New spacecraft factory will create thousands of jobs
One giant “leap forward” for the UK space industry and a beacon of “manufacturing excellence” for the sector, is how a new multi-million pound factory in Gloucestershire has been described.
Dear readers,
We had a big read planned today courtesy of a friend of The Raikes Journal, Ian Mean - a big interview with the boss of Gloucestershire County Council.
But we’ve chosen to hold that until Monday and run with the story below about a multi million pound investment in the form of a new factory serving the UK’s space industry - right here in Gloucestershire.
It means that parts for future spacecraft and satellites will be made right here in the county. It will ‘transform’ the way they are made, in fact. It’s an investment expected to create a serious amount of jobs and apprenticeships too.
We tried to get comment from Invest in Gloucestershire, the county council’s inward investment team, to get some independent perspective on what looks like a great move for the county, but no one was available.
Best regards,
Andrew Merrell (editor).
The Raikes Journal is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Your briefing notes…
🍽️ Concerns have been raised over a “worrying trend” of restaurant and cafe closures recently in Cheltenham. Cheltenham Borough Council was challenged by Tim Harman at a meeting at the Municipal Offices on Monday (Oct 13). Harman pointed out that in recent weeks a number of restaurants and cafes had closed, including Ask in Montpellier, Ox in Cambray Place, and Cake Alchemist, Domain 16 and The Find in Regent Street. “What steps is the council taking to support businesses of this type in these difficult economic times and to attract new businesses to invest in our town?” More here.
👂🏼 The long-awaited Strategic and Local Plan for Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury is about to seek still more feedback from residents and businesses. According to the councils involved the plan “will set out the most effective way to manage growth and house building for Cheltenham Borough, Gloucester City and Tewkesbury Borough over the next 20 years”. You can take a look at the latest draft ideas and have your say online here. The content will be live until June 2026. The final submission of the plan to government is expected to take place in October/November next year.
🤝 David Henderson has been appointed as the new chair of the Benefact Trust Ltd. and Francois-Xavier Boisseau the new chair of the Benefact Group plc and its subsidiary Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc. Both appointments take effect from 1 January 2026. Boisseau has been a non-executive director with Ecclesiastical since March 2019 and held a number of roles including senior independent director and chair of the risk committee. He will take over the chair role from David Henderson who will then become chair of the Benefact Trust, succeeding Tim Carroll.
⚖️🎊 Gloucestershire legal business WSP Solicitors, which has offices in Stroud and Gloucester, is one of the county law firms celebrating after being featured in the influential Chambers guide to the sector. The firm’s managing director and head of children and care law, Camella Cephas and Beth Evans, director and head of family law, have both been named in the guide, while the family law department also picked up commendations for going ‘above and beyond for their clients. More here.
This weekend...
Friday
Singer Eddi Reader takes to the stage at Stroud Sub Rooms tonight from 7pm. More here.
A night of comedy at The Roses Theatre from 7.30. Comedians Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson bring their Mums’ night out show to the Tewkesbury venue. More here.
Saturday
There is a charity starlight 10k hike in aid of Sue Ryder due to take place from 6pm, starting from Ashley Manor Preparatory School (GL52 6NR).
Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans October Beer Festival. Today from 1pm to 7.30pm at St Philip and St James’s church Grafton Road Cheltenham GL50 2DD.
A performance of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon & Wish You Were Here: Tewkesbury Abbey. 7.30pm to 10pm.
SPORT on Saturday
Gloucester Rugby will be looking for their first league win of the season against Bristol Bears at home tonight. KO is 7.45pm.
Forest Green Rovers FC, second in the National League, play third-placed Carlisle away at 5.30pm.
Gloucester City FC play the team immediately below them in the Southern League - Premier South, Poole Town FC. at home at 3pm.
Cheltenham Town FC will try to lift themselves off the bottom of the Football League Two table when they play second from bottom Newport County away at 3pm.
Sunday
Celebrate Diwali at Dosapark, Cirencester’s South Indian restaurant and enjoy food, music, henna, return gifts and activities. All you can eat buffet. From 2pm to 8.30pm.
Key supporter of The Raikes Journal recognised as one of the UK’s leading law firms
It’s that time of year again when Chambers UK, the leading independent guide to the legal profession, publishes its latest rankings.
We’re delighted to annouce that Willans LLP, which supports this very publication, has advanced up the league tables in the publication - as it also did in the recent Legal 500 edition for 2026 too.
Its agriculture, land and development team - and head of department, Adam Hale - have led the way.
In The Legal 500 UK, the Cheltenham law firm received 46 recommendations in total, with 12 departments recognised for excellence in the South West region.
The guide has also ranked 25 of Willans’ solicitors for their expertise and client service, including Chris Wills, Nigel Whittaker, Paul Gordon and Matthew Clayton who are named “leading partners”, as well as Jenny Hawrot and Nick Southwell who are identified as “next generation partners” for a third year running.
Achieving “leading associate” status once again were Emma Thompson and Charlotte Cowdell, while Hifsa O’Kelly – a key member of the employment law team – was named a “leading associate”.
The Chambers UK guide ranked five of the firm’s departments and nine of its lawyers for their legal skill, insight, and quality of service. Among them are the corporate and commercial, litigation and dispute resolution, real estate, agriculture land and development, and family law teams.
The rise in rankings for the firm’s agriculture, land and development team, comes as Willans is also named official legal partner of Three Counties Agricultural Society, reflecting its commitment to promoting the local rural economy.
A number of Willans’ key lawyers, including corporate and commercial partner Chris Wills, employment law partner Matthew Clayton, litigation and dispute resolution senior partner Paul Gordon, real estate partner Nigel Whittaker and family law partners Sharon Giles and Jonathan Eager all retained their top rankings too.
Employment law partner Jenny Hawrot, who is named “up and coming”, and senior associate solicitor Charlotte Cowdell, rated “star associate”, have retained their exclusive South West rankings respectively.
A massive congratulations!
The Raikes Journal is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Featured upcoming event…
⚖️👩🏽🏫 A special webinar on business immigration and right to work checks is due to be staged by Willans Solicitors on 12 November. The law firm’s event will help you better understand the changes to UKVI guidance and how they impact your business. Topics covered will include recent changes to skilled workers’ visa route, the potential upcoming changes to business immigration law, a guide on how to undertake right to work checks, and an interactive Q&A. More here.
And further into next week and beyond...
The Growth Hub in Tewkesbury is due to stage this workshop by Heather Westgate to help you unlock the power of a cost-effective marketing plan for your business. From 9am until noon on Monday 20 October.
There is a social brunch for start-ups networking session at Stroud Growth Hub due to take place from 9.30am to 11am on Tuesday 21 October.
Gloucestershire Junior Lawyers Division - Halloween Quiz is due to take place on Wednesday 22 October from 7pm to 10.30pm at Storyteller Bar, North Place, Cheltenham.
The Royal Agricultural University is due to stage a public lecture on the urgent need for sustainable farming practices. Due to take place on Wednesday 22 October.
Willans LLP solicitors is due to stage a special seminar - Real Estate unlocked: from lease terms to litigation seminar - on Thurday October 23.
Hub8, the Cheltenham town centre hangout for all things cyber, is staging another of its Cyber Sips networking events on Thursday 23 October from 8.30am.
If you would like an event or dairy date featured, please email me: andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk.
New factory will transform how the UK makes spacecraft
One giant “leap forward” for the UK space industry and a beacon of “manufacturing excellence” for the sector, is how a new multi-million pound factory in Gloucestershire has been described.
By Andrew Merrell.
A new factory in Gloucestershire that will “transform how we make spacecraft” and satellites in the UK has opened its doors, and it’s already been described as “a significant milestone for the UK’s space industry capabilites”.
The manufacturing facility in Hardwicke, just south of Gloucester, is expected to create 2,000 jobs and 150 apprenticeships and was made possible by £4.8 million from the UK Space Agency, £3.3m of match funding and money from the European Space Agency.
The UK Space Agency has gone as far as calling the Advanced Composites Manufacturing Enterprise (which is led by iCOMAT, a spin-out company from the University of Bristol) “world-class”.
And it is a move that makes Gloucestershire a player in a sector estimated to be worth £18.5 billion a year to the UK economy.
The new plant was officially opened this week in front of a guest list including representatives from the UK Space Agency, Orbex (Europe’s leading orbital launch services company), aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, and Thales Alenia Space.
The latter being a joint venture between Thales (67 per cent) and Leonardo (33 per cent), that is described as a global space manufacturer delivering high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures.
Antonia Yendell, head of space ecosystem development at the UK Space Agency, said: “This facility in Gloucestershire will serve as a beacon of UK space manufacturing excellence, supporting everything from satellite production to future space exploration missions.”
She described it as “exactly the kind of innovation and industrial capability we want to see flourishing across the UK space sector”.
“We’re not just supporting revolutionary manufacturing technology – we’re helping to create jobs and positioning the UK as a leader in advanced composite materials for space applications,” added Yendell.
“iCOMAT’s Rapid Tow Shearing technology has the potential to transform how we build spacecraft and satellites, making them lighter, more cost-effective and more sustainable.”
Liz Lloyd, the UK’s Space Minister, said: “The opening of this manufacturing facility is a win for British ingenuity and testament to our commitment to backing our homegrown space sector.
“The innovative technology developed here will support everything from our thriving satellite industry to future deep space missions.”
Dr Evangelos Zympeloudis, CEO and founder of iCOMAT, said: “We are creating opportunities for the space industry to develop more efficient, sustainable vehicles, whilst creating a domestic supply chain and strengthening the UK’s competitive position in the global market.”
According to the UK Space Agency’s press release: “The new 45,000 square foot facility represents a leap forward in composite materials manufacturing for space applications.
“iCOMAT’s innovative Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) technology enables production of structures that are significantly lighter and more cost-effective than traditional manufacturing processes, addressing critical industry demands for weight reduction in spacecraft and satellites.”
Work on the facility, which is located in the Western Gateway region to maximise collaboration with key players in the local space ecosystem, started in 2023.
“The ACMA cluster features two specialised production lines designed to serve multiple space market segments. The 2D-RTS line focuses on manufacturing flat structures and complex shaped components, including satellite panels and solar array substrates.
“Meanwhile, the 3D-RTS production line handles geometrically complex components such as satellite and upper-stage propellant tanks using advanced fibre steering technology on doubly curved parts.
“The facility operates on a manufacturing access basis, allowing end users and customers to benefit from the cutting-edge RTS technology.
“Users can engage with the technology in various ways, from seeking lightweight improvements to existing vehicles to incorporating RTS capabilities into new design concepts,” said the Space Agency.
We approached Invest in Gloucestershire, the county council’s inward investment team, to get some independent perspective on what looks like a great move for the county, but no one was available.
*The Raikes Journal is the only independent news outlet in Gloucestershire approved to use the copy of the BBC local government reporting service.
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