Edward Dodson, Director at Cheffins, is marking 40 years in Cambridge’s commercial property market this month, making him one of the city’s longest-serving commercial property agents.
Edward began his career in Cambridge on 6 October 1986, joining Bidwells’ Commercial Management team in Trumpington, where he worked on the Jesus College portfolio. Four decades later, he has witnessed first-hand the transformation of Cambridge from a predominantly university-focused city into one of the world’s leading centres for science and technology.
Following his time at Bidwells, Edward went on to work at Redmayne Arnold & Harris before founding Dodson Jones with Michael Jones in 2000. The firm specialised in the technology and office sectors, reflecting the rapid growth of Cambridge’s emerging science and technology cluster. Dodson Jones was acquired by Cheffins in 2017, with both founders joining Cheffins’ Commercial division.
During his career at Cheffins, Edward has continued to advise clients across Cambridge’s all aspects of commercial property market, acting for the likes of Abcam, Raspberry Pi, Birketts, Ede & Ravenscroft, Eaden Lilley, Swiss Laundry, Inca Digital, CDT and Graphic Art
To mark four decades in the sector, Edward reflects on some of the most significant changes he has witnessed across the city, from the tenfold increase in rents across Cambridge’s science parks to the growth of the Cambridge Cluster, which now encompasses more than 6 million sq ft of office, technology, laboratory and research and development space.
“In 1986 Cambridge was a sleepy University town with a population under 100,000. The city’s main industry was centered around household names such as Pye, Phillips and Marshalls with the only real commercial development being the Cambridge Science Park, founded by Trinity College in 1970 and home to the “Cambridge Phenomenon”, with new names in the computer, electronics and early pharmaceuticals fields such as Acorn, Cambridge Consultants, Toshiba and Laser-Scan. This Park, which was the first commercially orientated development, sat alongside university and government funded institutions at West Cambridge (Cavendish and Whittle Laboratories) and Babraham. Since then, St Johns Innovation Park in 1987, Vision Park in 1986, Peterhouse Technology Park in 1998, Cambridge Bio-Medical Campus and further afield Granta Park from late 1990s, Chesterford Research Park in 2000 and Cambridge Research Park have added over 3 million sq ft of additional floor space to accommodate the massive rise of Cambridge as a major global Life Science ecosystem. Cambridge Science Park and The Babraham Institute have both attracted considerable external third-party institutional investment to increase their combined floor area to over 3 million sqft, while rents have increased tenfold, from £6.00-£10.00 in 1986 to over £60 per sqft today.”
"The face of Cambridge has changed dramatically in the past 40 years. Just take a drive down Hills Road, where since 1986, the likes of Tim Brinton Cars, Shell Petrol Station, Ratte & Kett and the Cambridge Cattle Market have all disappeared in place of new development on the Cherry Hinton Road junction. E Pordage & Co., London Midlands Railway Offices and JO Vinter & Sons Wharf have made way for the City House and Brookgate developments and then further into town, Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Terminus and the Osbourne Arms are now under development for Botanic Place, the large-scale commercial office development which spans 325,000 sqft across multiple storeys.”
“And when it comes to city centre shopping, following the successful redevelopment of the Red Lion Yard, the Kite retail development, now the Grafton Centre, started in 1986 and included the demolition of the Ancient Druids, one of nine pubs lost in The Fitzroy Street and Burleigh Street area. The retail market has experienced a radical change with local retailers such as Robert Sayle, Eaden Lilley and Joshua Taylor, all department stores, making way for John Lewis and other Cambridge names such as Bodgers, Gordon Thoday, Belfast Linen, Grays, Hobbs, Galloway & Porter and Heffers, amongst many others, confined to history. Rents have increased from £40.00 to well over £250.00 per sqft for prime space and the character of the city centre has changed with a large number of food and beverage operators taking advantage of more flexible planning rules to secure prime city centre space.”
“Nighttime entertainment in Cambridge has clearly changed as well. The city used to have nine cinemas within the inner city including The Victoria on Market Square, The Tivoli on Mitcham’s Corner, 2 on Mill Rd at The Picture Playhouse and Central Cinema, The Rex on Magrath Avenue but now only the Arts above the Regal survives in addition to the new development cinemas. Who, of a certain age, can forget the Pearl and Dean cinema adverts for the Kool & Kasual fashion store at the entrance to The Victoria.
Cambridge has changed radically over the last 40 years due to its success in the Life Science industry at a global level. One clear and positive change is the transformation of the station from what was a very tatty run-down area, with budget hotel and sea of abandoned bicycles to what is now a thriving business and social community as well as a fabulous gateway into Cambridge.”
Edward’s 40-year career reflects both the scale of this transformation and the importance of local knowledge in navigating an increasingly complex commercial property market. As part of Cheffins’ Commercial division, he continues to draw on his experience and understanding of the city to advise clients across Cambridge and the surrounding region.
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