A £2.5bn plan to turn Coventry Airport into a major battery manufacturing hub has secured a crucial planning boost after councillors waved through detailed proposals for the first phase.

Warwick District Council gave unanimous approval for seven manufacturing buildings at the GreenPower Park site, unlocking 4.8m sq ft of industrial space and moving the flagship scheme firmly towards delivery.

The approved units will range from 69,000 sq ft up to a huge 1.5m sq ft, setting up one of the largest advanced manufacturing clusters in the Midlands.

The decision builds on outline consent granted in 2022 for a major battery facility and now provides full detail on building layouts, scale and landscaping.

GreenPower Park is being delivered through a joint venture between Coventry City Council and Rigby Group, with ambitions to create a centre of excellence for battery technology, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

The wider scheme sits within the Coventry & Warwick Investment Zone, where occupiers will benefit from tax breaks including business rates relief, Stamp Duty savings and enhanced national insurance thresholds – a package designed to accelerate inward investment.

The neighbouring UK Battery Industrialisation Centre is expected to play a key role in anchoring the cluster, offering testing and scale-up capability for next-generation battery technologies.

With detailed consent now secured, the focus shifts to infrastructure delivery, site preparation and securing occupiers for the large-format units.