Pharmaceutical giant to build a £350m manufacturing facility in Cumbria.

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that it will build a £350m manufacturing facility in Ulverston, Cumbria.

The pharmaceutical giant will now begin detailed planning and design work and construction at the site is expected to start in 2014 or 2015.

Sir Andrew Witty, chief executive of GlaxkSmithKline, said: “The introduction of the patent box has transformed the way in which we view the UK as a location for new investments, ensuring that the medicines of the future will not only be discovered, but can also continue to be made here in Britain.”

He added: “We are also actively considering other investments in our UK manufacturing network.”

GlaxoSmithKline said it is considering a further £350m investment at the Ulverston site.

It will also make investments in manufacturing capability in Scotland totalling £100m and a further £80m investment in its sites at Ware in Hertfordshire and Barnard Castle in County Durham.