IT'S been six years to the day since the Salamanca Group took over the Huntspill Energy Park site near Bridgwater, now known as Gravity.

The site had remained unused since 2008 but was revealed as the focus of an ambitious plan which aimed create more than 4,000 jobs.

Sedgemoor District Council, now Somerset Council, said the sale of the 635-acre former BAE Systems site, which included the Royal Ordinance Factory, had the potential to ‘deliver huge benefits locally, regionally and nationally’.

The site near to junction 23 of the M5, found between Puriton and Woolavington, had been disused since its closure in 2008 but plans to redevelop the area by a new landowner were revealed.

Councillor Duncan McGinty, leader of the former district council, said the developed site would create thousands of jobs and be a vital source for the skills and expertise needed by the Government to deliver its economic ambitions.

“We are delighted that Salamanca Group has chosen to invest in this UK site that will cement a place for the South West as a centre for the research, development and delivery of the facilities we will need to meet this country’s energy demands," he said.

"It will provide exceptional opportunities for local people and businesses in the future.”

The former Royal Ordinance Factory, which was once used for making explosives, was given Enterprise Zone status by the Government, making the building a golden opportunity to help deliver the Government's Industrial Strategy.

A spokesman for the Salamanca Group said the company aimed to develop the site in the next few years with a focus on low carbon and onsite energy generation.

The business said it predicted the site would create more than 4,400 jobs and generate in the region of £125 million of business rates.

The Salamanca Group said the land the ‘will attract interest from a range of companies' and the close proximity to Hinkley Point C power station made it one of the most important new sites in the UK.

Martin Bellamy, CEO of Salamanca Group, said: “This will be the business hub for the future.

"As strategic investors, we have and will continue to use our deep relationships with key partners to deliver this project.

"We will work closely with the council, local communities and other partners.”