Business leaders welcome Whitley funding programme
BUSINESS leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have welcomed the injection of millions of pounds of Government money into a scheme set to create thousands of jobs in the area.
In total, £45m is being pumped into the Whitley South scheme – £35m from the Government and £10m sourced from the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council.
Business Minister Margot James outlined the Government’s vision for the scheme during a visit to Expert Tooling and Automation, based in Coventry.
The money is being spent on road infrastructure to support the development of a new 60-acre enterprise development adjoining Jaguar Land Rover’s head office in Whitley.
The £550m plans focus on a huge expansion of the company’s research and development capabilities together with new facilities for tier one suppliers to the manufacturer.
The scheme could become home to nearly 3,000 highly-skilled engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs.
Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said: “Securing £45m of funding will enable Coventry and Warwickshire to build on the success that has been achieved by our advanced manufacturing sector. It will help create highly-skilled automotive and advanced manufacturing jobs in our area and fund improvements to key transport links.”
The proposals form a key part of the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan for the area.
David Wright, Coventry University’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, was equally enthusiastic about the new funding.
“Coventry is well established as a leader in transport design and this latest news of government investment in enhancing the city’s existing motor industry is very welcome news,” he said.
“As a university we’re committed to supporting Coventry, and indeed Britain, to lead the way in the transport industry with the building of our new National Transport Design Centre to meet the demand for a specialised workforce so the introduction of a new car manufacturing zone will help the country to grow its competitive position internationally in this field.
“We already know that creative skills like car design and modelling will soon be in short supply if an ageing workforce retires without capable graduates and trainees coming through, so it’s critical that facilities and education pathways are in place to encourage more young people to join the industry and take advantage of an enhanced industry.”
