with the principal, but this depends on the product and your circumstances.
  • Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

  • No website on the FCA register

  • Phone number

    01323 818500

  • Address

    26 Kings Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2PF, United Kingdom

In the full report: 2 background checks

  • What kind of line 01323 818500 is
  • Who else gives the postcode BN21 2PF
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Other names (2)

If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.

  • Neil Smith Financial Planning Trading name
  • Barnell Ltd Former name

FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Protection through the principal firm
    Protection works through The Whitechurch Network Limited, the principal firm responsible for this firm's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
  • Complaints Ombudsman, free
    You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company number
04613906
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
11 December 2002 (23 years old)
Registered office
53 Gildredge Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4SF, United Kingdom
Nature of business
  • Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified (SIC 82990)

Directors and company secretaries

Name Role Born Appointed Other companies
Neil Iain Hamilton Smith Director Mar 1967 11 Dec 2002 None

In the full report: every company its directors have run

  • Confirmation that its director runs no other company
  • All 3 people who have been directors, with their dates
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Filed accounts and finances

Year to 31 December 2025Small company accountsNot audited

Net assets

£15.4k

−66% from £44.9k

Cash at bank

£38.3k

−40% from £64.0k

Employees (average)

2

Same as 2

Owed within a year

£22.9k

+19% from £19.2k

Net assets

In the full report: all 7 years of accounts

  • Every year from 2019 to 2025
  • The chart, over every year
  • Every filed figure, year by year
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About these figures
Turnover
Money taken from sales in the year, before any costs.
Profit before tax
What was left after the year’s costs, before corporation tax. A minus figure is a loss.
Net assets, or total equity
Everything the company owns minus everything it owes. A minus figure means it owes more than it owns.
Total assets and total liabilities
Everything the company owns, and everything it owes, on the last day of the year. The gap between them is its net assets.
Cash at bank
Money in the company’s accounts on the last day of the year.
Owed within a year, owed after a year
Debts and bills due in the next twelve months, and those due later.

There is no turnover or profit: small companies do not have to publish them.

Accounts filed at Companies House for company 04613906. Every figure is as filed, apart from total assets and total liabilities, which are added up from filed figures. Nothing is estimated.

Key dates in its history

Barnell’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (6) All events (10)

2016

19 December 2016

  • Marcia Lynn Smith stopped being a part-owner

Companies House

6 April 2016

  • Marcia Lynn Smith became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
  • Neil Iain Hamilton Smith took control (75–100% of shares)

Companies House

2014

21 July 2014

  • Changed its registered name from "Barnell Ltd"

FCA register

2006

25 January 2006

  • Became an appointed representative

FCA register

2002

11 December 2002

  • Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 10 events

  • All 10 events in its history (6 shown here)
  • Every director appointment and resignation: 3
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Firms like Barnell

Other firms of the same type (credit broker), nearest first.

In Eastbourne

Premier Financial Advice LtdEastbourneAppointed representativeAllied Drinks Systems LimitedEastbourneAuthorisedCopylink Digital LimitedEastbourneAuthorisedThe Royal Eastbourne Golf Club LimitedEastbourneAuthorisedWillingdon Golf Club LimitedEastbourneAuthorised

Firms are listed by type and location, best known first. Being listed is not a recommendation: check any firm before you deal with it.

Get the full report on Barnell

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

  • Every company its directors have run, named
  • 2 background checks on its contact details
  • 7 years of accounts, charted
  • All 10 events in its history

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Barnell Limited FCA authorised?
Barnell Limited (FRN 447297) is not directly authorised. It is an appointed representative acting under the responsibility of a directly authorised principal firm.
What does appointed representative mean for Barnell?
An appointed representative (AR) can carry out regulated financial services, but is not directly authorised by the FCA. A principal firm holds the authorisation and is legally responsible for the AR's conduct. Barnell Limited (FRN 447297) is an AR of The Whitechurch Network Limited (FRN 190859). When you use Barnell's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm. Example: if you take financial advice from Barnell, complaints and compensation usually follow the same rules as dealing with the principal, but this depends on the product and your circumstances. Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.
What is Barnell’s phone number?
The FCA register lists the phone number 01323 818500 for Barnell. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.
Is Barnell a scam or clone?
Barnell is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.
Is my money safe with Barnell?
Protection works through The Whitechurch Network Limited, the principal firm responsible for Barnell's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
Who owns Barnell?
Companies House lists one person with significant control of Barnell: Neil Iain Hamilton Smith (75–100% of shares). Before that, it was controlled by Mrs Marcia Lynn Smith.
Who runs Barnell?
Companies House lists one director of Barnell: Neil Iain Hamilton Smith.
How long has Barnell been in business?
The company was formed on 11 December 2002.
What do Barnell’s latest accounts show?
Its latest accounts, to 31 December 2025, show net assets of £15.4k (−66% from £44.9k) and cash at bank of £38.3k (−40% from £64.0k).
Does Barnell use any other names?
It trades as Neil Smith Financial Planning. It has previously used the name Barnell Ltd.

Sources and links

The full report on Barnell Limited

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