Multi-million-pound business with vested interest in city
THE good news about Clowes Developments purchased of Pride Park Stadium from the fans’ point of view is that it is a Derbyshire company run by Rams fan David Clowes that already has a vested interest in the success of the city.
You may not be familiar with the name but if you live in Derby you will certainly have shopped, driven past or had goods delivered from the properties it owns or has developed over the years.
Clowes Developments owns large and important parts of the city, ranging from shops, offices and leisure developments in the Cathedral Quarter to housing developments and industrial units.
The company, which has its head office at Ednaston Park, Brailsford, was founded by Charles Clowes in 1964. For decades Mr Clowes was one of Derby’s major property developers and investors. He was also a keen
Derby County fan and helped put together a bid for the club in 2004 when it was crippled with debt but eventually withdrew from the race.
He died in 2015, aged 74, and his son David became the chairman of the Clowes group of companies.
It owns a variety of shops, offices and leisure venues in The Strand, Sadler Gate and St James’ Street,
Victoria Street, The Wardwick and The Strand Arcade, all in Derby.
Prior to lockdown, the company invested £1.3 million to restore former tramsheds between St James’ Street and The Strand. It has been used for the Format Photography exhibition in recent years.
Clowes also owns the prominent Friargate Goods Yard where work is under way to stabilise the longderelict Friargate Bonded Warehouse, a Grade II-listed building that has often been damaged by vandals and arsonists in the last two decades. It is planning to bring the building back to life with new homes, leisure venues and commercial space.
Outside Derby, Clowes formerly owned the historic Milford Mills on the A6 which it sold to Chevin Homes in spring 2021.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, Clowes has had considerable success developing large warehouses at the
East Midlands Distribution Centre, near East Midlands Airport.
It has struck numerous multimillion-pound deals with big names such as Marks & Spencer and is working in partnership with Lidl and Wickes to develop new stores in Long Eaton.
It is very much a national firm, however, and has £300 million of property assets across the UK so, although the importance of its investments in Derby has shrunk relative to its overall property portfolio over the last two decades, it remains a major player in the city.
Outside of property circles, the purchase of Pride Park is certainly Clowes’ highestprofile deal and there will be relief among fans that the ground remains in local hands.