Gravity welcomes the recognition of the use of a Local Development Order (LDO) to regenerate and transform brownfield sites in The Rt Hon Micheal Gove’s MP ‘Falling back in love with the future’ speech on the new national planning policy framework.
The speech highlighted the significance and underutilisation of the LDO as a dynamic planning mechanism to facilitate up-front planning permission to attract large-scale international investment and deliver positive change for communities. The Gravity LDO, adopted by Somerset Council, being singled out in the speech delivered at the RIBA.
The Gravity LDO consent comprises 1.1 million square metres of commercial floorspace, up to 750 homes, creating up to 7,500 jobs, regenerating a brownfield site and facilitating a new era of clean industrial growth.
Gravity’s Director – Planning & Economic Development, Claire Pearce, commented: “Recognition from the UK Government on the importance of the LDO as a transformation tool is welcome. We are proud of the work we have done to advance the LDO as a simplified planning tool aligned with the enterprise zone, to regenerate an extensive brownfield site and market the site to international investors. Gravity offers a progressive blueprint to shape clean growth solutions within a global marketplace, accelerate economic restructuring and create training and employment opportunities for host communities.”
The full speech can be read here.
About Gravity
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.
