MoD announces Donnington as the site for its new logistics base

The base in Donnington currently employs more than 1,000 staff

A new army logistics centre is to be built in Shropshire, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced.

The base will be built next to the existing MoD Donnington facility, in Telford.

It will handle procurement and stock control of food, clothing, general and medical supplies.

Defence minister Philip Dunne, said it was "a bit early" to say how many jobs will be created but the site will be secured "for decades to come".

MoD Donnington already provides logistics support for the army, handling military equipment and weapons.

Telford and Wrekin Council leader, Kuldip Sahota, said: "We've always said the key priority was safeguarding the existing jobs at MoD Donnington but the news that we will get this investment, creating more jobs and growth and approximately £60m a year for the economy is just wonderful."

The base in Donnington currently employs about 1,000 staff.

Other logistics bases

• Bicester, Oxfordshire

• West Moors, Dorset

• Abbey Wood, Bristol

• Kineton, Warwickshire

• St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan

• Longtown, Cumbria

• Longmoor, Hampshire

• Beith, Ayrshire

• Kinnegar, County Down

• Stirling, Stirlingshire

• Ripon, Yorkshire

• Shoeburyness, Essex

• Ashchurch, Gloucestershire

• Ludgershall, Wiltshire

• Gosport, Hampshire

Mr Dunne said it was too early to say what the effect of building the new centre will be on other MoD logistics bases in the UK.

"There will be some concentration of resource at Donnington, so I think we would expect to see the footprint reduce gradually over time at the other bases, certainly at some of the other bigger ones," he said.

"But there will undoubtedly always be need for some stores to kept adjacent to bases, so I don't think it will have a significant effect on many of the others located next to operating bases."

The MoD said it is preparing to sign a contract to reorganise its logistics operation with its preferred bidder, Leidos.