Birchwood Auto Limited

Reference number: 532739

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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

Birchwood Garages Limited Reference number: 309454 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.
  • Birchwood Auto Limited (FRN 532739) is an AR of Birchwood Garages Limited (FRN 309454). When you use Birchwood Auto's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
  • Example: if you take financial advice from Birchwood Auto, 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.

In the full report: 3 background checks, 1 thing worth a closer look

  • When birchwoodford.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
  • What kind of line 01323 414400 is, and the other firm that gives it
  • Who else gives the postcode BN23 6PX
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Other names (8)

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

  • Birchwood Jaecoo Trading name
  • Birchwood MG Trading name
  • Birchwood Mitsubishi Trading name
  • Birchwood Omoda Trading name
  • Birchwood Skoda Trading name
  • Eastbourne MG Trading name
  • West Sussex Motors Trading name
  • Birchwood Skoda Limited Former name

FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Protection through the principal firm
    Protection works through Birchwood Garages 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
06510589
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
20 February 2008 (18 years old)
Registered office
Birchwood Garage, Lottbridge, Drove, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6PX
Nature of business
  • Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles (SIC 45111)
  • Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (SIC 45200)
  • Wholesale trade of motor vehicle parts and accessories (SIC 45310)

Directors and company secretaries

Name Role Born Appointed Other companies
Chester John Hunt Director Jun 1969 20 Feb 2008 33 other companies
Ian Kenneth Sexton Director Oct 1956 20 Feb 2008 13 other companies
Simon Derek Rebbetts Secretary Not published 20 Feb 2008 –

Other companies run by these 2 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies
42
closed down
12
went insolvent
1

In the full report: all 42 companies, named

  • What each company does, and whether it is still trading
  • Which of these 2 directors sit on each board, and since when
  • The one that went into liquidation or administration
  • The 5 on the FCA register
  • The 4 companies these 2 directors run together
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Filed accounts and finances

Year to 31 December 2025Small company accountsAudited

Net assets

£220k

−25% from £293k

Cash at bank

£2,000

+100% from £1,000

Employees (average)

20,000

+18% from 17,000

Owed within a year

£3.33m

+13% from £2.96m

Assets and liabilities

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 06510589. 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

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

Key events (6) All events (15)

2025

29 August 2025

  • Michael John Hunt stopped being a part-owner

Companies House

2017

1 January 2017

  • Ian Kenneth Sexton became the majority owner (50–75% of shares)
  • Michael John Hunt became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2014

19 February 2014

  • Changed its registered name from "Birchwood Skoda Limited"

FCA register

2010

1 October 2010

  • Became an appointed representative

FCA register

2008

20 February 2008

  • Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 15 events

  • All 15 events in its history (6 shown here)
  • Every director appointment and resignation: 2
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Firms connected to Birchwood Auto

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Birchwood Auto. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

connected firms
4
share a director
4
share its phone number
1

In the full report: all 4 connected firms, named

  • How each is linked: shared directors (4), the same phone number (1), the same postcode (2)
  • Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
  • 1 past link through former directors
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Firms like Birchwood Auto

Other firms of the same type (car dealer), nearest first.

In Eastbourne

Kensusco LtdEastbourneAppointed representativeBeach Motors EastbourneEastbourneAppointed representativeBirchwood Motor Group LtdEastbourneAppointed representativeCaffyns Public Limited CompanyEastbourneAppointed representativeJarretts Motors LimitedEastbourneAppointed representativeSuperoak LimitedEastbourneAppointed representative

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 Birchwood Auto

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

  • 42 other companies its directors have run, named
  • 3 background checks on its contact details, 1 flagged
  • All 15 events in its history
  • 4 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Birchwood Auto Limited FCA authorised?
Birchwood Auto Limited (FRN 532739) 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 Birchwood Auto?
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. Birchwood Auto Limited (FRN 532739) is an AR of Birchwood Garages Limited (FRN 309454). When you use Birchwood Auto's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm. Example: if you take financial advice from Birchwood Auto, 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 Birchwood Auto’s phone number and website?
The FCA register lists the phone number 01323 414400 and the website birchwoodford.co.uk for Birchwood Auto. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further. The same number is also given by one other FCA firm.
Is Birchwood Auto a scam or clone?
Birchwood Auto 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 Birchwood Auto?
Protection works through Birchwood Garages Limited, the principal firm responsible for Birchwood Auto's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
Who owns Birchwood Auto?
Companies House lists one person with significant control of Birchwood Auto: Mr Ian Kenneth Sexton (50–75% of shares). Before that, it was controlled by Mr Michael John Hunt.
Who runs Birchwood Auto?
Companies House lists 2 directors of Birchwood Auto: Chester John Hunt and Ian Kenneth Sexton.
How long has Birchwood Auto been in business?
The company was formed on 20 February 2008.
What do Birchwood Auto’s latest accounts show?
Its latest accounts, to 31 December 2025, show net assets of £220k (−25% from £293k) and cash at bank of £2,000 (+100% from £1,000).
Does Birchwood Auto use any other names?
It trades as Birchwood Jaecoo, Birchwood MG, Birchwood Mitsubishi, Birchwood Omoda and Birchwood Skoda, and 2 more names. It has previously used the name Birchwood Skoda Limited.

Sources and links

The full report on Birchwood Auto Limited

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