A £10m access road will be created to support the new Aston Martin car plant that is due to be built in South Wales.
The luxury car maker announced today that it had chosen St Athan ahead of 20 other sites worldwide as the location for the plant in a deal said to be worth “hundreds of millions of pounds”.
Aston Martin will build its new luxury DBX crossover vehicle solely at the plant, creating 750 high-skilled jobs and supporting a further 1,000 jobs in the supply chain.
Work on the factory, which will be based in a ‘super hangar’ at St Athan, will start in 2017 and production is scheduled to follow in 2020. The company is also planning to develop a skills academy at the site and make it a centre of excellence.
While the Welsh Government is not revealing the exact figures involved in the deal, the Cardiffian has learnt that around £10m will be spent on building a new access road in St Athan.
This will boost the area as an enterprise zone and it is expected that a further 4,000 jobs will be supported by the development.
The Aston Martin plant will be the first new car manufacturing facility in Wales for over 50 years.
The new car, which will be a 4×4 style crossover vehicle, was unveiled at last year’s Geneva Motor Show and is expected to cost around £160,000.
This morning First Minister Carwyn Jones and Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer held a press conference in Cathays Park alongside the famous Aston Martin DB5.
The car was used by James Bond in several films including its first appearance in Goldfinger in 1964 before returning in Thunderball and making key appearances in the most recent films, Skyfall and Spectre.
Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb said: “Today’s announcement is an enormous boost for St Athan, for Wales and for the British car industry.
“It is a genuine example of a ‘one nation’ achievement, with both the UK and Welsh Governments working together to attract this prestige manufacturer to Welsh shores.
“This decision has reinforced Wales’ position as an innovator and leader in the automotive sector.
“It also shows the strength and competitiveness of our manufacturing sector and the high-end skills base that is driving our economy forward.”
In addition, Aston Martin also announced that it was planning to bring more work and create more jobs at the company’s factory headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “Aston Martin is an iconic British brand and the decision to invest here shows real confidence in our economy.
“With our economic strengths and easy access to European markets, the UK automotive sector is thriving.
“It is one of the biggest in Europe – and the most productive – and Aston’s creation of up to 1,000 new jobs in Wales and the West Midlands is welcome news.”
