ROAD haulage companies have been invited to meet Cricklade's civic leaders as town councillors try and drum up support for a bypass to solve the town's heavy traffic problems.

The town council has invited around 70 different bodies ranging from companies who operate heavy goods vehicles, local businesses and North Swindon MP Michael Wills to a meeting on Friday, January 16.

A campaign, backed by the MP, to stop heavy vehicles using the town as a ratrun has been raging for years.

Mr Wills said: "It is a meeting to explore avenues of funding.

"There are invited guests to that meeting who could be influential in helping Cricklade achieve a southern relief road.

"We don't know where we are going to end up."

The town council has yet to receive response to the invitations, which were sent out before Christ-mas.

But some residents are unhappy that the meeting will be behind closed doors.

Chris Morley, who is from the Cricklade Action Partnership, has been leading a campaign against the heavy traffic for years.

But he has not been invited to give his views at the forthcoming meeting.

He said: "It is typical of the council, they have done all this behind our backs. We have been pressing all this time to find out what's going on.

"It would have been nice if some of the people who have been working for this town were also invited."

Cricklade has been plagued with lorries travelling through Calcutt Street and the High Street on its way to the Chelworth Industrial Estate.

A road linking the A419 to B4553 would mean lorries could avoid the town but the prospect of a bypass seems remote because it is not included in Swindon Council's local plan, which when finished will map out development until 2016.

Mr Wills said: "This has been a long running concern and I would like to pay tribute to the town council for moving this forward."

He added: "In the long term, there is no question the southern relief road would be the answer but that would be very expensive.

"I hope we will explore some of the options for a southern relief road at the meeting."

bvadde@newswilts.co.uk