Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

They are involved with CPUK at Staverton.

In March 2007 Cereal Partners UK (CPUK) announced a £40m investment in West Wiltshire as part of their restructuring which involved closing their plant at Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire.

Their Staverton plant now concentrate on wheat-based cereal production and a new, purpose built distribution warehouse has been built on the A350 Semington by-pass.

The Staverton site works 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. The number of employees has risen from 100 to 155, and 50 further jobs were created at the Melksham warehouse. Production from the cereal factory in Staverton increased during 2007 and in late October CPUK opened their new distribution centre in Bowerhill, operated by Great Bear Distribution.

The lorries that pass through Hilperton are performing the 'shunt' between the factory and the distribution centre. CPUK is keen to minimise disruption to residents from lorry traffic, and have set up a forum to consult with representatives from the relevant Parish Councils.

Outbound and inbound traffic is split equally between Holt and Staverton/Hilperton. If/when the Hilperton relief road is built, all the traffic will go via that route. The shift supervisor decides whether full lorries will go via Holt or Hilperton, but the former seems to be the preferred direction.