Agenda item

Recommendations from the Leader and the Executive.

Councillor Bill Revans proposed the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor David Fothergill.

Having been duly proposed and seconded, the Council RESOLVED to:-

a)    Note the Gravity Locality Investment Plan as set out in Appendix A and associated investment priorities for the plan as outlined in para 16.6 of the report;

b)    Add the Gravity Scheme to the capital programme and to agree that the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy was updated for this as outlined in Appendix B, including adopting the Prudential Treasury Indicators included in table 3 of that Appendix.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bill Revans, introduced the report on the Implementation of the Gravity Enterprise Zone which the Executive considered and endorsed at its meeting on 5 June 2024.

The Executive Director for Climate and Place, Mickey Green, highlighted the main focus of the report which was the approach to delivery of the Gravity Enterprise Zone through the proposed investment in the site and the Council’s approach to managing and minimising risks associated with the project.  The report also looked at how the Council, through the Gravity Locality Investment Plan, would ensure the project delivered transformation for the county, specifically around movement, skills and business opportunities.

The Service Director for Economy, Employment and Planning, Paul Hickson, detailed how the Plan set out the vision, rationale and benefits from the investment for the site, the immediate locality and wider Somerset.  The Plan also focused on the investment needed to deliver an advanced manufacturing facility, as proposed by Agratas and the long-lasting benefits from the investment that would also attract further investment onto the wider Gravity site.

The Executive Director for Resources and Corporate Services, Jason Vaughan, detailed the changes needed to be made to the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy to accommodate the proposed investment for members to consider alongside the Gravity Locality Investment Plan.  The report also detailed the Council’s approach to financing the investment through borrowing and it set out the timing and funding needed to deliver the Plan in a way that was cost neutral to the Council.

During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

·       Councillors queried what the status was on the £55m grant and investment plan.

The Executive Director for Resources and Performance advised that there had been a long dialogue with certain departments within Government and that it had started off as a loan and was then changed to a grant which had been signed off yesterday, he further highlighted that there were set conditions for the use of the grant money.

·       Councillors supported the project and that it was a good development for the area.

·       Concern was raised on the transport infrastructure in and around the Bridgwater area and the lack of adequate public transport links.

The Service Director for Economy, Employment and Planning advised that the Local Development Order (LDO) focused on the impact and investment at the site and that they were working with Agratas on the plan. He further advised that other plans would include site access and improvement to the transport infrastructure, as he wanted to minimise the impact that the workforce traffic would have on the area.

·       Councillors were pleased to see progression on the project as it would help to improve the education prospects and opportunities to learn and reskill, which would hopefully encourage younger residents to remain in the area.

·       Councillors requested clarification on what would happen to the grant if a Section 114 notice was issued.

The Executive Director for Resources and Corporate Services advised that if a Section 114 notice was issued, the Council would need to meet within 21 days.  The notice would stop all non-essential spending within the Council and because of this, the project would not be impacted.

·       Councillors requested further detail on the transport provisions, active travel, rail links, motorway links and other transportation.

The Executive Director for Climate and Place advised that those details were not contained within the report as the report was a high-level document.  The LDO detailed the targets set in the report and work would need to be carried out with Agratas and would be reported to the Gravity Sub-Committee.

·       Concern was raised on the negative impact on the housing in the area and councillors queried whether there would be any mitigations put in place to minimise the risk.

The Service Director for Economy, Employment and Planning agreed that this was an important point to raise and that it would be tracked as part of the workforce profile.  He further highlighted that the LDO had included a provision for 750 homes and that they would need to work with Homes England on this. The Executive Director for Resources and Corporate Services also advised that the Audit Committee reviewed the Risk Register and as this would be a project risk, it would be reported to the Audit Committee and the Gravity Sub-Committee.

·       Councillors wanted to ensure the Gravity Sub-Committee included councillors with local knowledge of the site and its history.

·       Councillors queried how the officers would measure the positive and negative impacts the projects would produce.

The Service Director for Economy, Employment and Planning advised that it would be monitored as part of the targets set by the investment plan and by the Gravity Sub-Committee.

·       Councillors were concerned by the lack of doctor and dentist provisions in the Bridgwater area and queried whether Somerset Council would have any role in ensuring that services were provided in the area.

The Chief Executive advised that work would be carried out between the Planning Department and the Integrated Care Partnership to ensure that those health services were provided.

·       Councillors queried what the strategy was for accommodation and highlighting capacity and what the timeline was for implementation.

The Service Director for Economy, Employment and Planning advised that this would be part of the development and housing need and reminded councillors that this was a high-level report and that the detail would be reported at a later stage.

·       Councillors highlighted the concern raised on the M5 and the increased traffic during the summer months.  They further debated the provision of an extra motorway exit and that it would not improve the motorway links.

The Executive Director for Climate and Place agreed and advised that conversations were needed between Agratas and the Department for Transport.

·       Councillors agreed that lessons needed to be learned from the impacts of the Hinkley Point project.

·       Councillors thanked all officers and councillors that had been involved in getting the project to this stage.

Councillor Bill Revans proposed the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor David Fothergill.

Having been duly proposed and seconded, the Council RESOLVED to:-

a)    Note the Gravity Locality Investment Plan as set out in Appendix A and associated investment priorities for the plan as outlined in para 16.6 of the report;

b)    Add the Gravity Scheme to the capital programme and to agree that the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy was updated for this as outlined in Appendix B, including adopting the Prudential Treasury Indicators included in table 3 of that Appendix.