Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox has praised the hard work of staff at the Morrisons Regional Distribution Centre following a visit to the site last week.
The centre, which operates around the clock supplying Morrisons stores across the entire South West, is a major local employer, with around 650 staff directly employed by the company and a further 350 working with subcontractors. Over 80% of the workforce live within five miles of the site, underlining the importance of the centre to the local economy.
Ashley Fox met with the site’s Site Manager and People Manager to hear about the operation and the challenges faced. He was particularly pleased to see the positive shift in recent years, with the workforce now almost entirely recruited directly by Morrisons. “This is a good local employer doing hard but rewarding work, and it was encouraging to see so many people from the Bridgwater area employed here,” he said.
A spokesperson for Morrisons said "We were delighted to welcome MP Sir Ashley Fox at our site last week, it was a great opportunity to show Ashley around our site and to speak with some of our colleagues. We remain committed to the local community and providing valuable employment opportunities in the area."
Commenting on the visit, Ashley Fox said, “Morrisons’ Bridgwater depot plays a crucial role in supplying the South West and providing hundreds of jobs locally. It was a pleasure to meet the team and hear about the progress they've made in recent years, particularly in moving away from agency labour and towards stable, direct employment. There are challenges, of course, but I was impressed by their focus on staff welfare and their efforts to recruit from the local community. This is a real asset to Bridgwater.”
The visit also touched on wider infrastructure improvements in the area, including upgrades to the Dunball Roundabout and the expanding local cycle network. Ashley Fox stressed the importance of maintaining good transport links to help attract and retain workers, while also being mindful of the impact on neighbouring communities.
