Look Ahead

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.

View as PDF

View previous look-ahead documents.

The Gravity team continues to work across many workstreams to ensure that the site is ready for mobilisation and implementation of a large-scale advanced manufacturing facility. All workstreams listed in our Summer 2023 Look Ahead document are still ongoing.

Our primary update is to notify local communities that in accordance with our planning permission that on on-site works will be taking place on Saturdays 8am-6pm across the month of October, from Saturday the 7th through till Saturday the 28th.

Saturday working (7th, 14th, 21st, 28th)

• Due to fluctuating weather conditions throughout the year, Gravity aims to maximise the use of the remaining fair weather.
• All on-site activities strictly comply with Condition 2 of the planning permission ref: 42/22/00007. No work is being conducted within 500 meters of any residential property.
• Somerset Council is fully informed about the temporary adjustments to the working hours on-site for October.
• No HGV deliveries or imports are scheduled during these days. Work will be halted if weather conditions are not favourable.

On-site works

• Ongoing processing of onsite materials
• Breaking up of concrete in the ground and cutting and filling to achieve plateau levels
• Site preparation activities remain ongoing
• Site maintenance works comprising site security, road cleaning, grass mowing, fence repairs are continuing as required.

View as PDF

The Gravity team continues to work across multiple workstreams to ensure that the site is ready for mobilisation and implementation of a large-scale advanced manufacturing facility.

Recycling Material

• The site team continues to recycle concrete ‘won’ or found on site and this is being crushed to be re-used on the site during construction.
• The Kelson Sparks team are working with Gravity to recycle the material from the National Grid Hinkley C connection project temporary haul roads to store on-site for use in construction. This ensures many lorries of aggregate are being taken off the local roads.
• Haulage routes utilise Enterprise Way as well as the secondary access to the East of the site, to avoid unnecessary impacts on local communities. In 2023 alone, Enterprise Way has removed over 6,500 HGV journeys from local village roads.

Other on-site activities

• Site maintenance works comprising site security, road cleaning, grass mowing, and fence repairs are continuing as required.
• Site preparation is ongoing. Approximately half the site has been cleared of bramble and other brash so that ground works can commence.
• Ecological management continues on a daily basis to monitor badger activity at the boundaries of the fenced site. Our ecologists translocated the water vole population last spring and Gravity continues activity to ensure that the site rhynes are clear and do not present new habitat opportunities whilst construction is ongoing.

Link Road landscaping

• The landscaped area along the link road is under Gravity ownership. The landscaping works are part of the Alun Griffiths Contract and the contractor has an obligation to maintain the landscaping and replace any failed planting for a period of 2 years after completion.
• The implementation of new landscaping is often challenging on any scheme and the unpredictable and extreme shifts in the weather have made this more so, therefore the landscaping will be monitored and replaced as required.

Village enhancement scheme – Woolavington cycle & footpath

• A timeline for the delivery of the Cycle and footpath linking Puriton with Woolavington will be generated upon the issuance of the formal ‘completion certificate’ for Enterprise Way from Somerset County Council. Click here to view the planning submission for the proposed path.

What to expect

• Hosting of visitors to the site.
• Increased levels of activity on site.
• Increased HGV deliveries to the site, vehicles will be using the purpose-built access road ‘Enterprise Way.

Contact us:

• In event of queries please contact Gravity directly at info@thisisgravity.co.uk
• To view our planning documentation please click here.