Gravity is delighted to share that the Gravity Local Development Order (LDO) was adopted by Sedgemoor District Council on 23 February 2022.
The LDO is a streamlined form of planning consent, ideally suited to the Gravity enterprise zone and will create a marketing tool to attract investors to Sedgemoor, Somerset. Aligned with the priority to address climate change and contribute to transport decarbonisation, Gravity can offer up to 1.1 million square metres of advanced manufacturing space and associated facilities and enabling infrastructure, with the potential to create up to 7,500 jobs, and develop up to 750 homes as an integrated part of the smart campus.
Martin Bellamy, Chairman and Chief Executive of This is Gravity Ltd commented “This is an outstanding achievement to really put UK Plc on the map and ensure we are open for business and demonstrate that we can create the conditions for investment and growth. I am particularly pleased that our vision to put clean growth at the heart of the strategy has been achieved and our ambition now is to turn a consent into occupiers and job creation which can be truly transformational for the economy and locality’.
Claire Pearce, Director of Planning and Economic Developed added “This has been a cutting edge journey, re-imagining the previous planning consent to create a more progressive response to climate change and economic restructuring, ensuing better outcomes for all. Can I extend my personal thanks to all of our consultant team for all of their hard work to achieve this major milestone, and also to our wider partners in the Gravity delivery group, businesses and the community who have been very supportive to ensure we can turn our vision into reality”.
Councillor Gill Slocombe, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Sedgemoor District commented “The Council adoption of the Gravity Local Development Order is an important step to accelerate the delivery of the enterprise zone to create jobs and opportunities for local communities and businesses in the supply chain. Sedgemoor has an exceptional track record in economic development and delivery and this decision will create long-term permanent opportunities for people beyond temporary construction jobs on other large-scale projects. We look forward to working with occupiers to enable facilities that will need to operate in a competitive, global marketplace, putting Bridgwater and wider Sedgemoor on the map and within a set of wider assets at the heart of the South West”.
Gravity will be the UK’s first commercial smart campus and a blueprint for a ‘cleaner’, smarter future. It aims to attract the world’s most innovative companies working in the ‘clean growth’ sectors.
Expected to create up to 7,500 jobs, the 616-acre Enterprise Zone will be designed to shape connections between people and the places they work, supporting a culture of innovation and wellbeing. It will include diverse, flexible workspaces and resilient technologies along with enhanced transport links to, and within, the surrounding area.
