New jobs coming to Bridgwater as industrial units near M5 approved

Construction will start in the coming months

Daniel Mumby and Local Democracy Reporter 06:09, 19 Mar 2026

Entrance to the Peninsula 23 Business Park on the A38 Bristol Road in Bridgwater(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

New jobs will be coming to Bridgwater[1] in the coming months after plans for new industrial units near the M5 were approved.

The Peninsular 23 Business Park lies between the River Parrett and the A38 Bristol Road, a stone's throw from the Dunball roundabout which links Bridgwater to junction 23 of the motorway.

The business park is currently home to Monmouth Scientific, which manufactures laboratory equipment, and Willow Somerset[2], which constructs willow furniture along with log baskets and luxury picnic hampers.

Roselea Properties Ltd. put forward plans in January 2025 for two additional buildings within the business park, to be constructed immediately south of the existing premises.

Plans for new industrial units at the Peninsula 23 Business Park on the A38 Bristol Road in Bridgwater(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

Following the conclusion of its GBP10.7m upgrade of the Dunball roundabout, Somerset Council has given these plans the green light - meaning construction will be able to get under way in the coming months.

The larger of the two new buildings will be split into five business units, while the smaller building will contain three units - each of which can be used as office space or for light industrial purposes.

A total of 45 car parking spaces will be provided across the two single-storey buildings, with pedestrians and cyclists being able to access the site using the shared use pavement along Bristol Road.

A spokesman for Carney Sweeney Associates (representing the applicant) said: "There are a series of benefits associated with the proposal that weigh in favour of planning permission being granted.

"These include the creation of additional jobs both within the proposed development[3] and related supply chains, along with on-site landscaping to integrate the development within the site context and contribute to biodiversity net gain.

"This development will promoting and enable a strong, stable and sustainable local economy through investment in a new employment[4] area, and aid the delivery of an allocated site to meet the council's employment requirements."

The Peninsula 23 Business Park is identified as a key commercial site within the Sedgemoor Local Plan, with its location near the motorway being seen as an advantage in securing investment in light of Bridgwater's extensive housing growth.

The site lies on the 'purple route' identified within the Bridgwater local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP), which will eventually run uninterrupted from the town centre to the new gigafactory being constructed at the Gravity enterprise zone between Puriton and Woolavington.

Roselea has not specified how many new jobs could be created through this development, since at this stage no potential tenants have been publicly identified.

The council approved the plans through the delegated powers of its planning officers, rather than a public decision by its planning committee north (which handles major applications within the former Sedgemoor area).

Planning officer G.

Northern said: "The proposed development is a well-considered and policy-compliant scheme that delivers employment floorspace within an allocated site, supports biodiversity objectives, and incorporates robust sustainability and transport measures.

"In terms of visual and landscape impact, the design and scale of the buildings are in keeping with the surrounding industrial context.

"Our highways team has raised no objections, confirming the scheme is acceptable in terms of access, safety, parking, and traffic impact."

References

1. ^ Bridgwater (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
2. ^ Somerset (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
3. ^ development (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
4. ^ employment (www.somersetlive.co.uk)