Clowes looks ahead

The crucial role of the real estate sector filters down to every single region of the UK and interacts with every other part of our economy.

The development, construction and real estate sectors contribute more than £200 billion to the UK and account for more than 7% of total GDP. Just as importantly, the development community represents a world-class sector that helps make the UK the third largest real estate investor across the world.

All organisations, companies and individuals need a place to work or a location to act as a base. Every family in the land needs a home to live in. And in that sense, we all rely on real estate and development to help us make our way in the world.

Liquidity within the sector is essential because without it, activity will drop and jobs and investment will fall too. And this is the one thing all of us want to avoid.

At Clowes Developments, we have been designing, building, marketing, selling and buying commercial buildings for over fifty years. We have sites across the UK and are now one of the largest privately-owned development firms in the country, turning over £116 million last year.

Clowes holds over 3,000 acres of land and has 15,000 plots ready to go at 130 development sites across the country. It also has more than 50 office and business parks and a number of larger mixed use schemes such as Fairham in Nottinghamshire where a 606 acre development of 3,000 new homes and 1 million sq ft of commercial space is underway.

At Dove Valley Park in Derbyshire we are still expanding an already established business park to meet continued growth and demand from both existing and new occupiers. And at Tournament Fields in Warwick the company has recently been able to secure lettings with local businesses on a class-leading commercial site close to M40.

This on-going activity proves that deals can still be done with the right product in the right place and by following a flexible and creative approach to deal making. Working hard to listen to occupiers and what they have to say is also a key factor to ensure deals come to fruition.

When the economy returns to normal levels of activity once more, we want to be well placed to be able to assist other companies looking for new premises and new places in which to grow and flourish. This future forward outlook is ingrained throughout everything we do and has never been so relevant.

Paul Shanley, director with Clowes Development, says:

Guided by over half a century of successful entrepreneurship, we have developed our own organisation and its people to know exactly when and how to tease out the maximum value from an investment. That approach is as relevant today as it’s ever been and won’t change.

“Indeed, over the past two months we have concluded a number of deals and continued our development work by receiving planning permission to continue the growth of our portfolio of commercial sites.

“For us, the approach we take to all of our work is to see potential and find the best way of realising that while building relationships and delivering everything with a personal touch.

“We build sustainable communities by bringing forward both commercial and residential sites in partnership with investors, local authorities and the wider public sector. Throughout the current conditions our drive for bringing opportunity to life has not diminished and in fact we are working even harder to make it happen”

Paul and the wider Clowes development team has been involved in millions of pounds worth of deals over the past twelve months. As well as at Dove Valley Park and Tournament Fields in the Midlands, other recent deals have also been concluded in the North West, London and Scotland.

The firm’s national profile allows it to respond to opportunities when they come up, no matter where the opportunities are or what they may involve.