Business leaders welcome consent for JLR’s latest expansion

BUSINESS leaders have welcomed approval of new plans for a massive expansion of Jaguar Land Rover’s operations in Coventry.

The £550m plans focus on a huge expansion of the company’s research and development facilities at its headquarters and propose a new campus development covering JLR’s current site alongside part of a new 60-acre site south of Whitley.  

The proposals, which could create thousands of new jobs, have been supported by Coventry City Council and it has granted consent for the part of the scheme that lies within its boundaries.

The remainder of the site lies in the Warwick District Council area and they will now go for consideration by that local authority.

Ultimately the plans may get called in by the government due to the development being within the green belt.

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

Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership 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 plans (below) are considered a vital part of the Midlands Engine and will be a test of the Government’s commitment to the vision to see the region become the manufacturing powerhouse the Conservatives want it to be.

Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise PartnershipJonathan Browning (left), chairman of Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, said: “This is extremely positive news for Coventry and Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.
 
“The expansion of Jaguar Land Rover’s research and development centre at Whitley will create new jobs and improved infrastructure and will firmly 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.

“The LEP has played a significant role in pushing through investment in infrastructure to ensure that we are geared up to help our companies achieve their potential.”

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “The fact that Jaguar Land Rover is continuing to expand and invest here is a great testament to everything the sub-region has to offer and will bring further new highly-skilled jobs to the area.

“We have been urging the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire to Go For Growth with our campaign since the start of the year and this news will have a huge, positive impact on our economic growth.”

David Penn, chair of the Coventry branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said it was impossible to overstate JLR’s economic contribution to the area and the knock-on effect this had for the supply chain.

“That said, I do repeat my plea that more land be brought forward for industrial use to help the city and the region accommodate the growth this could bring,” he said.
The layout of the Whitley expansion

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