Work on a £1.16m Enterprise Centre in Highbridge which will create jobs and boost the local economy is taking shape, with a number of key milestones reached, the county council has said this week.
Cllr David Hall, Deputy Leader of Somerset County Council, who led a delegation of councillors to the site this week, told Burnham-On-Sea.com that “interest from local firms in occupying the site is snowballing as the project progresses.”
He met with the managing agent of the site, TDA, and contractor South West Highways to see developments at first hand.
The steel structure of the main building has been erected with three standalone workshops now in place.
The level of the site has also been raised by a metre and a flood relief and retention pond has been constructed. Work is also underway to lay the concrete for the main courtyard.
Cllr Hall was joined at the visit by the Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council Cllr Peter Downing, Deputy Mayor of Burnham and Highbridge Cllr Mike Mansfield, Richard Towl from contractor South West Highways Build and Adrian Sheen of TDA.
“I am delighted to see that real progress is being made on this project to bring jobs and economic prosperity to the area,” said Cllr Hall. “We are already in discussions with a number of local businesses about occupying the site and interest is snowballing as the project progresses.”
“When finished, it will provide modern facilities to accommodate organisations with the relevant skills and expertise to capitalise on future high-profile development projects such as Hinkley C. We want to make Somerset a place where this sort of industry can flourish and this exciting development is a vital component in our plans to do that.”
The project has been part-funded through the Rural Growth Network (RGN), which is an initiative designed to encourage economic growth and enterprise in rural areas. Heart of the South West (HotSW) Local Enterprise Partnership is working in conjunction with Devon and Somerset County Councils on behalf of the RGN.
