West Midlands luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover was expected to announce a 30 per cent hike in sales today, as it was revealed that building work on its new Wolverhampton engine factory will create up to 600 jobs.

Planning documents for the 800,000 sq ft building at the i54 site in Fordhouses show work on the plant will provide jobs for two years.

Consultants Ancer Spa said: “Given the likely construction cost of some £335 million, following Treasury economic impact convention calculations, this should generate between 500 and 600 full time equivalent construction jobs over a two-year period.”

When the site is open in 2014 there will be 750 permanent jobs with opportunities for engineers and other skilled workers.

Wolverhampton regeneration chief Councillor Peter Bilson added: “This will buoy up the construction industry and lead to new opportunities later on thanks to the skills that people will gain and the apprenticeships that can be offered.”