Toyota investment in UK is good news for Deeside and shows commitment to future says local MP
Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami has welcomed Toyota’s £240m in its Burnaston plant near Derby.
The company announced today it is to invest £240m in the plant which produces its Auris and Avensis models.
The Japanese carmaker’s investment means the Derbyshire factory will be upgraded with new equipment, technologies and systems to accommodate production of vehicles on its new global platform.
The investment programme also includes up to £21.3 million support from the UK Government for training, research and development and further enhancements of the plant’s environmental performance
Although the investment is not directly going into the Toyota plant in Deeside, Mark Tami MP has welcomed the announcement as a ‘sign of intent’.
Mark Tami MP said:
Britain needs big companies like Toyota committing their future to Britain.
The investment is a sign of intent that Toyota are committed to producing new models in this country, which is of course great news for the area and the 600 people who work in the engine plant on Deeside Industrial Estate.
I still feel that the UK Government needs to develop a comprehensive strategy for the automotive sector as a whole – that includes tariff-and-barrier free market access between the UK and Europe.
This will mean other manufacturers will feel more secure committing their long-term future to Britain, particularly in light of the Vauxhall takeover.
Toyota invested £7m last in the Deeside engine plant with £700,000 coming from the Welsh Government.
Announcing the investment, Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said:
Our investment demonstrates that, as a company, we are doing all we can to raise the competitiveness of our Burnaston plant in Derbyshire. Continued tariff-and-barrier free market access between the UK and Europe that is predictable and uncomplicated will be vital for future success.
Toyota has launched a global programme to upgrade its manufacturing sites to produce TNGA-based vehicles. By 2020, the majority of Toyota’s global models will be built using TNGA platforms. TNGA already underpins the new, fourth-generation Prius and the all-new, Toyota C-HR crossover, which is built in Turkey, vehicles that epitomise Toyota’s commitment to build ever-better cars for our customers.
