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 2nd October 2018 with an objection deadline of 6th 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.
