Coventry City Council is set to invest half a million pounds into the delivery of a car battery factory.
If it is approved, the funding for the West Midlands Gigafactory would go towards planning, surveying, ground investigations, highways, and architectural work, as well as commissioning specialist battery and power supply services.
The £500,000 would also be matched by the council’s joint venture partner, Coventry Airport Ltd.
The council expects the West Midlands Gigafactory to create up to 6,000 new jobs directly, as well as thousands more in the supply chain.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said: ‘Without urgent action, the UK will lose out in the global race to develop batteries at scale. As the heart of the UK automotive sector, Coventry and the West Midlands must be at the very centre of the electrification strategy.
‘The West Midlands Gigafactory is therefore critical to our future economic growth, job creation, and sustainable future. Coventry City Council, along with our private sector partner, has taken the initiative to deliver this national priority which will benefit every corner of the country.
‘The Coventry Airport site is the only available proposed gigafactory location in the UK, which is ready for investment, with planning consent in place, but we must keep up the momentum.
‘Global requirements for battery manufacturing are fast moving. Additional funding will help the West Midlands Gigafactory keep pace and allow us to continue to promote the opportunity on the international stage.’
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