Financial performance and statements

The Group generated a surplus for the year of £5.6m (2022: £3.6m) at an operating margin of 48% (2022: 44%).  The increase in the surplus for the year was driven by rent inflation, an increase in the gain on disposal of properties and the receipt of backdated feed-in-tariff payments on the Group’s photo voltaic panels.  Excluding the gain on the disposal of properties, the operating margin increased to 42% (2022: 38%).

The increase in the turnover from social housing lettings to £31.5m (2021: £30.1m) was due to inflation linked rent increases, with very little contribution from newly built homes, as a consequence of the low levels of development activity in the last few years.  Operating costs on social housing lettings remained fairly stable, rising by 2% in the year.  This masks a fall in the level of major repairs expenditure on revenue items, which was offset by the reversal of a fire safety related impairment charge that had benefited the prior year. As a result, the operating margin on social housing lettings rose to 43% (2022: 41%).

The level of EBITDA MRI interest cover was 1.3 times (2022: 1.6 times).  The 2022 comparative was affected by the release of a provision for fire safety remedial works.  Excluding the impact of the release of the provision, the EBITDA MRI interest cover was 1.3 times in 2022.

At the year end, the Group had committed debt funding of £258m.  Available liquid resources of £41m (cash holdings of £4m and undrawn loan facilities of £37m) are sufficient to meet the Group’s committed expenditure.  The Group’s drawn debt has limited refinancing risk with only around 20% of the Group’s debt maturing within the next ten years.  The undrawn loan facility of £37m is committed until 2025. At the year end, Hastoe Capital plc held £50m of retained bonds.

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