The reported problem is not that Britain has abandoned the factory. It is that a plant designed to anchor domestic battery capacity may arrive later and cost more than first planned, forcing JLR to bridge the gap between its electric model ambitions and its own supplier's readiness.
The contractor story is no longer a simple tale of one builder leaving. The Guardian reported that Agratas had replaced Sir Robert McAlpine with Tonroe Group Ltd, identified in the report as TSL. Construction Enquirer and BDC Magazine also reported that TSL would take over the next phase, while Sir Robert McAlpine said it had completed the first phase and had mutually agreed with Agratas to part ways. Agratas told the Guardian and trade press that the project needed a different construction delivery model for its next stage.
The timing question is sharper. The Guardian reported that Tata had originally targeted a 2026 start date, then pushed the project to 2027, and that the latest internal start date of January 2028 was also understood to be likely to be missed. Construction Enquirer reported that first-phase completion had been pushed from 2026 into 2027 after Agratas redesigned and scaled back the first of three planned production buildings. WEAF, after meeting Agratas in October 2025, said first production was expected in late 2027, with full site completion in the early 2030s.
The public money makes the timetable politically important. The Department for Business and Trade said in April that a GBP380m grant would support Agratas in building one of Europe's largest gigafactories, with 4,200 direct jobs supported and battery cells produced for JLR as anchor customer. The Guardian's April report put the same public funding at GBP380m and said the plant was expected to have 40 GWh of annual battery-cell capacity.
Table: Agratas Somerset gigafactory project markers
| Marker | Reported or stated position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Bridgwater, Somerset | Guardian, UK government |
| Government grant | GBP380m | UK government, Guardian |
| Direct jobs | About 4,200 expected | UK government, Guardian |
| Annual cell capacity | 40 GWh eventually expected | Guardian |
| Contractor handover | Sir Robert McAlpine out after first phase; TSL reported as next construction partner | Guardian, Construction Enquirer, BDC Magazine |
| Construction budget | About GBP800m, with at least GBP500m overrun reported | Guardian |
| Start timing | 2026 target moved into 2027; Guardian reports internal January 2028 date likely to be missed | Guardian, Construction Enquirer, WEAF |