Telford council seeks £120m loan to house defence base
Around 2,000 jobs are at stake as a Telford & Wrekin Council reveals it aims to invest £120 million to bring an Armed Forces supplies centre to Shropshire.
The council says winning the contract for the Ministry of Defence logistics centre would bring £60m a year to the county.
If the bid is successful, it would see 1,200 local jobs safeguarded, 400 roles created at the base and more than 300 in the supply chain.
The Government is deciding where to locate the country's main logistics hub, which would see equipment and supplies stored and moved to servicemen and women around the globe.
Telford & Wrekin Council is fighting for it to be built at MoD Donnington, where the authority has granted planning permission for a huge expansion.
A cabinet meeting dedicated to the MoD bid will be held on Thursday when members will be asked to approve a plan to borrow up to £120m from Government.
Finance cabinet member Councillor Bill McClements said: "We will do everything in our power to make sure Telford's bid is successful."
He said the stakes were high and Donnington could be at risk of a full or partial closure if it is not successful.
The loan would be used to buy the 56 acres of land next to the existing site and build a 875,000sq ft fulfilment centre, a 200,000sq ft warehouse and a 30,000sq ft, three- storey office building for use as a future logistics headquarters.
It is understood Telford is up against other towns including Bicester for the logistics centre. A decision is likely after August.
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