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New £32m investment plans for depots welcomed by Exeter MP

Multi-million pound plans to build a new depot in Exeter have been welcomed by city MP Steve Race.

Mr Race was given a briefing on the proposals when he visited an existing site on Sowton Industrial Estate.

NGED’s Yvonne Harris, Tim Lake, MP Steve Race and NGED’s Head of Operations for Devon Lewis Smith.

Currently we operate from two locations at Sowton employing 181 people and are committed to investing £32 million across both sites.

The 11-acre site on Moor Lane will be redeveloped with two new buildings that will provide an energy efficient working environment for operations, vehicle maintenance, logistics, and major projects teams.

The site on Osprey Road will benefit from building fabric improvements and reconfiguration of the central distribution stores that serve the needs of the South West and South Wales electricity network and a rapidly expanding IT team.

The new buildings will be constructed with materials designed to minimise energy consumption and reduce CO² emissions, and will include solar panels, thermal insulation and the latest ventilation and cooling systems.

Mr Race said: “From AI to life sciences and high-tech manufacturing, Exeter’s economy increasingly relies on the availability of large amounts of electricity, and having connections in the right places.

“The South West has a huge role to play in generating that electricity, from solar and district heating centres, to the enormous potential for jobs and inward investment in floating offshore wind off the north and south coast of Devon, that I raised recently in Parliament. National Grid plays an important role in making this a reality, so very I’m pleased that they are choosing to invest in Exeter, expanding their capacity and creating new jobs in a sustainable way.”

Lewis Smith, Head of Operations for Devon, said: “Being located in Exeter is vital for maintaining our distribution network in the area and will play a key role in the future development of the region.

“As we expand as a business in line with our strategic workforce programme, there is a need to invest in our infrastructure. Developing Moor Lane will provide a modern, efficient, safe and pleasant working environment for employees, one that also operates more sustainably.”

As well as stores and workshops at Moor Lane, there will be a new five-bay vehicle maintenance garage to service a fleet of vans, lorries and cars, including a growing number of electric vehicles. Charging points, including fast superchargers, will be installed.

To boost biodiversity, ecologists will advise on the introduction of new native trees and low-level planting around the site’s boundaries, as well as bird and bat boxes.

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