WHITWORTH BROS.LIMITED
Company number: 00465899
Reporting period:
1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026
Report filed on:
29 April 2026
Approved by:
David Goddard
Contracts and payments
Do any of this business's construction contracts with its suppliers include retention clauses? Yes
Payment statistics
Average time taken to pay invoices: 38 days
Total value paid:
- within 30 days: £52,484,848 (28%)
- in 31 to 60 days: £135,347,372 (71%)
- in 61 days or more: £1,678,613 (< 1%)
Invoices paid:
- within 30 days: 28%
- in 31 to 60 days: 71%
- in 61 days or more: 1%
Late and disputed:
- total value of payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: £161,598,428
- payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: 76%
- not made in the reporting period due to a dispute: 1%
Payment terms
Shortest standard payment periods
0 days
Longest standard payment period
50 days
Standard payment terms
Standard payment terms are 50 days from date of invoice, but exceptions are Wheat suppliers (28 days from date of invoice), Maize suppliers (0 days / due immediately) and Wheat boats (0 days / due immediately).
Were there any changes to the standard payment terms in the reporting period?
No
Were suppliers notified or consulted about these changes before they were made?
N/A
Maximum contractual payment period agreed
50 days
No further comment provided
Any other information about payment terms
As a business we will always try and pay to our agreed supplier terms, but we only do a non-wheat payment run once a week which invariably will result in most of our payments appearing late, even if only by a few days. If you take this weekly payment run practice into account and allow 7 days tolerance on the due date, our non-payment % reduces to <10%.
Retention clauses
How does this business use retention clauses?
Retention clauses are used in specific circumstances:
We are a food manufacturer and are not in the business of construction so our construction contracts are reviewed on a case by case basis as they are not regularly occurring contracts. There are no set or standard treatment for retentions.
Does this business only use retention clauses in construction contracts above a specific contract sum?
No
Does this business use a standard percentage rate in retention clauses?
No
Does this business apply retention clause practices that are no more onerous than those applied to it on the same project?
No
Releasing money under a retention clause
Process for releasing money this business has deducted or retained under a retention clause
Released in line with original terms on completion of contract once approved by project management. Final retention is invoiced from supplier. We always use project managers who do payment certificates and we pay in line with approved works.
Is the money released in stages?
Yes:
No standard treatment. Will depend on individual contract and advice from project management.
Amount retained from suppliers in the reporting period
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the money retained from this business by its clients
0%
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the total construction payments made by this business
23%
Dispute resolution process
The Company advocates a consensual process in achieving dispute resolution, such as mediation/negotiation, in which parties will attempt to reach agreement directly. Pursuing an adjudicative process such as litigation or arbitration, in which a court determines the outcome, is seen as a last resort.
Other payment information
Has this business signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices? If so, which?
For example, signatories to The Fair Payment Code must commit to paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days.
No, this business has not signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices.
Does this business offer e-invoicing in relation to qualifying contracts?
This is where suppliers can electronically submit and track invoices. It's not just allowing suppliers to email them an invoice.
No
Does this business offer supply chain finance?
This is where a supplier who has submitted an invoice can be paid by a third-party finance provider earlier than the agreed payment date. The business would then pay the finance provider the invoiced sum.
No
Under its payment practices and policies, can this business deduct sums from payments under qualifying contracts as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No
During the reporting period, did the business deduct sums from payments as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No