Work on the new Premier Inn hotel at Bridgwater Gateway – currently being marketed by global real estate advisor Colliers International – is now complete thanks to the combined efforts of several local businesses.
During the building of the 100-bed hotel by main contractors Carter Lauren, numerous local sub-contractor companies have been involved, together with labourers employed directly from the local area, including Hopkins Concrete, Roberts Skips, Somerset Carpenters and RJD Bricklaying, all based in Bridgwater, and Premier Fencing, based in nearby Cheddar.
Around 30 jobs will be created at the new Premier Inn, which is located on one of the prime road frontage plots on the £150 million, 100-acre Bridgwater Gateway scheme.
Located adjacent to junction 24 of the M5, Bridgwater Gateway is the newest business park development on the M5 corridor. The first phase of the mixed-use development will feature a range of new office and commercial buildings, together with a new 150-bed, four-star hotel with conference facilities, in addition to the Premier Inn.
Phil Wade, Development Manager for Bridgwater Gateway, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support so many local businesses during the construction of the Premier Inn, and to use the existing talent in the area.
“In addition, the local branches of Jewsons, Travis Perkins, Screwfix and Worsley have been kept busy, not to mention the boost to local cafes, bakeries and sandwich shops that has resulted from almost 100 workers being on site during the construction process.
“The building of the business park will provide a major boost to the local economy during its construction, as well as leaving a legacy of creating new jobs into the future.”
Steve Leahy, Chairman of Bridgwater Chamber of Commerce, has been operating a “Supply the Supplier” scheme during the construction of the hotel.
He said: “Although the local labour force understands that companies such as Premier Inn Whitbread have their own preferred tier one contractors, they have been able to react to smaller parts of the contract, step up and deliver, ensuring that both the project got delivered on time and that a share of the build fees went to local labour.
“With a local labour force primarily made up of SME and micro businesses, it’s a breath of fresh air dealing with projects such as Bridgwater Gateway, which truly ‘get’ the need and indeed the benefits of engaging with local companies.”
Tim Davies, head of the South West and Wales at Colliers International, which is property agent for the scheme, said: “This Premier Inn hotel will help to meet the huge demand for rooms in and around Bridgwater which is being created by the construction of Hinkley Point C power station and the proximity of Bristol Airport.”
Meanwhile Devon Contractors, based at Clyst St. Mary near Exeter, have recently been appointed to build five 5,000 sq ft speculative industrial units at Bridgwater Gateway, with a view to completion by Christmas 2019.
Premier Inn, part of the Whitbread chain, is the UK’s biggest hotel brand and is consistently rated the UK’s Best Value Hotel Chain by YouGov. It has over 750 hotels with 70,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland, offering king-sized beds, ensuite bathrooms, and TVs with Freeview and Wi-Fi.
