Aston Martin buys St Athan land for DBX car factory

The Aston Martin DBX was unveiled at Cardiff's civic centre in February

Car maker Aston Martin has bought the land for its new factory in south Wales.

The firm will build its new DBX model at a plant in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, from 2020 and will employ 750 highly-skilled workers.

Work to build reception areas, offices and a staff restaurant has already started at site.

Carwyn Jones said he was delighted the land sale was complete and the firm had chosen to do business in Wales.

• How will the arrival of Aston Martin change St Athan?

The first minister added: "Aston Martin's move here is fantastic news for the Vale of Glamorgan and surrounding areas, and will provide a real boost to the local economy, resulting in thousands of high quality jobs both within Aston Martin and the wider supply chain."

The St Athan site includes the £113m Red Dragon super hangar which was supposed to deliver hundreds of aircraft repair jobs

Aston Martin's chief executive Andy Palmer said: "The exchanging of this contract, giving us first access to the St Athan facility, is a milestone in our 103-year history.

"Work now starts in earnest to turn our plans into reality."

The second phase of work will start next April when the company will gain access to the three Ministry of Defence "super hangars" that will house the new manufacturing plant.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns MP said: "Aston Martin choosing Wales sends a clear message to leading global companies around the world that Wales is open for business.

"We have created the ideal conditions for economic growth, which helped attract this unique and innovative car manufacturer to South Wales. Today's announcement reflects the excellent infrastructure, a world class talent pool and businesses that have the confidence to expand in Wales."