As we move into Spring, the Gravity site will become more active as we transition into delivery, the two landowners at the Gravity smart campus, This is Gravity (TIG) and Agratas will coordinate and jointly communicate where possible.
Site works
The work to recycle concrete from the site and crush it for re-use will continue.
In line with our material management strategy the import of recycled aggregate from the Hinkley C connection resumed in March.
The import of aggregate to meet occupier needs as required will continue.
TIG contractors will be monitoring the new landscaping on the link road and replacing as necessary.
In preparation for the construction phase, we are installing environmental monitoring equipment to report on noise and air conditions.
The campus approach to reuse and recycling seeks to reduce traffic movements.
Consultant site visits and ground investigations will also take place.
TIG archaeology investigations will take place on part of the site outside of the original ROF fence in late April/early May for about 12 weeks.
Test piling for Agratas began on March 26th, it will take place for short periods throughout the day (08:00 – 18:00), Monday to Friday, measures to keep noise to a minimum and to limit excess dust on site by using water tankers if conditions are dry. Test piling will last for approximately three weeks.
Piling will commence once the test piling has been completed with the final piles designed. Further information on this will be provided by Agratas.
Other matters
Agratas will be hosting a series of public drop-in events between April 27 and May 2. Event leaflets have been shared, updates communicated via Agratas’ WhatsApp channel and information listed on Puriton and Woolavington Parish Council websites. Click herefor further information about the Bridgwater event on April 30.
Multiple LDO compliance submissions will be progressed in the coming months for various uses across the site.
TIG will continue with its work to replace the leisure facilities currently hosted by the 37 Club. Plans for the new facility are on display at the current 37 Club.
Submissions to Somerset Council and other regulators on planning and technical matters will continue as appropriate.
An exciting agreement aiming to reshape the educational and economic landscape of the South West in pursuit of green goals has been signed by the University of Bristol and Bridgwater & Taunton College.
Focused on supporting the UK’s transition to a net-zero economy, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets a new benchmark for higher and further education partnerships which will supercharge workforce development and research.
The partnership formalises the commitment of both institutions to leverage strengths and harness their collective experience and resources. Together, they will act as a catalyst for technological advancement, supporting development and innovation to drive the regional response to deliver the ambitious clean and inclusive growth strategy of Gravity, the UK’s first smart campus.
Andy Berry, Principal and CEO of Bridgwater & Taunton College, said: “Together with the University of Bristol, we are poised to revolutionise how education supports not just the immediate needs of our community, but also the long-term workforce requirements of innovative projects like Gravity. This MoU is a testament to our shared commitment to fostering a future-ready workforce equipped to meet the challenges of our rapidly evolving world.”
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of Bristol, added: “We are delighted to enter this agreement, which further strengthens our relationship with Bridgwater & Taunton College and will play a vital role in developing the regional workforce as well as driving forward innovation.
“The Gravity smart campus offers a key gateway to progressive research, advancing the journey towards net-zero while also supporting training and careers in energy futures. We look forward to working with the College to nurture local talent and help deliver sustainable, inclusive growth to help meet the pressing challenges posed by climate change.”
The MoU outlines a framework for collaborative projects and initiatives which will create a unified approach to addressing the skills gap in sectors critical to achieving a net-zero economy. It also sets the stage for both institutions to work closely with industry leaders and other educational providers to ensure the South West leads in strategic responses to emerging economic sectors.
Claire Pearce, Director of Planning & Economic Development at Gravity, said: “Our Skills Charter creates the leadership opportunity for employer engagement and workforce development to align with our mission to create decent work and inclusive economic growth for local communities. We are thrilled to see a proactive partnership response and early progress to support occupiers and ensure that local talent has ample opportunity to navigate through education pathways to secure high-quality jobs at the Gravity smart campus. This MoU marks a significant step forward in achieving that mission.”
Lucy Bailey, the Founder of Bounce Forward, conducted a workshop as part of the Gravity Smart Campus development which benefits from an integrated Environment and Social Governance (ESG) policy and Skills Charter. This provides a focus on local training and development to shape a future workforce to meet occupier needs
Bounce Forward is a UK charity home to experts in psychological fitness. The workshop focused on the ‘Resilient Futures‘ programme, which is designed to equip young adults aged 16 to 25 with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive.
The Resilient Futures session hosted at Bridgwater & Taunton College is part of Bounce Forward’s “train the trainer” model which equips local stakeholders with their own “Resilient Futures” champions. The provision will support the development of a future workforce for Gravity and wider Somerset.
Gravity’s Claire Pearce and Salamanca Group’s Esther Croft were joined in attendance by staff from across Bridgwater & Taunton College, representatives from Stantec and Bristol Port.
The core focus of the session was to build mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, using hope theory as the structure to the programme. The content is appropriate for schools and colleges and can be extended to support the workforce including employers working with young people, indeed everyone can benefits from the principles covered. This session continues to build upon the Gravity sponsorship of Bounce Forward during the pandemic to work in local schools and colleges, this training will help to further embed and strengthen skills to develop a workforce for the future.
100% of session attendees agreed or strongly agreed with four impact statements:
I found the training useful personally.
It has prepared me to facilitate Resilient Futures.
It will be useful for the young adults I work with.
I would recommend Resilient Futures to others.
Ideas for implementation included; for delivery of training to staff and students, applying the content to future STEM events, aligning with other offers where Resilience Futures would complement, and a working group has been established to plan dissemination strategically.
Feedback from attendees
‘What I’ve learnt today will be invaluable to all, on a personal level, educational and occupational. Thank you for this opportunity to develop my skills in order to better support others.”
“I liked the fact that it is about empowering students and giving us a tool kit to help them improve their psychological fitness.”
“Particularly enjoyed the variety of attendees and differing experiences.”
This is Gravity’s Director – Planning & Economic Development, Claire Pearce commented: “Seeing Bounce Forward continue its important work following their introduction to the locality in 2021 is important to us and continues to build a positive legacy. Building the confidence of local young people is a critical component in the creation of a happy healthy workforce of tomorrow. We look forward to seeing further partnerships between stakeholders and schools to support our young people into the future”
Bounce Forward Founder & Chair, Lucy Bailey commented: “It was wonderful to have a broad mix of organisations and experience in the room together. So many rich conversations and having been equipped with a full suite of learning resources, those attending shared lots of creative ideas for taking the work forward. What we offer at Bounce Forward will add value and complement the full range of support already available to students at the college and I am excited to see how it evolves.”
Bridgwater & Taunton College Executive Project Lead, Chris Ridgwell commented “We were pleased to be able to host this event through the Local Skills Improvement Fund; bringing together employers from our region who are supporting young people as they begin their careers.
Bounce Forward’s expertise has given our employees the skills and abilities to support their colleagues, demonstrating the significant impact of such partnerships on local skills development.”
Learn more about Bounce Forward’s work in Bridgwater here.
Bounce Forward is a national charity delivering inspiring and practical train the trainer programmes to develop the next generations of psychologically fit children who will become psychologically fit adults. Our training programmes engage teachers, parents and others around children and young people to develop psychological fitness. Psychological fitness combines mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, both key attributes needed for success in the 21st century. We provide a framework of skills, based on a development model so that young people are better placed to face the complexities of tomorrow and make the most of their future. Our core offer is a five-year, evidence-based curriculum that can be embedded in the secondary school offer. Our impact and passion go beyond the delivery of training and teaching resources – at the heart of our work is research and we are driving a movement to influence UK policy around education to form a positive system of change. (Charity number: 1170591).
In a vibrant celebration of innovation and business excellence, the Somerset Business Awards 2024, organised by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, showcased the remarkable achievements of local enterprises. With almost two decades of history, the awards have become a cornerstone event, recognising the resilience, creativity, and sustainable practices that define Somerset’s business landscape. This is Gravity’s Programme Director, Paul Lowndes, was in attendance, underscoring the event’s importance in fostering a thriving business community in Somerset
At the grand final Lendology CIC scooped the Gravity sponsored ‘Environmental and Sustainability Award’.
This is Gravity’s Programme Director, Paul Lowndes, commented: “Across Gravity’s four years of sponsorship we have noticed a ratcheting up of the submission standards, with this award clearly inspiring the efforts of Somerset’s environmentally conscious businesses. Lendology CIC were awarded the Environmental & Sustainability Award for their demonstrable commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable finance. I have huge respect for Cookswood Development – Lomax Design and Build and Zebra EM, both worthy finalists and most unfortunate to come up against Lendology CIC.
Lendology CIC commented: “This recognition means the world to us at Lendology CIC, as it underscores our commitment to supporting homeowners to invest in their properties to become greener and more sustainable through our partnerships with local councils.”
Somerset Chamber Chief Executive, Emma Rawlings, said: “We know many have faced some extremely challenging trading conditions again this last 12 months, so it was encouraging to hear about the successes of our finalists and winners and to be able to help them celebrate through the awards.”
Learn more about Lendology CIC by visiting their website.
What an achievement! #SBA2024 the Environmental and Sustainability Award goes to Lendology CIC @lendologycic. Congratulations to runners-up Cookswood Development – Lomax Design and Build @CookswoodEstate and Zebra EM for their amazing entries! Kindly sponsored by Gravity Smart… pic.twitter.com/lxzxG6D5sP
— Somerset Business Awards, UK (@Somerset_Awards) March 22, 2024
About Gravity
Gravity is the UK’s first strategic commercial smart campus and a blueprint for a ‘cleaner’, smarter future. Anchored by the 40Gwh Agratas Gigafactory, the campus is now the catalyst for economic transformation across the South West. Delivering the Gravity campus will support the wider efforts towards transport decarbonisation as well as the UK’s acceleration progress on electrification.
Our site is at the heart of an ideal ecosystem and is the platform of choice to stimulate home-grown advanced battery manufacturing, it offers unrivalled connectivity, planning flexibility and access to world-class assets and talent pool with expertise in innovation and clean growth. Underpinning the ability to serve a multitude of customers across sectors in the transition to a net zero economy.
This is Gravity Ltd has confirmed that it will be replacing the leisure facilities currently hosted at the 37 Club at the former Royal Ordnance Factory, on the new Gravity smart campus. The new leisure facility will be open to the public as well as the campus workforce.
Martin Bellamy, Chairman and CEO of Gravity, said: ‘After very careful consideration, we have agreed that the replacement of the core 37 club facilities, should remain on the Gravity smart campus site. We believe this is important for historic reasons to ensure an ongoing legacy from the former ROF facility and to ensure the leisure facilities remain immediately accessible to the villages and communities adjoining the campus’.
A meeting was held with the members and community to discuss initial plans. These plans have been revised to take on board the views expressed, and the plans will be displayed at the 37 club for member information over the coming weeks.
The name of the new facility has not yet been agreed and we welcome member feedback on this: our working title is ‘The 37’.
The new facility will be directly connected to the Village Enhancement Scheme – a walking and cycling route to connect Puriton and Woolavington villages and will include a café, bar, skittles and snooker facilities and will be open to the community during the day and at weekends.
A planning compliance submission under the Gravity Local Development Order (LDO) will be made to the Council in April and we anticipate work will start work in the summer and the new facility will be open early in the new year.
All skittles bookings will be honoured and moved across and we will work with staff, members and the community to manage the change.
Pete Bamber, current tenant of the 37 Club confirmed ‘I will be working closely with the Gravity team to ensure a smooth transition’.
The current building, originally intended as a temporary, has consent for demolition as part of the campus LDO, resulting in an obligation to replace the facilities to ensure leisure facilities are retained.
We hope that the new 37 will be open to both existing and new customers to sustain it into the future.
About Gravity
Gravity is the UK’s leading strategic smart campus, anchored by the 40Gwh Agratas Gigafactory. It is now a catalyst for economic transformation across the South West. Delivering the campus will support transport decarbonisation and fast-track the UK’s electrification goals.
Gravity is at the heart of an innovation ecosystem and is the platform of choice to stimulate home-grown advanced battery manufacturing, it offers unrivalled connectivity, planning flexibility and access to world-class assets and talent pool with expertise in research and development in clean growth – underpinning the ability to serve a multitude of customers across all sectors in the transition to a net zero economy.
Firstly, we want to thank everyone for their patience. We appreciate that from an external perspective This is Gravity Ltd (TIG) has appeared to be relatively quiet until recently, specifically on occupier news.
During that time our team, supported by an array of stakeholders, has worked tirelessly to arrive at this very exciting point in our journey towards delivering a clean and inclusive smart campus.
Our site team has been working hard to ensure the site is fully remediated and has the benefit of a new access road to enable early occupiers. Our mission has been to be ‘ready’ to support early transition and implementation to deliver new investment and opportunities into the Gravity site, fulfilling its enterprise zone (EZ) objectives.
TIG can now proudly confirm that its first and primary occupier will be Agratas, the global battery business within the Tata Group, click here to read our press release.
We will continue to collaborate and support Agratas as they move into design and construction. Both parties will participate in the EZ governance groups and in the Local Development Order delivery group with statutory consultees.
Approximately 50% of the Gravity smart campus land area will remain in TIG landownership until further occupiers can be secured.
Other key TIG workstreams include the design of leisure facilities for the smart campus.
March 2024 Newsletter Highlights
Gravity confirms Agratas as primary smart campus occupier
Stakeholder feedback
Gravity LDO recognised as a Transformation Tool
Gravity Local Development Order (LDO) Delivery Group restarts
Boost to Gravity’s workforce development.
Gravity hosts heritage community event, celebrating ROF37
Gravity expands its partnership with Bridgwater United FC
Claire Pearce shortlisted for South West Leadership Awards
Pride of Somerset Youth Awards 2024 supported by Gravity
Agratas community update
Gravity confirms Agratas as primary occupier
TIG is proud to confirm Agratas as Gravity’s first and primary occupier. The smart campus will now transition into its implementation.
TIG will continue to work closely with Agratas, Somerset Council, Bridgwater & Taunton College and other stakeholders to deliver infrastructure, training and education, creating local jobs for local people and new opportunities for businesses in the region.
The TIG team were thrilled with the support received from local stakeholders about the announcement. Thank you.
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: “The South West has a fantastic innovation ecosystem geared towards achieving Net Zero, and it’s a great vote of confidence to see Agratas become part of that at Gravity. I look forward to exploring collaborative opportunities with them and other future occupiers of Gravity to advance the skills and R&D needed to tackle the climate emergency and boost our region’s growing reputation in energy futures”.
Dave Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, said: “This is a big boost for the regional economy and puts Somerset and the South West at the forefront of the UK’s transition to net zero. As the region’s international gateway, we’ll do everything we can to support this exciting project and its supply chain”.
John Wilkinson, Director of the Western Gateway, said: “It is great to see this huge investment in the UK which is a vital opportunity for our nation to make the most of the economic opportunities of the green transition.
…This new Gigafactory will be a key part of ensuring our area can deliver on its potential to become the UK’s Green Energy Powerhouse. I look forward to working with our neighbours in the Great South West to promote our area as a driving force in the UK’s economic future”.
Andy Berry, Principal and CEO of Bridgwater and Taunton College, welcomed the news. He said: “It’s an exciting time for Somerset and our community. We will be drawing on our extensive experience of responding to workforce needs at a global level. As the skills lead we will be working with employers, industry specialists and other educational institutions such as the University of Bristol to deliver a cohesive and comprehensive approach to workforce development, it will be a fantastic boost for the region”.
Gravity LDO recognised as a Transformation Tool
TIG welcomed the recognition of the use of a Local Development Order (LDO) to regenerate and transform brownfield sites. In December the Gravity LDO, adopted by Somerset Council, was singled out in the speech delivered at the RIBA by The Rt Hon Micheal Gove’s MP.
“Somerset Council is using a Local Development Order to transform a brownfield site off the M5, the former Royal Ordnance Factory, into a new Enterprise Zone – creating up to 1.1 million square metres of advanced manufacturing and smart campus space.We want to see more local authorities embracing what Somerset have done”
Local Development Order (LDO) Delivery Group restarts
TIG in collaboration with, Agratas, Somerset Council and delivery partners, are in the process of gearing up preparations for the implementation stage of the Gravity Local Development Order (LDO) adopted in February 2022 for the Gravity Smart Campus.
To assist with technical coordination the Gravity LDO Delivery Group is being restarted. This group which comprises statutory consultees and key delivery partners, helped to facilitate the preparation of the Gravity LDO between 2020-22.
The LDO Delivery Group will receive regular updates and briefings on the Gravity smart campus from TIG, Agratas, the Council and delivery partners on what proposals will be coming forward. This will inform further updates with the community and wider stakeholders through newsletters and site updates to ensure effect coordination and communication.
Members of the public can of course raise queries through key contact points for TIG, Somerset Council and Agratas – communityuk@agratas.net
The Gravity team were excited to attend the CGLN opening of the Stock Exchange for their ‘Energising the Transition’ event, which looked at how we can supercharge the energy transition by securing an abundance of low cost, clean power for energy-intensive business.
Following a keynote by the Minister of State for Investment, Lord Johnson, In the first full session of the day, Martin Bellamy (CGLN Co-Founder and Chairman of This is Gravity) brought together Simon Baldey (SVP of Operations at Agratas), Lauren Pamma (Director at The Green Finance Institute) and Martin Wood (Chief Advisor at OFI).
They discussed how Agratas will build their gigafactory on the Gravity site, what this means for the UK automotive industry, how to bolster investment to attract similar projects and the opportunity to grow business through emerging supply chains.
Gravity hosts well-attended heritage community event, celebrating ROF37
TIG, supported by the South West Heritage Trust and Somerset Film, hosted an event in December to conclude a successful heritage project that begun in 2019.
The event was attended by more than 70 people, including local historians, members of the community, and former employees of the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF37). Together they were able to discuss and celebrate their shared memories of the site.
The curating and cataloguing of the South West Heritage Trust’s archive have not yet finished. The Trust would welcome help from any former Royal Ordnance Factory 37 employee who can contribute their knowledge to the process. If you, or someone you know, may have information or further stories to share, please contact the Trust at somersetarchives@swheritage.org.uk.
Community feedback shaping new Gravity leisure facilities
In early February, TIG’s team along with representatives from Stantec, Reed Holland Architects and PCL Planning hosted a well-attended in-person community event at the 37 Club.
At the event plans for a replacement community leisure facility were presented, it was a chance for staff and existing club members to share their opinions about the proposals.
Gravity received almost 100 feedback responses following the event, Gravity and its wider team have worked to incorporate the considerations of the community into the revised proposal that will be submitted as part of the Local Development Order (LDO) compliance submission.
The following aspects of the leisure facility were adapted in response to community feedback:
The building has been increased in floorspace to facilitate increased function and leisure space and the overall flexibility of the building.
The layout of the upper floor has been amended to separate the café/bar area from a function space but allowing flexibility through a connecting bar to increase the function space as required. This will facilitate a wider range of events.
ROF 37 Memory Wall has been incorporated on the upper floor to provide an opportunity for the display of photographs and memorabilia, reflecting the important history of the ROF.
The lower floor has been reorganized to ensure separation between the skittle alleys and the snooker tables to avoid conflict between the activities, including providing noise reduction measures.
The seating area on the lower floor has been significantly increased to accommodate communal space for skittle teams during and after games, as well as for members generally.
Boost to Gravity’s workforce development
In October TIG convened Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) and the University of Bristol to further explore and strengthen collaboration.
The dialogue centered on BTC’s expertise and track record in employer engagement and the leadership role for Gravity on the workforce development strategy – aligning business needs to pathways to enable local people to connect to new training and job opportunities.
As a next step, the parties agreed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding and to initiate a mapping of respective strengths and educational ‘offer’ to form a baseline from which to build.
TIG expands its partnership with Bridgwater United FC
TIG is proud to support Bridgwater United Football Club (BUFC) with Gravity branding displayed pitch side at Fairfax Park. The Gravity – BUFC partnership is focused primarily on creating community social value through the delivery of the Gravity Sphero STEM initiative which launched in October 2022.
The Sphero initiative prioritises the engagement of young people to raise aspirations through the development of robotics and coding skills through the medium of football – in a way that is accessible to all.
Bridgwater & Taunton College / Bounce Forward event
On 20th March at BTC’s Bridgwater Campus will host a day of learning through a “train the trainer” model which will equip local stakeholders with their own “Resilient Futures” champions. The provision will support the development of a future workforce for Gravity and wider Somerset.
The focus of the day is mental health resilience, which is appropriate for both schools and colleges, and we can extend it to any employers working with young people.
Building on the Gravity sponsorship of Bounce Forward during the pandemic to work in local schools and colleges, this training will help to further embed and strengthen skills to develop a workforce for the future.
TIG sponsors 2024 Pride of Somerset Youth Awards
TIG are proud to be the main sponsor for the Pride of Somerset Youth Awards 2024, which honours the remarkable achievements of young individuals throughout the county who have made their families, friends, or community proud over the last twelve months.
As well as being the main sponsor and ‘Environmental’ award sponsor, Gravity are also delighted to introduce its key partners at Bounce Forward and Bridgwater United Community Sports Trust as sponsors of the ‘Championing Positive Mental Health’ and ‘Community Hero’ awards, respectively.
TIG’s Director of Planning and Economic Development, Claire Pearce, has been shortlisted for the ‘Transformational Leader’ category at the inaugural TheBusinessDesk.com South West Leadership Awards.
The awards celebrate and honour the very best of businesses of all sizes and sectors across the South West. The winners will be announced at the gala event on Thursday, April 25th, in central Bristol.
After confirming their connection to the Gravity Smart Campus site, Agratas are now working on plans to continue building partnerships locally and strong relations with residents, in line with their community-first approach. Specifically, planning is underway to create opportunities for engagement with residents in the local area, including, an open house event in association with Bridgwater and Taunton Collegeto introduce the team behind the project and outline more about their plans. Agratas are currently working on the details and logistics to make this happen in weeks and months ahead and will update residents as soon as possible.
To receive updates from Agratas on the project, they invite you to join the Agratas WhatsApp Channel. They will be using this channel to update regularly with news that local communities will need to, or want to, be aware of.
This is Gravity Limited (TIGL) in collaboration with Somerset Council (SC) and delivery partners, are in the process of gearing up preparations for the implementation stage of the Gravity Local Development Order (LDO) adopted in February 2022 for the Gravity Smart Campus.
To assist with technical coordination the Gravity LDO Delivery Group is being restarted. This group which comprises statutory consultees and key delivery partners, helped to facilitate the preparation of the Gravity LDO between 2020-22. Each member of the LDO Delivery Group was responsible for providing guidance, technical input, working collaboratively and assisting in delivering specific activities associated with the site as appropriate.
The LDO Delivery Group will receive regular updates and briefings from TIGL, Agratas, the Council and delivery partners on what proposals will be coming forward, with a look ahead programme to help members of the group understand the potential forthcoming resourcing requirements to support the implementation stage.
This will inform further updates with the community and wider stakeholders through newsletters and site updates to ensure effective coordination and communication.
Members of the public can of course raise queries through key contact points for This Is Gravity, Somerset Council and Agratas – communityuk@agratas.net
Plans to build Britain’s biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Somerset have been announced.
Agratas – Tata Group’s global battery business – have confirmed that the Gravity Smart Campus located near Bridgwater has been chosen as the location of its new UK gigafactory.
This will be the first time Somerset will have been formally confirmed as the location for the UK’s new gigafactory. It represents a £4 billion investment in Somerset, which will directly create 4,000 new jobs and thousands more in the wider supply chain.
And it is hugely significant for the UK as a whole. By the early 2030s, it will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector.
Local people will be kept informed at all stages of the development. People living near the site – previously known as the Royal Ordnance Factory 37 – will soon be receiving an introductory leaflet from Agratas. As owner of 50% of the remaining land holdings, This is Gravity Limited will continue to liaise with local community and stakeholders and collaborate with Agratas.
Martin Bellamy, Chairman and Tom Curtis, Co–Founders of Gravity said: “It’s impossible to overstate how important this is for the UK. It is the catalyst to kick-start the electric vehicle revolution in the UK.
As the biggest battery gigafactory in the UK, and one of the largest in Europe, its transformational impact will be enormous.
We look forward to working closely with Agratas, Somerset Council, Bridgwater & Taunton College and wider stakeholders to deliver this gigafactory as part of the Gravity Smart Campus.”
This development will enable the South West to ‘Take Charge’ and accelerate the UK’s clean and inclusive growth revolution, creating new job and business opportunities in future-facing sectors.
Councillor Bill Revans, Leader of Somerset Council, said: “This is momentous for the county, its economy and for future generations. It’s about seizing an incredible opportunity to be at the heart of the UK’s green energy industry that will create thousands of highly-skilled, well-paid, green jobs.”
Andy Berry, Principal and CEO of Bridgwater and Taunton College, welcomed the news. He said: “I’m delighted by this announcement and what it means for our community and the wider region. We’ve got a great deal of experience in workforce development – big infrastructure projects like Hinkley Point C.
…We can draw on that experience. We’ve been here and we’ve done this and Agratas can be tremendously confident in our community and in our workforce.”
Drone footage and other Gravity material are available here.
Agratas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons. It designs, develops and manufactures high-quality, high-performance, sustainable batteries applied to multiple use cases in the mobility and energy sectors.
Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies. Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently under the guidance and supervision of its own Board of Directors.
Gravity is the UK’s first strategic commercial smart campus and a blueprint for a cleaner, smarter future. Anchored by the 40Gwh Agratas Gigafactory, the campus will be the catalyst for economic uplift across the South West. Delivering the Gravity campus will support the wider efforts towards transport decarbonisation as well as the UK’s acceleration progress on electrification.
Gravity is at the heart of an ideal ecosystem and is the platform of choice to stimulate home-grown advanced battery manufacturing, it offers unrivalled connectivity, planning flexibility and access to world-class assets and talent pool with expertise in innovation and clean growth. Underpins the ability to serve a multitude of customers across sectors in the transition to a net zero economy.
We are delighted to share that our Director of Planning and Economic Development, Claire Pearce, has been shortlisted for the ‘Transformational Leader ‘ category at the inaugural TheBusinessDesk.com South West Leadership Awards.
Claire Pearce joins an esteemed shortlist in the ‘Transformational Leader’ category: Louise Mitchell – Bristol Beacon; Ed Rowberry – BBRC (Bristol & Bath Regional Capital); Naseem Talukdar – Projects and Plastic (PAP) and Regency Recruitment.
The awards celebrate and honour the very best of businesses of all sizes and sectors across the South West. The winners will be announced at the gala event on Thursday, April 25th, in central Bristol.
For full details and to book your ticket click here.
As we emerge from the Winter months work at the Gravity site will ramp up and the community will see more activity. This is a welcome sign as the site moves into implementation.
There are now two landowners at the Gravity smart campus and works will be coordinated and activity communicated jointly where possible. This is Gravity (TIG) who secured the Local Development Order remain as one landowner. Other occupiers will be announced in due course.
Planned Site Works
The work to recycle concrete from the site and crush it for re-use will continue.
Import of recycled aggregate from the Hinkley C connection project will also resume (weather dependent) towards the end of March.
Import of aggregate to meet occupier needs as required.
TIG contractors will be monitoring the new landscaping on the link road and replacing as necessary.
Tree works on site will take place before bird nesting season to prepare for implementation.
The campus approach to re-use and recycling seeks to reduce traffic movements.
Consultant site visits, ground investigations will also take place.
TIG Archaeology investigations will take place on part of the site outside of the original ROF fence, late March / early April for about 12 weeks.
Other matters
TIG will continue to be represented locally by Claire Pearce as Director of Planning and Economic Development, Paul Lowndes as Programme Director on site, and Rob Stevens providing communications support. We welcome Stuart Houlet to the Gravity family as Head of Planning for TIG.
TIG will continue with its work to replace the leisure facilities currently hosted by the 37 Club.
Submissions to Somerset Council and other regulators on planning and technical matters will continue as appropriate.
