Automotive firm gears up for Cheshire East launch

AN automotive specialist is planning to open a design and engineering centre in Cheshire East, creating up to 70 skilled jobs.

HPL Prototypes (HPLP), a Coventry-based company which develops drivable and non-drivable prototypes for vehicle manufacturers, is in talks to acquire land for a new operation on the Redsands site in Wistaston, near Crewe.

HPLP and Cheshire East Council have agreed terms on the sale of 5.5 acres of Redsands, the site of a former children’s centre, next to the junction of the A534 and the A51.

Council leader Michael Jones said the authority had already been working closely with the company to help it establish an operation in the area.

“We are delighted that HPLP has identified Cheshire East as the right location to expand,” he said.
 
“There are impressed by the strong competitive advantages and track record of Cheshire East for its skilled workforce, existing business base, entrepreneurial spirit, quality of life and its national, regional and local infrastructure.

“HPLP’s arrival would create a platform to attract further investment from the automotive supply chain.”

HPLP hopes to employ more than 70 skilled design engineers at the new operation and has indicated that it is keen to work with local educational providers, including the proposed university technical college in Crewe, on a training programme to develop the design engineers of the future.
 
The sale of the land at Redsands is subject to planning permission and proof of funding.