Coca-Cola to close two UK sites with the loss of almost 300 jobs

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has announced today it will close two UK facilities: its manufacturing site in Milton Keynes and its distribution centre in Northampton.

The company said that if the planned closures go ahead, the sites will shut in 2019, with 288 jobs at risk.

The Milton Keynes plant has been in operation for over 40 years, producing beverages such as Lilt, Fanta, Dr Pepper and Relentless.

In a statement, CCEP said: “We are proud of our longstanding links with both towns and have not made these proposals lightly. However, we believe the proposed changes are necessary as they would provide significant productivity improvements and create greater efficiency across our manufacturing and distribution operations in Great Britain.”

The company has proposed the transfer of production to other UK sites and said it expects to create 121 additional roles across its manufacturing and distribution networks, providing potential redeployment opportunities for impacted colleagues.

The news comes just seven months after CCEP announced a £39 million investment to triple the storage capacity at its Greater London facility. The company said the funding will allow all manufactured products to be delivered to customers directly, saving around 10,800 road miles by HGV trucks.

In 2016, CCEP spent £2.3 million in its manufacturing site in East Kilbride, Scotland, which funded the development of a new water treatment plant, as well as the modernisation of wider infrastructure at the factory.

Earlier this month, Coca-Cola announced it will shrink its 1.75-litre bottles and raise prices in the UK in response to the upcoming UK sugar tax.