Are there any requirements for that to be on CofA aircraft rather than Permit Aircraft? IE I will do a tail wheel conversion at some point, but that might be on a permit aircraft.
Under certain circumstances, flight time in part-owned 'Permit Aircraft' is allowable for training - see ORS 4 No. 802 and 803. However, such training time cannot be used towards the
initial issue of a pilot licence.
I don't see why PIC time in Permit Aircraft (except, unfortunately, Microlights) shouldn't count towards the total flight time requirement for the JAR-FCL PPL(A). I'll check with the CAA.
I'm not 100% sure about the exams - I was assured by the BMAA that the Microlight exams were 'the same' as the SLMG/SSEA examinations for everything except Aircraft (General). The NPPL P&SC looked purely at NPPL (Microlight) to NPPL (SSEA) conversion, hence secured that agreement with the CAA.
However, the Microlight exams may, in fact, be better described as being 'equivalent' to the SSEA/SLMG exams rather actually than being 'the same', strictly speaking. Check with your flying school. If that is the case, then expect to have to pass all the JAR-FCL PPL(A) examinations for your JAR-FCL PPL(A).