TOYOTA has announced an additional £60 million of investment to double production at its Deeside engine plant. The increase takes Toyota's total investment in the UK to more than £1.1 billion following confirmation that its Burnaston plant will build the new Corolla for European markets.

Burnaston is currently being extended to accommodate new Corolla production, but continuing speculation that the Derbyshire factory could be home to a third model looks increasingly wide of the mark.

The Corolla doesn't come on stream until later next year and the prospect of further upheaval at Burnaston to create facilities for a third model seems an unlikely one. France or possibly Eastern Europe are much more likely locations for Toyota's promised additional plant in the West. The increase in production in the UK will bring Toyota's total workforce to 3,000 and total capacity to 220,000 units a year.