Earlier this year Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) lodged a retrospective application to build a new parts warehouse at their their existing i54 manufacturing plant in order to provide a new parts set-down area. The 700 square metre structure was built without planning permission in October 2024, according to documents submitted to the planning authority. However the firm said the development demonstrated JLR’s "significant investment in the economic prosperity of the site for the future." The scheme is one of three linked developments at the site, which the planning proposal says is part of a site wide effort at the JLR Wolverhampton plant to move towards an all-electric manufacturing facility. "Without this structure, the parts would be at risk of damage from poor weather conditions, which would have adverse effects on the efficiency of JLR’s wider manufacturing processes and generate substantial, unnecessary costs," the firm said in their application. In 2023, the firm announced a £15billion global investment in and electrification scheme which said JLR's Wolverhampton site would be transformed from a traditional combusion engine building facility into a hub for producing electric motors for the firm's future EV models. The Wolverhampton facility, formerly known as the Engine Manufacturing Centre, will produce electric drive units and battery packs used in JLR's electric vehicles in line with the firm's aim of becoming an "electric‑first, modern luxury carmaker" by the year 2030. The company also plans to be net-zero across its supply chain, products, and operations by 2039, it says. "The structure is appropriately scaled and designed to reflect the existing industrial context, with no adverse impact on visual amenity, layout, or the character of the surrounding area," said a report by the planning officer. "The nature of the use, combined with the absence of any increase in staffing or changes to access arrangements, ensures there are no highway safety concerns." The application and associated documents can be viewed online using the South Staffordshire planning portal under reference: 25/00499/FUL