Bridgwater councillors will work to maximise Tata's Group benefits

After confirmation that the multi-billion-pound electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility is coming to Somerset, Labour and Lib Dem councillors said they want to make sure benefits to local communities are maximised.

Cllr Tim Mander, chairman of Bridgwater Constituency Labour Party, said: “Labour welcomes the investment in green technology particularly on such a large brownfield site which has already benefited from large investment in new road infrastructure.

“However, we are concerned to ensure that local people do not lose out.

“There should be a proper and full commitment to invest in local training via the local schools and colleges.

“As regards accommodation once again we need to ensure that there is a cap put on spiralling private rents to avoid further HPC-type market distortion.

“Lastly there needs to be proper investment in public transport, particularly buses but also trains with more cross-country trains stopping at Bridgwater station.”

Mayor of Bridgwater Cllr Mick Lerry (Labour, Victoria) said: “Labour welcomes this green economy investment for battery development which is needed for electric car production and more batteries need to be developed in Europe including the UK.”

Leader of Bridgwater Town Council, Cllr Brian Smedley, (Labour, Westover) also welcomed the announcement but said “we need to learn the lessons from the Hinkley project”.

“We want a serious and genuine say for Bridgwater Town Council in any steering group to look at Community Benefit which they are calling ‘locality investment’ and there need to be ‘local labour agreements’ in place.”

Cllr Leigh Redman, leader of Somerset County Labour Group, said: “Somerset Labour is over the moon” and added that they “fully support the proposed investment in Somerset and see it as a long-term benefit for every corner of our community".

“We need to better understand the business rate retention mechanism and funding options, particularly in the current financial situation that Somerset council finds itself, that forms part of the agreement, we will need financial support from the government to ensure local council funding is not impacted negatively, Somerset council budget can not support any further unnecessary strain.

Councillor Claire Sully at the Gravity site (Image: Contributed)

Cllr Claire Sully, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the new Bridgwater constituency, has hailed news of a significant new investment into the Gravity site, which will bring considerable benefits to residents in Bridgwater, Burnham, Highbridge and the surrounding area.

Cllr Claire Sully is holding an event at the Gravity site on Thursday, March 21, during which Claire Pearce, director of Gravity, will make a speech explaining what the project is achieving and the benefits it will bring to local communities.

The investment from Agratas in Gravity is a real coup for Bridgwater and its surrounding areas,” Cllr Sully said.

“The 4,000 new jobs created and £150 million investment in local communities is a fantastic opportunity for Bridgwater to realise its great potential.

“My priority now and if elected as the MP for Bridgwater is to ensure that these benefits to local communities are maximised.

“I want people to be a part of this project and understand how it can enable them to flourish.

“At Somerset Council, we are serious about investing in the future of Somerset.

“Having delivered a balanced budget, we are now drawing in investment to the area and unleashing the huge potential of Somerset.”

Claire’s ‘Shine A Light On...’ event will be held at the 37 Club, Woolavington Road, Puriton and will feature guest speakers Claire Pearce, Somerset Council leader Bill Revans, and Tony Cradock, Trustee of Morlands Community Hub.

Ashley Fox, MP Candidate for Bridgwater, has welcomed the news too and said:
"It is excellent news that Agratas has confirmed that the Bridgwater Gravity Smart Campus will be the site of their new £4bn Gigafactory, which will bring huge investment and opportunities for growth to our area. 

“I am committed to bringing more investment to Bridgwater and Burnham and will campaign hard to convince other businesses like Tata and Morrisons to expand their operations in our area."

“The Labour Party doesn't have a plan to create jobs and grow our economy. I'm proud that our Conservative government has brought record investment to Bridgwater and the whole of the South-West.”