£8M aerospace innovation centre construction continues amid pandemic – Somerset Live
Work on a flagship innovation centre in Yeovil remains on schedule despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Somerset County Council is constructing the iAero Centre on Bunford Lane, which when completed will provide nearly 2,400 sq m of space for research and development to keep the town’s aerospace industry at the cutting edge.
Work on the £8M centre was began by contractor Willmott Dixon in July 2019, with the facility being fully open to the public in 2021.
The council has said work will continue on the site as planned despite the Covid-19 outbreak – so long as Public Health England guidance about social distancing can still be observed.
An update on the centre’s progress came before South Somerset District Council’s area south committee when it met virtually on Wednesday afternoon (April 8).
Joe Walsh, the council’s economic development specialist, said in his written report: “Work started on site in July 2019 and is progressing on schedule.
“Construction of the centre is due to be completed in the summer of 2020, and there will then be a ‘fit out’ stage, with the centre expected to open fully in 2021.
“The county council is working with its partners to define and take forward an operational strategy for the centre, including marketing and pipeline development.”
Just over £3M of the funding for the centre comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the remainder coming from the county council, Leonardo Helicopters and the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The county council said work on the iAero project would continue but “may be subject to delay”.
The same goes for other major building projects which the council is undertaking – including the new primary school in Somerset, the Somerset Energy and Innovation Centre in Bridgwater, and improvements to its own ‘A block’ within County Hall in Taunton.
A spokesman said: “These projects are continuing but may be subject to delays as contractors adapt their working practices to meet current government policy.
“This may change, but the current direction is that construction can continue as long as Public Health England guidance on social distancing is maintained.”