Tributes to Flintshire housebuilding giant David McLean

Housebuilding giant David McLean – whose firm built thousands of properties across North Wales and England – has died.

Former Bagillt bricklayer Mr McLean founded the David McLean Group in 1972 and turned the business into a multi-million pound operation with more than 300 staff.

As well as building thousands of homes the developer was behind many of the units on Deeside industrial estate, where the company was based, and projects like the pedestrianisation of Holywell.

Mr McLean, who was in his mid 70s, became one of the wealthiest business people in North Wales and owned the Soughton House mansion in Flintshire.

But the company ran into financial difficulties when the housing market crashed and administrators were called-in back in 2008, with the company leaving debts of nearly £90m.

Flintshire cllr Tony Sharps had known David McLean since they were teenagers and saw him grow the business from a small firm into a giant housebuilding operation.

He said he had been instrumental in building hundreds of homes in the county of Flintshire and across on Merseyside and a key developer on the industrial estate.

There were a number of tributes on social media to the former developer, who in 2010 donated some of his mansion garden for allotment plots for local people and was a previous winner of the Daily Post Business Person of the Year award.

Rhys Roberts said: “Growing up you were our inspiration and I listened when you gave advice and support. RIP my friend. You will be missed by many.”

Nigel Lewis wrote on Facebook: “Another person I learned so much from. Another guy who started from the most humble of beginnings to become one of Wales’s most successful ever businessmen. RIP David McLean.”