Second turf cutting at retail park, 21 years on, for Sidmouth agent Malcolm

SOME 21 years after cutting the first turf at a brand new East Devon retail park, Sidmouth agent Malcolm Williams stood alongside Lord Clinton of Clinton Devon Estates to help launch a multi-million pound extension to Liverton Business Park, Exmouth.

Malcolm, a chartered surveyor and director of the Sidmouth-based Harrison Lavers and Potburys, has worked as the retained commercial agent for Clinton Devon Estates for 34 years and was part of the recent turf-cutting ceremony to mark the official start of a �14million project to create vital employment space in East Devon.

Involved with the original 1990 turf cutting, he said: “It is a great privilege for me to see the Liverton Business Park project through to its second phase.

“It has proved an essential hub in East Devon for big-name retail brands such as B&Q, Pets at Home, MacDonalds and Halfords, who operate alongside the ambulance station, a large veterinary practice and a wide range of smaller local businesses.”

He said the next phase would be for businesses in light industry, storage and distribution and would accommodate large and small units, some of which will enable big businesses in Exmouth town centre to relocate there, enabling the long-awaited regeneration of the town centre.

John Varley, estates director for Clinton Devon Estates said: “Clinton Devon Estates’ history in this area goes back many hundreds of years and we intend to be here for many generations to come, which is why we have decided to invest a significant amount of money within this area, rather than outside it.”

He said CDE was unlikely to see a return on its investment for 20 years, adding: “This is all about a long term strategy and building a better future for the people of East Devon.”