Community News

Firstly, I hope you, your family and colleagues are all healthy as we adjust to this new challenge set upon us. In many respects, for the Gravity team, it is business as ‘usual’ as we continue to deliver our world-leading smart campus from our respective homes during these trying times.

All of us here at Gravity are most concerned for the safety and well-being of our families, colleagues, customers, partners, and the many friends who make up Gravity’s vibrant family, which is why we have put the following measures in place.

• Working Remotely: With many already used to working flexibly, this shift has fortunately been relatively smooth, and we believe should have little impact on our ability to deliver.

We’re also asking our teams and clients to work through digital channels as much as possible. This includes our events, which we are either postponing or transforming into virtual events. This is also an area where we are currently developing and providing new solutions for online events: both our own and our partners.

• Meetings with our consultant team and partners will continue virtually to maintain momentum and to continue to make progress over this period. We will be using the time to make progress discharging site-wide planning conditions and developing our approach to achieving our ambitions. • Safety On-Site: Employees who must be on-site are applying social distancing and hygiene protocols based on guidance from health authorities.
• Link Road completion: The government has deemed this work ‘Critical Infrastructure’, and as such it is still going ahead. We are pleased to be able to support this as it does provide a vital link for our communities and are doing everything we can to help these works proceed in a safe and controlled manner. You can read more here.
• Meals for high risk: Gravity is working alongside Puriton & Woolavington Parish Councils to provide hot meals to the 60-80 individuals who are the most vulnerable and isolated in the local community. I would personally like to extend my gratitude to the volunteers that are preparing and delivering this much needed hot meal service.

Thank you for your own going support, we are all in this together.
MartinBellamy,
Chairman

In the news

Gravity Chairman, Martin Bellamy discusses regional investment with the BBC

Gravity Chairman, MartinBellamy, spoke with BBC political correspondent Alex Forsyth about the need for greater regional investment from Government, enabling the South West’s infrastructure and mobility offering to develop in line with the rest of the UK. Gravity is proud to represent the SouthWest ambition to change the UK economy into a clean one. The interview aired on BBC 10 O’clock news on March 1st.

Click here to view the clip.

Progress Update

Link Road

Despite the wettest February on record, the construction of the Link Road is on track. The majority of the road has been surfaced; the focus of construction has shifted to the three roundabouts between the A39 and the entrance at Gravity. We have attained permission from Somerset county council to work on weekends to ensure that the Woolavington Road will reopen by Easter.

To stay up to date with progress on the link road, visit the Alun Griffiths community page or join us for one of the regular community drop-in sessions held at The 37 club.

Click here to view our progress.

Events

Village Enhancement Scheme

On Wednesday, 11^th March, Gravity and Stantec hosted the Public Consultation for the proposed village enhancement scheme for Puriton and Woolavington. The recent event which outlined proposed plans for a foot and cycle path between the villages along with other improvements was met with a generally positive response from residents. A resident described the event as a “very informative afternoon”. Continued developments of the scheme can be found on our community page.

Link Road Community Drop in

Gravity and Alun Griffiths are continuing to co-host the link road community drop-ins. This gives residents a chance to meet the team and see the progress of the link road in person. The last drop-in that was held at the 37 Club on Wednesday 11th February was well attended by residents and local businesses.

Movers and Shakers – “How does the real estate marketplace deliver change?”

Gravity Chairman, Martin Bellamy, delivered a keynote speech at a Movers & Shakers event in Bristol. He outlined how Gravity will look beyond office space and ensure that the working environments created are rooted in the wellbeing of the people that will use the site.

As we enter the final weeks of the year, this moment offers a unique opportunity to reflect on Gravity’s journey to becoming the UK’s leading Smart campus.

Gravity is anything but ordinary. By its very nature, it explores the ‘Art of the Possible.’ Already considered to be the UK’s flagship on the interplay between the technology and the physical campus estate, it will lead the way in transforming the South West into a Clean Growth Economy. That means new challenges, new businesses, new opportunities.

In the two years since its inception, many significant milestones have been achieved. Gravity has been developing at speed, the Link road is on schedule, the architectural plans are in full swing, and some exciting companies are looking to Gravity to call home.

Those who have heard me speak lately, will know the Clean Energy is a driving force for Gravity. We welcomed the news in September that the Climate Minister promised a much needed major revamp of the 2017 Clean Growth Strategy that set out how the UK planned to meet the government’s new 2050 net-zero emission target. But are their actions enough? This month saw the news that climate change could be irreversible by 2030 as we are using more of the earth’s resources than it can renew. If we carry on using the earth’s resources at our current rate of consumption, we’d need 1.7 planets to support the demand on the earth’s ecosystems.  I find this incredibly worrying, and even more so, there is a call to arms for industries to protect our planet and move to zero emissions.

As we move into 2020, the demand for lowing admissions presents a unique opportunity to use clean technology at Gravity to achieve economic growth and sustainable development for Somerset and the South West. The immediate challenge for us and for all stakeholders along the Gravity value chain is to react fast enough to the change in consumers, technology, and the climate.  As we harness these changes, we believe we can help The South West to better serve the needs of society and the environment.

Having broken ground on the site-unlocking access road in 2019, we envisage that 2020 will be the year that Gravity becomes the latest edition to the UK’s megaproject map. Whatever the outcome for Thursday, Gravity will continue to drive partnerships between government, academia, private sector & the community.

I hope you have a merry festive season and I look forward to updating you in the New Year on more of Gravity’s advancements that will benefit the South West.

Martin Bellamy, Gravity Chairman

Our Progress

Rail Connectivity at Gravity

Tom Curtis – Co-CEO

Pioneering new approaches to sustainable transport are a critical element for all developments, but nowhere more so than at Gravity. Our vision ensures that the majority of freight and passengers will be brought to and from our site by rail. With the major transport links of Bristol deep sea port and the cities of Exeter and Bristol, all within a 45- minute rail journey of the site, our reliance on road transport is significantly reduced.
We have therefore commissioned Network Rail to carry out a full feasibility and design project to assess the deliverability of both freight and passenger terminals on-site, connecting Gravity directly to the mainline. Having rail infrastructure will hugely increase the speed of take-up of space on the site and most importantly, will also broaden the range of occupiers who will be attracted to the site given its national reach. We welcome the support of the HotSW LEP and other partners in working with us to explore this potential.

On time, on track

Paul Lowndes – Programme Director

Gravity reached a milestone in the Summer with the commencement of the Link Road, a 12-month project to connect the site directly to the M5 at junction 23.

We are on track to start construction on site by Summer 2020. The Puriton Junior School noise and pollution monitoring programme remains ongoing and we are delighted with low impact scores to date. We are incredibly proud to be the first real estate private company to receive Growth Deal funding for transport infrastructure by the Heart of the South West LEP Growth Deal Fund.

Our aspirations are to maximise the use of local labour and local businesses, both from the immediate area and the Great South West. We continue to work with local colleagues and universities to build capacity and capability, and to ensure new occupier needs can be met.

Open for business

Gareth John – Senior Business Advisor

As an international inward investment destination, Gravity is now “open for business”. We are working with investors, the board, and through our real estate networks to communicate the Gravity site and its potential to host a new era of clean industrial growth. We are collaborating with the DIT and BEIS to help position the site to national and global investors in Clean Growth sectors and will be enthusiastic about informing trade missions and receiving international visitors to the South West. We will continue to work across the Local, Regional and National Government bodies to identify opportunities to host occupiers and target investment to enable delivery.

Flagship for the Southwest

Claire Pearce – Director – Planning and Economic Development

To realise our ambitions and achieve success, Gravity will be evolving a strategy to implement the planning consent and emerging vision, striving to make improvements to the approach to secure Clean Growth.

We are delighted with the progress on the Sedgemoor Transport Investment Strategy, funded by Gravity through our section 106 obligations, establishing clear priorities for investment until 2050.

Gravity is a ‘game-changer’ in terms of place-shaping and economic development and we are excited about the prospects ahead for new investors and occupiers to diversify and add value to the wider Sedgemoor and Somerset economies.

The team have made a clear statement of intent to host and pioneer sustainable
transport, specifically in a rural context, through a Sustainable Mobility Research and
Innovation Centre, partnering with institutions across the South West on a European funding bid to integrate academic input to the sites transport operations. We are very excited about partnering with the University of the West of England and linking into the Connecting Places Catapult and working with Innovate UK on the future of transport in the South West.

We are committed to ensuring that Gravity will be at the leading edge of sustainable transport providing walking, cycling and public transport options.

The past few months have been busy – culminating in the unlocking of the 635-acre development at Gravity with a groundbreaking ceremony for the link road. Gravity has taken several steps forward over the last quarter to lead up to this ceremonious day. Firstly, the grant of the Compulsory Purchase Order for the land required for the new link road, and secondly, the signing of the Growth Deal Funding agreement with the Heart of the South West LEP.  This month, Gravity also appointed the contractor to start work on the £10.3m road build. 

Gravity has also been actively playing a vocal role regionally speaking at the Somerset Economic Update to highlight the development’s positive economic impact on the local and wider Bristol-Exeter region.

As a local resident and/or someone interested in the development, we are sending you this newsletter to keep you informed of progress and activities on site. We aim to establish a welcoming and engaging dialogue with communities and hope that our investment plans will be inclusive and create opportunities for local businesses and people.

Above groundbreaking photo from left to right: Paul Lowndes (Programme Director, Gravity), Eifion Jones (Head of Strategy & Operations, Heart of the South West LEP), Simon Dunn (Operations Director, Alun Griffiths), Peter Johnson, Martin Bellamy (Chairman, Gravity), Lord David Triesman (Director, Gravity), Duncan McGinty (Cllr, Leader of Sedgemoor District Council), Hugh Frost (Director, Gravity), Tom Curtis (Chief Executive & Director, Gravity)

Project & Construction Update

Following the decision by a Government Inspector to grant Sedgemoor District Council a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for the land required to build a new road onto Gravity, construction of the road will start in earnest in early July.  

Gravity has appointed Alun Griffiths as the contractor to build the link road. Completion is anticipated for Autumn 2020, enabling occupational construction to commence.  Once access to the site has been established, Gravity will be able to start welcoming future occupiers on site. It is anticipated that the development will bring thousands of higher value jobs to Sedgemoor.  Identified as a strategic location for growth in the district, the site is supported both nationally, as a designated Enterprise Zone, and locally, having been awarded £3.94m Growth Deal funding for the link road from the Heart of the South West LEP.  The remainder of the £10.3m total build cost for the road is being contributed by Gravity.

Remediation works are ongoing and are forecast to complete on time at the end of 2019.

Groundbreaking for the new link road

11^th June 2019 marked the unlocking of Gravity’s future as the Gravity team hosted representatives from Sedgemoor District Council, Heart of the South West LEP, Somerset County Council, Puriton and Woolavington Parish Councils, as well as business partners at a groundbreaking ceremony for the link road.

Martin Bellamy, Chairman of Gravity, announced to guests “We’re delighted to commence construction of the link road as it marks a significant milestone on our journey to deliver the site.  As a new business to the area, we are thrilled to have such positive support from the LEP and the Growth Deal fund contribution, as well as the dedicated enthusiasm from Sedgemoor District Council.  Gravity’s ambition is a wider opportunity for the Bristol – Exeter growth corridor and we look forward to working together to position the South West as a dynamic heart of Clean Growth in the UK.”

Councillor McGinty, Leader of Sedgemoor District Council, told Gravity and its guests that he was certain the site would attract international companies, further raising the profile of the District and helping transform it into a higher value economy and creating thousands of job opportunities.  “We are especially delighted to see this important industrial site between the villages of Puriton and Woolavington being brought back into use and we will work closely with Gravity and those villages to support them as sustainable communities.”

The Heart of the South West LEP commented “We’re looking forward to working with Gravity to generate investment in the region and develop the growing cluster of innovative companies and Clean Growth talent.  This will raise the productivity and profile of our area and the wider Great South West region on an international platform”.

Minister for Local Growth, Jake Berry, said“Improving transport links and infrastructure is key to unlocking local growth. This is why I am delighted that our £3.94 million Local Growth Fund investment towards the new link road will not only help to improve access to leisure facilities for the enjoyment of local residents, but generate thousands of jobs and provide an attractive place for new businesses to Bridgwater and the surrounding local area making it a centre for Clean Growth.”

Somerset Economic Update

Gravity’s Chairman was invited to speak at the Somerset Chamber of Commerce’s annual Somerset Economic Update event in May where nearly 100 business leaders were given an insight into the state of the Somerset economy. Martin Bellamy, Chairman of Gravity spoke alongside representatives from EDF, Bank of England and British Chamber of Commerce.  Whilst the main focus from other speakers concentrated on the uncertainty caused by a lack of clarity over Brexit, both Gravity and EDF highlighted the positive impact of the businesses on the local and wider region.  Of note, the Chairman of the Somerset Chamber of Commerce commented “The South West has the lowest unemployment levels since 1975 and high employment means continued consumer spending will support the economy. We also have one of the largest construction projects in Europe on our doorstep at Hinkley Point C and a huge investment in the pipeline at the Gravity site near Bridgwater”.

Local Community Information

More information will be available on the 18-month road construction programme and the associated travel management and other disruption that villagers may experience shortly.  This information will be communicated by Paul Lowndes, Gravity Programme Director and the contractor’s community liaison officer who will meet regularly with the community at The 37 Club.  In addition, residents will be able to access information boards at The 37 Club and notices via Puriton and Woolavington Village Halls.

Under the Section 106 Agreement, Gravity will complete the Puriton and Woolavington village enhancement schemes no later than 12 months after the completion of the Link Road or within 6 months of commencement of the Village Enhancement Schemes if earlier. Given the original plans had been prepared some time ago, new surveys were conducted earlier in the year and new village enhancement plans are in the process of being designed.  All members of the community will have access to the design and consultation process.

Since Gravity’s soft launch at the end of November last year, we’ve focused on moving the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process along to secure the rights to acquire land, implement the new link road, and ensure development on site starts in a timely manner.  This is critical in order to realise the wider public benefits of the scheme.

In line with our vision to deliver a sustainable, intelligent, connected and immersive mixed-use campus, that will be home to the world’s most innovative companies, Gravity is sponsoring the Innovative Business Award at the Sedgemoor Business Awards.  We are looking forward to presenting this award later this month.  In addition, we welcomed the news of Somerset County Council committing to address the climate change emergency consolidating our clean growth mission to wider regional goals.

As a local resident and/or someone interested in the development, we are sending you this newsletter to keep you informed of progress and activities on site. We aim to establish a welcoming and engaging dialogue with communities and hope that our investment plans will be inclusive and create opportunities for local businesses and people.

Project & Construction Update

The CPO process for land required for the access road is well underway. Having commenced the process on the 2^nd October 2018, we expect the Secretary of State to confirm the CPO by Summer 2019 to allow construction of the link road to commence. Given this timing, Gravity has worked hard to prepare for this and has recently completed the removal of hedgerows on the land identified for the link road in advance of the bird nesting season.

Gravity has also short-listed four contractors to tender for the link road build. It is anticipated that the link road will be complete by Autumn 2020 with landscaping complete by the end of 2020.  This will allow the site to officially launch from Autumn 2020.

The new road will be partially funded by a £3.94m grant from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and we are delighted to be working with the LEP on this exciting project.

We will keep communities informed of progress and traffic management prior to the start of construction via the Woolavington and Puriton Parish Councils.

Remediation works are ongoing and are forecast to complete on time at the end of 2019.

Sponsoring the Innovative Business Award

We are delighted to sponsor the Innovative Business Award at this year’s Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards. As a business, we recognise the importance of being innovative in a complex world. It is critical to embrace the digital era and new technologies whilst catering for changing demands from the workforce. Innovation is core to driving individual business growth and performance and supports the growth of the UK economy. We look forward to presenting the award and hearing about the exciting achievements within Sedgemoor from all companies partaking in the awards.

Our Clean Growth foundation

We welcomed last month’s news of Somerset County Council’s commitment to address the climate change emergency.  The site’s Clean Growth foundation is an underlying part of Gravity’s vision focused on supporting the future economic growth of the UK in an environmentally sustainable way.  As such Gravity’s occupier base will consist of those from low carbon manufacturing, electric vehicles, robotics and AI, energy generation, R&D and associated activities such as data centres and assembly and distribution.  A pan-sector cluster will encourage business to collaboratively disrupt, challenge, inspire and innovate for a more sustainable future.  Gravity looks forward to being able to support and collaborate with the wider region on such an important national and global challenge.

Community Heritage Project

Gravity plans to work with Somerset Heritage Trust and Sedgemoor District Council to develop a community project to capture the industrial heritage of the site and its former use. As we continue our preparations for the future uses of the site, it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the personal stories and memories of the Royal Ordnance Factory. As part of this project, we will organise a calendar of events in the 37 Club to meet residents to hear about their family histories and capture their stories on film. We will also be seeking old photographs and artefacts from the factory to help bring those stories to life.

In November last year, Salamanca Group acquired the former ROF Bridgwater in Puriton. A year on, remediation works are well underway, and we have appointed economic experts, master planners, and property branding experts to define our vision, which was announced at the Sedgemoor Business Conference last month. We continue to develop a positive working relationship with Sedgemoor District Council to deliver the optimal site to attract inward investment and deliver benefits to the local community.  

As a local resident and/or someone interested in the development, we are sending you this newsletter to keep you informed of progress and activities on site. We aim to establish a welcoming and engaging dialogue with communities and hope that our investment plans will be inclusive and create opportunities for local businesses and people.

Project Update

A Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) is required to enable the land acquisition for the construction of a new link road that will facilitate the redevelopment and improvement of the former Royal Ordnance Factory site. The link road will run from a new roundabout on the A39, around the south of Puriton village to a new roundabout on Woolavington Road, and then north to a third roundabout at the site entrance, avoiding the need for traffic to access the development site through Puriton or Woolavington.  Whilst negotiations to acquire the land needed for the link road have been ongoing since 2009 it has not been possible to reach agreement with all of the necessary landowners.  As a result, Sedgemoor District Council implemented a CPO to acquire the remaining interests and this process is now underway.  The CPO notice was delivered on the 2^nd October 2018 with an objection deadline of 6^th November 2018. We are aiming for a decision from the Planning Inspectorate by the Summer 2019. This will enable the construction of the link road to commence later in 2019.  It is anticipated the link road will take 18 months to build inclusive of landscaping works. 

Detailed design and technical work for the road is nearing completion, and early contractor involvement has already started with potential contractors who will be appointed to build the road.

We will keep communities informed of progress and traffic management updates three months prior to the start of construction via the Woolavington and Puriton Parish Councils.  In addition, we will appoint a Community Relations Officer to engage with communities, provide regular updates and answer questions as the project evolves.  

Construction Update

We have appointed ecologists, environmental engineers, landscape architects, civil engineers and quantity surveyors to design and document the construction works.

On-site physical works are progressing with former owners, BAE Systems, and remediation works are forecast to complete on time at the end of 2019.  Materials from the site are being recycled for use in ground stabilisation and for use in landscape bunds.

In early Spring 2019, we will establish an on-site Plant Nursery to propagate native species for planting on the site, the link road landscape bund and in the community.

Announcement of Vision

Martin Bellamy, CEO of Salamanca Group, announced at the recent Sedgemoor Business Conference the vision to transform the 635-acre site into an innovation campus – a new era of enterprise zone.  With guidance from a team of economic analysts and master planning experts, Salamanca Group will deliver and operate an innovation campus responding to the shifting global trends in consumption, automation and digitalisation.  The site, newly named Gravity, will be an immersive, connected, intelligent and sustainable environment that will attract some of the world’s most innovative businesses focussed on clean growth.   

Strategically located in the South West with direct access to an intermodal mix of international transport connections of road, rail, air and deep-sea port, it is envisaged the mixed-use facility will attract a range of tenants with one core objective – a cleaner global future.  In line with this, the first tenant, a low-carbon energy generation facility is anticipated to be on-site from summer 2020. Other high value businesses are expected to be manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, robotics and artificial intelligence, electric vehicle, assembly and distribution space, research and development and office.  The site’s flexibility and future-proofing is key, and we will provide businesses with an adaptive layout connected by a multi-functional landscape and infrastructure framework suited for demands of modern businesses and their employees.

The combination of like-minded businesses enables an environment of innovation in clean growth. From inventors in incubation space to experts in advanced manufacturing, the site will offer a prime opportunity to deliver research and development linkages and innovation as a result of knowledge sharing and cross pollination. Gravity will be an agile place that is able to support tomorrow’s workforce who are constantly re-thinking, re-imaging and re-defining the future.

Purpose built, diverse workspaces and resilient technologies will be set against an established natural landscape – supporting a culture of innovation and well-being that blurs the boundaries between work and play.  A range of leisure facilities, amenities and public space will be available for the local community to use.