LEP confirms Jaguar Land Rover’s Coventry expansion plans

THOUSANDS of new jobs are set to be created in Coventry Jaguar Land Rover and Coventry City Council formally announced plans to consult on an expansion of its research and development centre at Whitley.

The move confirms speculation yesterday that the car giant is once again set for further UK expansion, with the focus on the traditional home of Jaguar.

The plans focus on a huge expansion of the company’s research and development facilities at Whitley and propose a new campus development covering Jaguar Land Rover’s current site alongside part of a new 60-acre site south of Whitley.  

A planning application to develop the site is expected to be submitted to Coventry City Council and Warwick District Council by February 8.

JLR is expected to take half the 60-acre site with the rest of the site designated for tier one suppliers to the manufacturer.

The announcement comes after months of detailed negotiations between Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and JLR.

The LEP is bidding for a government grant of £40m to build the infrastructure needed to support the expansion – including a new bridge across the A45 to link both sites. This follows on from and is in addition to the £10m worth of government funding for road improvements around Whitley that led to the company announcing £300m expansion plans last year.

The scheme could also mean the creation of 30 acres of open woodland and countryside walks between the Lunt Fort, Baginton and the new campus.

Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, said: “It is hard to over-state the importance of this announcement.

“It will provide new jobs and improved infrastructure and will help cement Coventry and Warwickshire’s place as a global centre of research and development in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector, which is a key economic driver for this area.

“It will also be heartening news for the many companies across the Midlands who have helped Jaguar Land Rover achieve its growth.”

He said the LEP was confident it would secure the funding it needed as the scheme was key to the government’s plan to see the region become the UK’s Engine for Growth.

“We’re confident our bid for the funding needed for the infrastructure will be recognised by the Government as another signal of the LEP’s effective use of public funding on infrastructure projects. These have opened up key sites to allow private industry to deliver investment, growth and jobs,” he added.

“This funding should therefore reinforce Chancellor George Osborne’s recent comments about the strength of this area with the Government recognising the work of the LEP and our partners. At the same time, we are not relaxing, we know there is still plenty more to do to keep driving our local economy forward.”

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