Plans for Coventry Airport 'gigafactory' backed

Hundreds of objections have been lodged against the plans

Plans for a huge electric car battery factory at Coventry Airport have been given the go-ahead by the local authority.

The proposals, which would see the airport close, claim that the new plant would create up to 6,000 new jobs.

Campaigners say losing the site would cause "irreparable damage" to businesses who use it.

Backed by Warwick District Council on Tuesday, the bid still needs backing from a car company and government.

Access designs also needs approval from planners at Coventry City Council.

Hundreds of objections have been lodged against the plans including from parish councils, CPRE, the countryside charity and a cross-party parliamentary group which is designed to promote general aviation.

Their concerns include the impact on the green belt, the scale of the development and the loss of the airfield.

But the plans have also been supported by local MPs, unions and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

More than 20 businesses are based at the airfield including flying schools and aircraft maintenance firms

The blueprint has been put forward by Coventry Airport Ltd and Coventry City Council.

The facility would manufacture electric car batteries seen as key to the industry as car manufacturers, including JLR, move to producing electric vehicles.

Following Tuesday's decision, Sky Harbour UK Limited, a specialist aviation and aerospace consultancy based at the airport, said by "ignoring the objections of the Civil Aviation Authority, the All Party Parliamentary Group and Royal Mail, a dangerous precedent has been set, nationally".

It added a "green Light" had been given to speculative property developers "who control the nation's airports".