Penrith Building Society
Were you advised by Penrith Building Society?
Finding out that money you set aside for the future has not done what you were told it would is unsettling, and wanting to understand why is a reasonable place to start. This page sets out what the public record shows about Penrith Building Society, including the decisions the Financial Ombudsman has published about the firm, so you can see the position for yourself.
Financial Ombudsman decisions involving this firm
The Financial Ombudsman Service publishes its final decisions. Penrith Building Society appears in 2 published decisions on record, none of which were upheld.
Each decision below links to the ombudsman’s own published document. The consumer’s name is anonymised by the ombudsman, the business is not.
| Date | Reference | Type of complaint | Outcome | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 August 2014 | DRN2698652 | Investment and pensions | Not upheld | Read the decision |
| 16 December 2020 | DRN-2214685 | Mortgages | Not upheld | Read the decision |
Source: Financial Ombudsman Service published decisions. An upheld decision means the ombudsman agreed with the consumer in that individual case. It does not by itself mean any other complaint will succeed.
Regulatory background
The FCA Register shows that Penrith Building Society has at some point been an appointed representative of St. James’s Place Wealth Management (FCA reference 195351). The published ombudsman decisions listed on this page fall outside that appointment, so they are not matters arising from the St. James’s Place relationship. We note the appointment here only because it forms part of the firm’s public regulatory history.
How to complain, and in what order
Where a firm is still trading and still regulated, the complaint starts with the firm itself. It is only fair that a business is given the opportunity to resolve the matter before anyone else becomes involved, and the rules are built that way. You raise the complaint directly with the firm, and it has up to eight weeks to look into it and give you its final response.
If that response does not resolve things to your satisfaction, or the eight weeks pass without one, two options are open to you.
The first is legal action through the courts. It is a genuine option, but it can be costly. A claim above £10,000 falls outside the small claims track, which means costs can follow the outcome, and you could be exposed to paying the other side’s legal costs if the case does not go your way.
The second, and for most people the more logical first step, is the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is free to consumers, it is independent of the firm, and it can direct a business to pay redress where it decides a complaint should be upheld. You normally have six months from the date of the firm’s final response to refer the matter to the ombudsman.
Wider time limits apply as well. Broadly you have six years from the event, or three years from when you reasonably ought to have known there was a problem, so it is worth getting a view sooner rather than later.
Company timeline (public record)
Key dated events for this firm, drawn from public records. Each entry shows its source.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Dec 2001 | FCA status recorded as: Authorised | FCA Register |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Alan Geoffrey Waterfield approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 Sep 2012 | Elspeth Louise James approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 May 2013 | Robert James Cairns approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 19 Sep 2014 | Janice Lincoln approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 30 Apr 2015 | William Robert Charles Lindsay approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 18 Aug 2016 | Susan Jane Askew approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 Jul 2017 | richard leslie drinkwater approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 Jan 2018 | Timothy James Bowen approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 23 Apr 2020 | Roderick Ashley approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 28 Oct 2022 | Louise Watt approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 Mar 2023 | Nicola Marie Marsh approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 Sep 2023 | Fiona Brown Smith approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 27 Sep 2023 | Louise Harper-Brown approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 01 Feb 2024 | David Michael Billinge approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 21 Feb 2024 | Zachary James Hocking approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 16 Apr 2025 | Kimberley Dodd approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
| 21 Aug 2025 | Christopher Dean Martin approved by the FCA at the firm | FCA Register |
Who was involved?
The following individuals are listed on public records in connection with the firm. These are matters of public record only and their inclusion does not imply any wrongdoing by any named person.
- David Michael Billinge. Listed on the FCA Register as having held SMF11 Chair of the Audit Committee (from 01/07/2024), SMF10 Chair of the Risk Committee (from 01/07/2024), Director of firm who is not a certification employee or a SMF manager (01/02/2024 to 01/07/2024) at the firm.
- Zachary James Hocking. Listed on the FCA Register as having held Responsibility for MCD Intermediation (from 21/02/2024), Responsible for Insurance Distribution (from 21/02/2024), SMF1 Chief Executive (from 21/02/2024) at the firm.
- richard leslie drinkwater. Listed on the FCA Register as having held SMF14 Senior Independent Director (from 10/12/2025), SMF13 Chair of the Nominations Committee (from 25/04/2022), Director of firm who is not a certification employee or a SMF manager (01/07/2017 to 25/06/2020) at the firm.
- Elspeth Louise James. Listed on the FCA Register as having held SMF17 Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) (from 07/03/2016), SMF16 Compliance Oversight (from 07/03/2016), SMF4 Chief Risk (from 07/03/2016), SMF2 Chief Finance (from 07/03/2016) at the firm.
- Louise Watt. Listed on the FCA Register as having held [FCA CF] Material risk taker (from 28/10/2022) at the firm.
- Roderick Ashley. Listed on the FCA Register as having held SMF9 Chair of the Governing Body (from 11/04/2025), SMF14 Senior Independent Director (07/08/2023 to 11/04/2025), Director of firm who is not a certification employee or a SMF manager (23/04/2020 to 11/04/2025) at the firm.
- Nicola Marie Marsh. Listed on the FCA Register as having held Director of firm who is not a certification employee or a SMF manager (from 01/03/2023) at the firm.
- Susan Jane Askew. Listed on the FCA Register as having held [PRA CF] Significant risk taker or Material risk taker (from 18/08/2016), [FCA CF] Material risk taker (from 18/08/2016) at the firm.
- Kimberley Dodd. Listed on the FCA Register as having held [FCA CF] Material risk taker (from 16/04/2025) at the firm.
- Christopher Dean Martin. Listed on the FCA Register as having held [PRA CF] Significant risk taker or Material risk taker (from 21/08/2025), [FCA CF] Material risk taker (from 21/08/2025) at the firm.
How can we help?
We take the weight of the complaint off your shoulders. We start with a free, no obligation chat, give you an honest early view of whether you have a case, and if you decide to go ahead we work on a no win, no fee basis. We handle the paperwork and put your case to the ombudsman, so you can get on with your life while we work to recover what you are owed.
How does it work?
It starts with a conversation. We listen to what happened, check who was responsible at the time and look at your paperwork, then explain your options in plain English. If there are grounds, we build the case and keep you updated at every stage. If we do not think you have a claim, or it is not successful, you do not pay us a penny.
Speak to us today
Cases like these can be time sensitive, so it is worth getting an expert view early. Call 0800 041 8359 or make an enquiry and one of our team will come back to you.
NB: the information on this page is drawn from public records held by the FCA Register, Companies House and the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is provided for general information, is factual and neutral, and makes no allegation against any named individual or firm. It is not advice, and no outcome is promised.
Review page sources: FCA Register (FRN 164473). Public records, provided for transparency.
