A long-awaited decision on RAF Cosford’s bid to win a multi-million defence training contract is expected to be announced by the Government on Wednesday.

Cosford is vying with RAF St Athan in South Wales to become the “super-site” for defence training in the United Kingdom.

The decision will mean up to £600 million of Ministry of Defence investment in the winning site and potentially billions of pounds of inward investment in either the West Midlands or South Wales.

RAF Cosford lies in the constituency of Wrekin Tory MP Mark Pritchard, who said this afternoon: “I hope the announcement will bring a major boost for Shropshire and the West Midlands.

“The decision will reveal whether the Government has been objective in its assessment and listened to independent opinions that state that Cosford is best placed to deliver the defence training review contract.”

The news comes as union members at the base consider strike action after rejecting a pay deal offered by the MoD.

More than 87 per cent of workers balloted turned down the offer of a below-inflation pay rise and staff are now voting on a strike proposed for January 31.

Robert O’Harney, Public and Commercial Services Union representative at Cosford, said: “We should have had a pay rise in August and we are still waiting. This gives you a strong indication of how people will be voting at the end of the month.”

The strike ballot, due to end on January 23, is on a range of issues including job cuts, pensions, privatisation of public sector work and relocations of work to other areas.