Our Community-first approach
We have had strong support since announcing our investment in Somerset and value our partnership with residents and businesses in the area.
Developing a large-scale project of this nature does impact the community and we take our responsibility of being a good neighbour to the people of Somerset very seriously. Our priority is to maximise the local benefits from our investment, at the same time as minimising disturbance.
From our consultations, we know that traffic, noise and protecting the environment are important to people. Together, in collaboration with our delivery partner Sir Robert McAlpine, we have set out below an approach to managing traffic movements to and from the site, monitoring and managing noise, and protecting the environment during construction of our facility.
This information will be updated as work on site progresses.
Traffic management during development
Construction will follow a 24-hour weekday schedule, with overnight activities restricted to quieter or internal works to ensure residential amenity.
While we aim to keep the impact of vehicles travelling to and from our site as low as possible, we recognise that there will be a natural increase in local traffic volume. Site deliveries will be balanced throughout the day.
There is set to be an estimated average of 200 lorry movements per day associated with the construction of Building One, rising to around 400-450 during peak times.
We anticipate that the large majority of vehicles will access the site via the new roundabout on Enterprise Way. Temporary signage along approach routes will ensure construction traffic is directed away from the local villages.
Sir Robert McAlpine is a CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Community Safety) Champion and encourages all its supply chain partners to adopt the CLOCS standard.
Noise management during development
As we progress with construction, there will be some noise generated. Construction noise limits are set at the British Standard for Noise and Vibration Control on Construction Sites.
Noise is limited from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 1 pm on Saturday. Monitoring will be undertaken by our delivery partner on site and we will work closely with Somerset Council to ensure construction stays within agreed parameters.
Protecting the environment
We are committed to minimising impact on the local environment.
Agratas has developed a Demolition and Construction Environmental Management Plan, which includes measures to mitigate and manage any effect of the construction of our facility on the environment, such as:
- Tracking dust and carbon emissions generated during construction
- Carrying out extensive ecological surveys on site and protecting habitats wherever possible
- Ensuring an Ecological Clerk of Works is on site at all times
- Introducing measures such as wheel washing and damping to prevent the contamination of habitats
Getting in touch
If you would like to get in touch with our team you can email CommunityUK@Agratas.net
Frequently asked questions
Developing a large-scale project of this nature does impact the community and we take our responsibility of being a good neighbour to the people of Somerset very seriously. Our priority is to maximise the local benefits from our investment, at the same time as minimising disturbance.
About Agratas
What is Agratas?
Agratas is Tata Group’s global battery business. We will design, develop, and manufacture high-quality, high-performance, sustainable battery solutions for electric vehicles. We will also look to create batteries for other uses in the future, like energy storage.
What is Agratas building in Somerset?
Agratas is building two brand-new battery manufacturing facilities – one in India and one in Somerset, UK. The facility in Somerset will manufacture batteries for Agratas’ anchor customer, JLR.
This project is set to be one of the biggest of its kind in the UK and by the early 2030s will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the automotive sector, supercharging Britain’s transition to electric mobility.
Where is the UK site?
Our battery manufacturing facility will be built on the Gravity Smart Campus in Somerset, near Bridgwater.
When does construction begin and end?
Onsite test piling is now complete, with piling for Building One expected to commence in the coming weeks, lasting until spring 2025. Production in Building One is scheduled to start in 2026.
Phased construction will see additional buildings developed subsequently, allowing Agratas to ramp-up manufacturing to full capacity by the end of the decade.
Traffic
There is set to be an estimated average of 200 lorry movements per day associated with the construction of Building One. We aim to keep the impact on local roads as low as is practically possible.
Where will the HGVs travel to and from during development, and will they avoid local roads?
Whilst we are still developing our supply chain and sourcing of materials, we anticipate that the large majority of vehicles will access the site via the new roundabout on Enterprise Way.
Temporary signage along approach routes will ensure construction traffic is directed away from local villages.
What hours of the day are HGVs allowed to travel to the Agratas site?
Scheduled deliveries to the site will be balanced throughout the day to reduce any peak hour impacts.
What is being done to improve transport infrastructure?
We intend to deliver a package of transport measures to make it easier to get to the site by all means of travel, and to reduce the impact on the highway network. This includes:
- ● Access to the site via the new roundabout on Enterprise Way
- ● Segregated routes for pedestrians and cyclists
- ● Connection to Puriton-Woolavington pedestrian and cycle route
- ● Shuttle bus services based on shift and location needs
Noise
What limits are there on noise?
As we progress with construction, there will be some noise generated. Construction noise limits are set at the British Standard for Noise and Vibration Control on Construction Sites.
Noise is limited from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 1 pm on Saturday. Monitoring will be undertaken by our delivery partner on site and we will work closely with Somerset Council to ensure construction stays within agreed parameters.
Environment
What is being done to protect the environment in that area?
We have engaged in extensive ecological surveys and work, enabling us to implement landscape and biodiversity proposals. This will meet the required regulations to protect the environment.
Monitoring of construction activity and potential environmental outputs – noise and dust – will also take place. We have plans to link this to the monitoring systems which are already being installed for the operational stage, to enable data collection and reporting through a digital dashboard.
How sustainable will your manufacturing operations be?
Agratas has an Environmental Social Governance Policy that is derived from the UN Sustainability Goals and the Clean & Inclusive Growth Strategy of the LDO. The starting point is to ensure the development is highly sustainable.