The decommissioning of runway operations paves the way for the new £2.5 billion centre of excellence for battery technology, advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

A public-private joint venture between Coventry City Council and Rigby Group, GreenPower Park has planning permission for up to seven manufacturing facilities, ranging from 69,000 sq ft to 1.5m sq ft. 

Mike Murray, project director for GreenPower Park, said: “The closure of the Airport is a major milestone as we transition the site to a major manufacturing hub, with the potential to generate around 6,000 jobs.”

Work on preparing the site for development was set to start on June 12.

This includes infrastructure and environmental mitigation works. A new electrical substation, funded by a £23 million grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority, is also being installed. This will provide a dedicated source of power supplied by National Grid from exclusively renewable resources.