Amazon to close Milton Keynes fulfilment centre
Amazon is set to close its Prologis Park Marston Gate fulfilment centre which was its first to open in the UK I 1999, just over 25 years ago.
By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters
THE PROPERTY was first opened in 1999 to distribute books. Amazon took the space in two buildings of 229,000 ft2 and a unit known as DC8, totalling 502,864 ft2 in 1999 at Prologis Kingspark Marston Gate as it was then known.
The internet giant said it had begun consultation to close the facility which will impact some 590 employees. Jobs have been offered other sites as well as at the company’s new £500 million fulfilment centre in Northampton which is due to open later this year.
The Amazon sortation centre, which is also located in Milton Keynes and employs 1,100 workers, will be unaffected by the plans.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers.
“Today we’ve announced a consultation on a proposal to close our fulfilment centre in Milton Keynes and to offer employees an opportunity to transfer to our brand-new site in Northampton – a larger, state-of-the-art building which will employ up to 2,000 people – or to other Amazon sites.
“Our top priority is to support our people during this process.”
Amazon announced last year that it was investing some £40 billion in the UK over the next couple of years and this will include the building of four new fulfilment centres. Its new 2.3 million ft2 fulfilment centre in Hull opened at the end of last year and the compnay will be opening its Northampton facility this year.
It is looking to deliver two further fulfilment centres in the East Midlands including one at Caddick’s 4.5 million ft2 EM.EX scheme at Apleyhead junction of the A1 motorway in Nottinghamshire as reported by Logistics Matters at the end of last year. In addition, it is continuing with a programme to provide additional delivery stations over the next three years including facilities in Ely, Stoke and Cardiff.
