North Somerset welcomes latest £4bn giga factory news
28th February 2024
North Somerset Council welcomes today’s announcement by Agratas of its plans for a new £4bn giga factory producing EV batteries at Gravity Smart Campus in Somerset. This development will present significant opportunities for North Somerset’s businesses and residents and supports the council’s inward investment goals.
The development is just 12 miles from North Somerset, placing the anticipated 4,000 additional jobs, and many more anticipated in the supply chain, within a sustainable commutable distance for local residents. It will also provide the potential for the council to accelerate green inward investment, through building a supply chain cluster linked to electric vehicle battery innovation and manufacturing.
The proximity of the Gravity site makes the Weston Enterprise Area ideally placed to support supply chain activity and link up with Bristol Port and the wider West of England area to develop the opportunities associated with the gigafactory.
Cllr Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council’s executive member for spatial planning, placemaking and economy, said: “This is great news for our economy and the people and businesses of North Somerset. We’ve been working on ways to ensure we benefit from this investment for a while.
“We’re in close contact with Somerset Council to explore opportunities for joint working and are working to support local firms in accessing the supply chain and helping remove barriers. We’re also considering ways to attract new business into North Somerset to capitalise on the investment.
“Work with Weston College will help us understand future skills needs so that the right training can be available for local people and a partnership with colleagues at Gravity will enable us to market Weston Enterprise Area as an ideal location for complementary supply chain businesses. Our new local plan will also provide the commercial floor space needed to realise the maximum economic benefits.
“There is the potential of 882,000 sq ft of commercial floor space in Weston Enterprise Area and we will work closely with partners to bring together this opportunity to ensure North Somerset’s economy is resilient, thriving and delivers for our residents.”
For more information about investment opportunities in North Somerset and connections with the Gravity project, the Weston Enterprise Area prospectus is available on the innorthsomerset.co.uk website.
