AROUND 250 jobs are to be created at a new facility being developed by aerospace giant GKN, it was announced today.

Work began today on converting two units at the Western Approach Distribution Park, Severn Beach, to house a £125 million manufacturing facility for the company.

GKN hopes to build a global centre of excellence in composite aircraft wing structures in the South Gloucestershire village, which will start production in January 2010.

GKN Aerospace took over the wing component manufacturing and assemblies of Airbus UK based at Filton last September at a reported cost of £136 million.

Kevin Payne, programme manager for the A350 for GKN, said at the ceremony: "I think today is a really landmark day, not just for GKN but Airbus as well.

"We want to create a global centre of excellence. I think it is something the whole of the UK should be proud of.

"We want to extend the skill set of the Filton workforce and take Filton into the future.

"This isn’t just a nine month project, this is a long term programme of 30 to 40 years."

Despite the recession, this new facility is the biggest single investment GKN has ever made in a project.

GKN had previously said that workers from Filton would be transferred to the new site. But at the ceremony on Tuesday, it was announced that 250 new jobs would be created.

Frank Bamford, senior vice-president for business development and strategy at GKN, said: "This is the largest investment the company has made but we have made many investments in programmes of this kind over the last 10 years.

"We have confidence in the customers and the product to make an investment like this.

"We always planned to base any development around the Filton operation because we want to bring the new training and technology into this region."

The extension of the Filton site at Severn Beach has been welcomed by the existing 1,500 GKN workers and the local Severn Beach community.

Cllr Peter Tyzack, South Gloucestershire councillor for Pilning and Severn Beach, said: "I am very pleased they have chosen Severn Beach. To think we no longer have a warehouse standing empty during a recession is very reassuring.

"I am hopeful that a company of this importance will encourage investment in the region and maybe the new junction on the M49 which we have long asked for."