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Gloucestershire Business News

Former Gloucester Rugby star to re-build once great city club

A former Kingsholm star has been named as the man pushing through plans to develop the old King of Clubs and Minx nightclubs in Gloucester.

News broke earlier this week plans have been put before the city council to transform the two former attractions - once the pinnacle of a Gloucester big night out - into more than 100 studio flats.

Punchline-Gloucester.com heard tell there was a name behind the deal which had strong links to Gloucester, and after some digging we found it.

The first clue it was someone with rugby connections was in the name of the company behind the plans - Westprop, a play on the front row position and region in which he played some of his best rugby.

Paul Doran-Jones is the name behind the business and fans of Gloucester Rugby will know this will be the former Kingsholm player's third venture to the city to help transform one of its clubs - the first two being stints at the Cherry and Whites.

"I have been working on this for about 18 months. It comes in line with my rugby career winding down. We don't get paid footballers wages in rugby and we need to find something else to do afterwards," he joked.

"I had some good times here in Gloucester. I have been very lucky. So it is nice to be able to try and help make something happen here and regenerate part of the city.

"There is an enormous amount happening in Gloucester. It is a really exciting time for the city and for aspiring developers like me.

"I was very keen to work with local guys - they have intimate knowledge of the city and planning and Roberts Limbrick and Rob Ellis at SF Planning have been brilliant.

"So hopefully we can get it through planning and move it all forward."

It is not Mr Doran Jones' only business interests in Gloucester. He is a partner in the Grill Shed restaurant, one of the independent businesses in the city docklands, and the Coffee Lab café attached.

Fellow business partners include current Gloucester player Henry Trinder and former city teammate now Leicester Tigers' player Jonny May.

The move into business from professional sport has been a challenge, said Mr Doran-Jones.

"It has been a steep learning curve. It was a tough first year with the restaurant, but things are going well now. I think with the restaurant trade is something you have to put long hours in to make it work.

"I have learned an awful lot from the process but have been able to draw on some great advice as well from business people in Gloucestershire."

Westprop Real Estate Ltd, registered in Guildford, was founded in October 2017.

Gloucestershire headquartered SF Planning Ltd has been handling the designs for the 6ft 2ins prop and if the plans go through it transform 12-16 Quay Street and are a success it will not be the end of his ambitions in the city.

The plan is to demolish the existing buildings and provide much needed student accommodation with 115 studio units, a warden unit, student communal areas with ground floor internal alterations to 109 Westgate Street which is included in the site ownership.

The aforementioned King Club was also known as Envy and Lansons nightclub and also the Quay Club.

Mr Doran-Jones joined Gloucester from Wasps for the 2009 to 2010 season and played two seasons at the club before moving on to Northampton Saints.

He was to return for the 2015-2016 season before leaving again, re-joining Premiership rivals Wasps for the 2017-18 season.

In all he made 89 appearances for Gloucester Rugby and was capped six times for England.

He is married to Heart radio DJ Zoe Hardman. Earlier this year OK magazine, no less, saw fit to run an article celebrating the birth of the couple's second child.

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