Gravity
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Location: Bridgwater, Somerset
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Year: 2017-present
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Size: 635-acres
Gravity is a 635-acre brownfield site and Enterprise Zone, purchased by Salamanca Group from BAE Systems in 2017. Once a disused Royal Ordnance Factory, it has been redeveloped into the UK’s leading location for international investment, showcasing the scale and ambition of our regeneration work.
Key Metrics
£4bn
International investment secured through the sale of 307-acres to Tata Sons subsidy Agratas
350+ MvA
Secured through National Grid to enable energy intensive users to base themselves at Gravity
1.1M m2
Of commercial space and up to 750 homes includes within the bespoke site wide planning consent
£60m
Invested in site infrastructure, development and delivery costs
The Vision
To be a catalyst for economic transformation and Clean Growth in the South West.
The vision for Gravity was to attract and accommodate large scale clean growth sectors, acting as a wider catalyst for the development of the M5 corridors, enabling the region to play a significant role in our transition to a cleaner economy.
Situated in Somerset, the designated Enterprise Zone was identified as a site of economic significance due to its large, flat topography, transport connectivity and access to an abundance of energy.
The site used to be a thriving employment hub, until its closure in 2008. Salamanca Group saw the opportunity to work with the local authority to shape a vision for growth that would reignite the industrial legacy of the site for future generations.
The UK’s leading giga-scale commercial smart campus.
Since site acquisition in 2017, Salamanca Group has taken huge strides in de-risking the site as an investment opportunity, while amplifying its appeal to large-scale investors and operators .
Remediation
Salamanca Group engaged BAE systems to fully remediate the site across a two-year programme of works, this was a major milestone in de-risking the site for future investment.
Access Road
Gravity secured a first of its kind Growth Deal funding for transport infrastructure from the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to deliver an access road that connected the site to the UK’s strategic road network, anticipating the needs of large-scale operators.
LDO Planning consent
In partnership with Somerset Council and support from statutory consultees, our team secured one of the largest and most flexible planning consents in UK within a 24-month timeframe. The Gravity LDO permits a wide range of commercial uses enabling the site to attract a variety of operators across emerging sectors.
Sustainability
Under our stewardship we ensured that no waste that couldn’t avoid landfill did, our team implemented a comprehensive materials management strategy that repurposed, recycled and reused hundreds of thousands tonnes of site materials, creating a positive sustainability narrative for site occupiers to build upon.
