Bike manufacturer Raleigh opens new headquarters

Bike manufacturer Raleigh has opened its new headquarters in Nottinghamshire.

The business has been based at Church Street in Eastwood since the early 2000s.

Its head office is now being moved less than a mile away to Durban House, which was built in the 19th Century and was the local collieries wages office, where the father of author DH Lawrence worked.

Raleigh announced it was moving earlier this year, when the company confirmed it was making some positions redundant.

Founded in 1887, Raleigh was once the biggest bicycle maker in the world, employing about 8,000 people in Nottingham.

It stopped making bikes in the city more than two decades ago, and moved its headquarters from Triumph Road in Lenton to Eastwood.

Durban House previously housed a DH Lawrence Heritage Centre, and in 2021 work began to turn it into a community hub, but a bid for government funding was unsuccessful.

Chris Slater, managing director at Raleigh, said the company was "pleased to remain in Eastwood".

"Raleigh's rich heritage is deeply intertwined with the borough, making it essential for us to stay connected to our local roots," he said.

Milan Radulovic, leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, also welcomed the move.

“It’s vital that we support our local businesses and particularly strategically important businesses like Raleigh," he said.

"As soon as we heard the news that they needed to relocate their head offices we wanted to ensure we worked with the team to support them through this change.

"It’s also been really important that we ensure that we can keep these jobs in the local area and help support our local economy."

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