David Thompson of Willow Park Group says he is keen to create an “upmarket business park” after buying Mill Race Garden Centre at Aldham, near Colchester, for £2.5m last year.
He and his two sons, Adam and Matthew – who are part of the family building and development business – see great potential for the eight-acre site.
SIGN UP HERE FOR YOUR DAILY BUSINESS BULLETIN
David Thompson with sons Adam, left, and Matthew, right, of Willow Park Group at the former Mill Race Garden Centre at Aldham, Colchester (Image: Sarah Chambers)
They expect to invest another £2.5m or so to achieve their vision for it and envisage the project taking about five years to complete.
The site has a “good feeling”, says David. “I just loved the location and wanted to create that vision and of course it’s something for my sons and grandchildren to continue on with when I’m gone.”
But they didn’t feel retaining it as a garden centre was a viable option with the competition it would face.
More: Developer who snapped up £2.5m garden centre plans to create rural jobs hub
“It was no good our family saying we are opening it up again as a garden centre. This needs to go in a different direction.
“We have got a lot of interest – it’s seeing what companies are interested in it. We need to have the right tenant here.”
They want to secure the “right” anchor tenant for the main garden centre building.
David Thompson of Willow Park Group at Mill Race River at Aldham, Colchester (Image: Sarah Chambers)
They also have ambitions to create a new restaurant/bistro to replace Kingfisher Coffee Shop – now closed.
But this time they want it to front onto their stretch of Mill Race River – a tributary of the River Colne.
Every tenant chosen must fit in with the tranquillity of the setting, says David.
“It’s a balance and I have to get that balance right.”
More: Farmers to relaunch café and bar at country wellness barn as ‘Revive’
The site is close to his heart. “It’s not just the money – it’s achieving the vision is where the joy is,” he says.
David and wife Deana – who is director of a Oak Tree Life Skills CIC (Community Interest Company) in Clacton-on-Sea – live on an 80-acre former livery at Aldham very close to the site.
David runs his development business from there. Their daughter is also a shareholder in the business although not directly involved.
They are already busy at work on the site – upgrading the main building and assessing future tenants as they work out how to revitalise it. Their plan is to pull down some other “tired” buildings and replace them.
More: Memorial date set for Town director whose death left friends devastated
Some of David’s six grandchildren used to be regular visitors to the garden centre and in particular Swallow Aquatics where they could see reptiles and tropical fish.
From left, David Thompson, wife Deana, and sons Adam and Matthew at the former Mill Race Garden Centre at Aldham, Colchester (Image: Sarah Chambers)
“I only live around the corner – I have been coming here for 20 years. It’s got a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ about it,” he explains. “This has got such a feel to it and it’s such a famous location.”
The family’s dream is to make the site home to micro, medium-sized and larger businesses – but not heavy industry, he explains.
Ideally, he would like to see businesses such as hairdressers, accountants, dentists,beauty/massage taking up units – and a nursery. Padel courts are also envisaged as part of the development.
“I have to do everything properly and it’s got to be put back on its toes really – back where it should be,” he says.
“I have a feel for Mill Race – it’s famous. It has been here for 50 years and I think it now needs to be brought into the 21st century but still keeping the country feel because of where it fits.
“It’s an exciting project.”
He sees Mill Race is an asset to the village, strategically well placed close to the A12 – but as a developer is concerned about the attitude of planners.
“The problem is the planning. We all know the planning system in our country is broken,” he says.
His business – which employs around 100 people – builds in-house. The group includes housebuilders Willow Developments Ltd and Cage Properties Ltd – and Ashington Rise Investments which bought Mill Race.
More: Freeport East ‘focused on growth’ after unlocking nearly £0.5bn in investment
Although this latest project will be among the biggest the firm has undertaken – others the family has undertaken recently include a £1.5m scheme at Clacton and another for £1.8m.
David – the son of a builder who was born and brought up in Clacton-on-Sea – has a director’s box at Colchester United but is also a lifelong Ipswich Town fan.
He was excited when former owner Nick Seaby – who is still managing director at Swallow Aquatics – put Mill Race Garden Centre on the market.
He predicts that once complete, the new-look site – which employed around 50 people as a garden centre complex with cafe – will double that.
More: Ipswich Town sponsor launches £2m scheme to keep talented graduates in hometowns
There are many homes being built in the area, he points out, including 450 at Eight Ash Green and Fordham – and possibly a further 2,000 at Marks Tey if that is given the go-ahead.
He estimates there are around 520,000 people living within a 20-mile radius – all looking for facilities.
He envisages the site as a “business park to complement what we have got at Tollgate (shopping centre at Stanway, Colchester) where the big shops are”.
“I much prefer local businesses and making it an upmarket country business park,” he says.
“I would like to see a children’s nursery here with soft play area and doctors and dentists.”
The garden centre is on a plot of seven acres
History of the Mill Race Garden Centre site
The garden centre was started in the late 1970s by Bill Matthews.
In 2004 it was bought by the Seaby family who expanded it. They upgraded facilities, built a new warehouse and relocated and modernised their coffee shop and restaurant.
Nick Seaby – managing director at Swallow Aquatics and owner of Mill Race Garden Centre – was looking at selling the site in 2019 but with the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic decided to continue.
In August 2025 the Seabys closed the site after selling it to the Thompsons who officially became owners in September 2025.
David Thompson is hoping to create an upmarket business park on the eight acre site.
Swallow Aquatics continues under Nick Seaby. It rents a warehouse at Mill Race and has shops in Rayleigh in Essex, East Harling in Norfolk and Gravesend in Kent.
Comments are closed.