Birchwood Garages Limited

Reference number: 309454

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Authorised by the FCA

This firm is on the FCA register and authorised to carry out regulated activities.

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

  • When birchwoodgroup.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 (7)

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

  • Birchwood Ford Trading name
  • Birchwood Mazda Trading name
  • West Sussex Motors (Skoda) Trading name
  • West Sussex Motors (Suzuki) Trading name
  • Birchwood Skoda Former trading name
  • West Sussex (Skoda) Former trading name
  • West Sussex (Suzuki) Former trading name

FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Give regulated advice FSCS may apply
    A claim for unsuitable advice is itself FSCS-protected, up to the limit that applies to the product you were advised on.
  • Manage or trade investments FSCS may apply
    Eligible investment and pension claims are typically FSCS-protected up to £85,000 per person, depending on the product and your circumstances.
  • Sell or arrange insurance FSCS may apply
    Eligible insurance claims may be FSCS-protected, often 90%, or 100% for compulsory or long-term cover.
  • Lend or arrange credit No FSCS cover
    Consumer credit is not covered by the FSCS, so there is no compensation scheme if the firm fails.
  • Complaints Ombudsman, free
    You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.
Show FCA detail (9 permissions)
  • Advising on investments (except on Pension Transfers and Pension Opt Outs)
  • Advising on P2P agreements
  • Arranging (bringing about) deals in investments
  • Assisting in the administration and performance of a contract of insurance
  • Credit Broking
  • Dealing in investments as agent
  • Debt Adjusting
  • Debt-counselling
  • Making arrangements with a view to transactions in investments

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.

Concerns on the company record

  • Confirmation statement is overdue at Companies House.
Company number
03174407
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
18 March 1996 (30 years old)
Registered office
Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6PX
Nature of business
  • Activities of head offices (SIC 70100)

Directors and company secretaries

Name Role Born Appointed Other companies
Chester John Hunt Director Jun 1969 15 Feb 2007 33 other companies
Ian Kenneth Sexton Director Oct 1956 26 Feb 2007 13 other companies
Simon Derek Rebbetts Secretary Not published 15 Feb 2007 –

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
  • All 7 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
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Filed accounts and finances

Year to 31 December 2025Small company accountsAudited

Net assets

£7.41m

<1% from £7.37m

Cash at bank

£102k

−41% from £172k

Employees (average)

0

Same as 0

Owed within a year

£72.0k

−8.9% from £79.0k

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 03174407. 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 Garages’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (7) All events (32)

2025

29 August 2025

  • Ansty House Holdings Ltd became the majority owner (50–75% of shares)
  • Michael John Hunt gave up control

Companies House

2017

1 March 2017

  • Michael John Hunt took control (75–100% of shares)

Companies House

2013

1 April 2013

  • Regulated by the FCA from this date

FCA register

2005

14 January 2005

  • Regulated by the Financial Services Authority from this date
  • Became authorised by the FCA

FCA register

1996

18 March 1996

  • Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 32 events

  • All 32 events in its history (7 shown here)
  • Every director appointment and resignation: 12
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Firms connected to Birchwood Garages

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Birchwood Garages. 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 Garages

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

In Eastbourne

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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 Garages

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
  • All 32 events in its history
  • 4 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Birchwood Garages Limited FCA authorised?
Yes, Birchwood Garages Limited (FRN 309454) is authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated activities. It has held its current authorisation since January 2005 and works as an insurance broker. The FCA has placed no limits on its permissions.
What is Birchwood Garages’ phone number and website?
The FCA register lists the phone number 01323 414400 and the website birchwoodgroup.co.uk for Birchwood Garages. 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 Garages a scam or clone?
Birchwood Garages 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 Garages?
Its FCA permissions do not allow it to hold or control client money. It depends on the product, but eligible claims may be protected by the FSCS. You can also refer complaints about Birchwood Garages to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.
Who owns Birchwood Garages?
Birchwood Garages is owned by Ansty House Holdings Ltd, which holds 50–75% of shares, since 29 August 2025. Before that, it was controlled by Mr Michael John Hunt.
Who runs Birchwood Garages?
Companies House lists 2 directors of Birchwood Garages: Chester John Hunt and Ian Kenneth Sexton.
How long has Birchwood Garages been in business?
The company was formed on 18 March 1996, and has held its current FCA authorisation since January 2005.
What do Birchwood Garages’ latest accounts show?
Its latest accounts, to 31 December 2025, show net assets of £7.41m (<1% from £7.37m) and cash at bank of £102k (−41% from £172k).
Does Birchwood Garages use any other names?
It trades as Birchwood Ford, Birchwood Mazda, West Sussex Motors (Skoda) and West Sussex Motors (Suzuki). It has previously used 3 other names: Birchwood Skoda, West Sussex (Skoda) and West Sussex (Suzuki).

Sources and links

The full report on Birchwood Garages Limited

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