Coventry considers £1m investment to widen GreenPower Park beyond gigafactory plans

Coventry City Council is considering investing up to £1m in a new planning application for GreenPower Park as it looks to broaden the site beyond its original focus on attracting a battery gigafactory.

The council’s Cabinet will consider the investment on 1 September, with joint venture partner Rigby Group expected to provide matching funding.

GreenPower Park is a 308-acre development site at the former Coventry Airport, owned by Coventry City Council but located within Warwick District Council. It is being positioned for advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle and battery technology businesses, alongside research and development and other employment uses.

The site already has outline planning permission for up to 5.7 million sq ft of industrial development. The proposed £1m council investment would fund planning, technical, environmental, legal and commercial work required for a new application aligned with the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan.

The move does not rule out a future gigafactory but would allow GreenPower Park to accommodate a wider range of advanced manufacturing and clean energy businesses.

Cllr Lynnette Kelly, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change said: “GreenPower Park is a major opportunity for Coventry and the wider region. The site has the potential to create good jobs for local people and I want that sooner rather than later.

“Investing in a new application, alongside our joint venture partner, will ensure GreenPower Park aligns with local policy on the provision of employment land, attracting investment and creating good jobs for local people.

“We will be creating a new ecosystem for advanced manufacturing, battery technology and clean energy. The existing permissions remain valid and the vision for the site is the same.

“We are not ruling out a gigafactory – that would be fantastic. But, building on Coventry’s proud motoring and manufacturing heritage this shift will help us to lead the green industrial revolution and deliver for local people so it’s the right thing to do.”

GreenPower Park also forms part of the West Midlands Investment Zone, giving qualifying occupiers access to tax incentives. The West Midlands Combined Authority has committed £23m towards power infrastructure work currently taking place at the site.

TechSparx has previously reported on Coventry’s wider battery technology sector, including the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s investment in new cell cycling and environmental testing equipment. The Coventry facility has been expanding its capabilities to help battery developers test, validate and scale new technologies, adding to the battery and electrification infrastructure surrounding GreenPower Park.

Read more: UKBIC expands battery testing capability in Coventry

If approved by Cabinet, the new GreenPower Park planning application could be submitted later this year and would then be subject to statutory consultation.

Image source: GreenPower Park L-R: Mike Murray and Cllr Lynnette Kelly on site at GreenPower Park.