Rolls-Royce (www.rolls-royce.com) looks set to create up to 80 new jobs at its nuclear division in Derby after being given the go-ahead to extend one of its factories.

Earlier this year, the company submitted plans to expand the Primary Component Operations (PCO) building at its Raynesway site, which makes reactor cores for the Royal Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Now, Derby City Council has given the firm the go-ahead to extend the building by almost 50,000ft² — along with permission to construct a four-storey office building and add 200 parking spaces at the site.

The Raynesway site, which has played a key part in the production and maintenance of the UK’s nuclear deterrent for more than 50 years, currently has around 3,000 employees.

The expansion of the site represents another significant investment by Rolls-Royce in Derby. Meanwhile, the firm is looking to build a new £90 million test bed at its civil-aerospace division at Sinfin.

This is part of a £150 million investment package for its East Midlands sites — announced earlier this year — that will safeguard thousands of jobs.