PART of a £65.2million Government bounty will be put towards the development of a new enterprise zone near Burnham.

The Huntspill Energy Park, a 90-hectare site on a former BAE munitions site, was named in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement as one of two locations in the South West which will benefit from the multi-million pound investment.

The park, which received planning permission in 2012, will take a step closer to becoming a reality thanks to the significant financial backing, with plans to include distribution, energy generation, office space and manufacturing bases within the site.

Councillor Duncan McGinty, Sedgemoor District Council leader, said the project is expected to help bring new companies and jobs to the area, a view echoed by the area’s district councillor Bob Filmer.

Cllr Filmer said: “There are infrastructure costs for decontamination of the old site, and one of the most important aspects is the new roads to make sure they do not disturb the villages.

“With this investment, it means the costs can be tackled up-front and hopefully means there will be jobs and businesses created at the site in a reasonable timescale.

“When the zone is up and running, it should provide a large number of jobs for the area which is great news.”