Planners give go-ahead to £2.5bn gigafactory

Plans for a £2.5bn gigfactory at Coventry Airport have moved a step closer after Warwick District Council’s planning committee approved outline plans for the scheme.

Councillors gave nod after a long debate and despite pressure from local campaigners against the loss of Coventry Airport and greenbelt land – as well as the new development’s proximity to residential areas.

The scheme will now go forward to be voted on by Coventry City Council’s planning committee tomorrow (January 13).

Plans for a Gigafactory, which could add £434m in GVA to the regional economy each year and create 6,000 jobs, were submitted by joint venture partners Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd.

The JV says the proposals would deliver 5.7m sq ft of space for both battery production and recycling, would add £434m in GVA to the regional economy each year, as well as create 6,000 new jobs and tens of thousands more in the supply chain.

The proposals also confirm that the Gigafactory will be powered by 100% green energy, using a combination of sources including solar and wind power, as well as grid supplied renewables, and will be able to recycle used batteries as well as build new ones.