The government is fully behind plans for a gigafactory in Coventry which will be key for long-term jobs, a senior minister has said.

Minister without Portfolio Richard Holden also hailed a planned investment zone which will cover the gigafactory area and is set to launch in spring.

The zones aim to "catalyse the private sector" according to the government.

In the West Midlands it includes a Coventry-Warwickshire 'Gigapark' at the airport in Baginton and nearby employment land, on the city boundary.

Within this is the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (BIC) and Mr Holden visited the area yesterday (January 18.)

Speaking outside the BIC, the Conservative party chairman highlighted its research and said of the zone area: "This is going to be the future of business in this part of the region."

He referred to "big support" for the planned gigafactory and a similar project in Sunderland which recently got investment from Nissan.

"This obviously for JLR, and the other big producers down here of cars in the UK [is] absolutely fundamentally important," he added.

"Not just in terms of jobs now, but long term as well, and I think that's the most important thing is it's got that long-term skills and jobs buy-in which is part of that bigger plan for growth."

Conservative Chairman Richard Holden MP with Coventry MP candidates Tom Mercer (L) and Mattie Heaven (R) (Image: Conservatives)

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked if the government is pledging money to get the gigafactory off the starting blocks as Labour has done.

He said: "My understanding is that there is already government support there through various different means.

"I don't know whether it will just be cash or whether it will be credit guarantees, but the government is full square behind this."

"I can't put a figure on it, I think that would be unwise at this stage. But it's right that we get the support in there," he added.

Support is not just financial but also around developing infrastructure and skills and training, Mr Holden said.

"I think one of the biggest and best things we've seen over the last few years is first class apprenticeships really returning to the country," he told the LDRS.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street will get adult skills investment devolved to him in the next package of devolution, he added.

The new investment zone will cover two other sites in the West Midlands and get £160 million of government funding across the next 10 years.

It will be delivered by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) which says the zone would have "the power to drive up to £5.5bn of growth across the region and 30,000 new jobs."

The site in Coventry will have perks like tax breaks, funding for infrastructure such as roads and power and keep millions of pounds worth of business rates over the next 25 years.

The wider zone will be finalised in the spring statement and launch in April according to Coventry council papers from this week.

Mr Holden also confirmed the party had chosen its candidate for Coventry North West, which was one of the most closely-run seats in the UK in 2019.

Tom Mercer will be running for the seat, while city councillor Mattie Heaven will be going for Coventry South.