John Clark Motor Group is investing £6 million into a new-build Land Rover dealership in Edinburgh as it prepares to take over the brand franchise for the whole of Edinburgh and the Lothians from Pendragon at the end of this year.

The new dealership is to be developed on a 3.45-acre site alongside the M9.

Work will start at the end of June, with the new dealership scheduled to open in January 2012.

Extending to 30,000 square feet, the new Pentland Land Rover premises will provide more space than the existing dealership.

There will be a 12-vehicle new car showroom, 14-bay workshop and extensive used car and customer parking.

The move will create about 20 new jobs, with further opportunities as the business develops.

John Clark, chairman and managing director, said: “The expansion is the latest stage in our commitment to Edinburgh and our investment of £6m in this new dealership underlines our confidence in the future strength of this market and the Land Rover franchise.

“We opened Pentland Land Rover in 1998 with the franchise for the west of Edinburgh and have seen considerable growth in our business.”

Pentland Land Rover will officially take over the extended Land Rover franchise on January 1, 2012.

The group plans to open a satellite Land Rover authorised repairer to cover the eastern part of Edinburgh in early 2012.