Amazon warehouse in Leyland spared as online retailer shuts three UK warehouses

The company said it has launched consultations over the closure of sites in Hemel Hempstead, Doncaster, and Gourock in the west of Scotland.

The online retailer said all workers at the sites will be offered roles at other Amazon locations.

It also revealed plans for two new major fulfilment centres in Peddimore, West Midlands, and Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, which will create 2,500 jobs over the next three years.

Around 500 employees currently work at Amazon’s Hemel Hempstead site, and will all be offered roles at its nearby Dunstable warehouse or other nearby locations.

The consultations will involve around 400 staff at its Doncaster site in Balby Carr Bank, who the company plans to transfer to its two other fulfilment centres at Doncaster’s iPort.

The proposals will also affect around 300 workers currently based at the Gourock site in Scotland.

It is understood these proposals are separate to Amazon’s plan to cut around 18,000 jobs worldwide as part of a drive to cut costs.

A spokesman for the company 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.

“As part of that effort, we may close older sites, enhance existing facilities, or open new sites, and we’ve launched a consultation on the proposed closure of three fulfilment centres in 2023.

“We also plan to open two new fulfilment centres, creating 2,500 new jobs, over the next three years.

“All employees affected by site closure consultations will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other facilities, and we remain committed to our customers, employees, and communities across the UK.”

Amazon in Lancashire

Amazon came to Lancashire in 2015 when it moved into a vast warehouse complex at Lancashire Business Park in Leyland.

It is thought that there are 50 full-time jobs at the warehouse, and that Amazon has more than 200 Amazon drivers operating from the site and delivering parcels across the central Lancashire area.

When asked if Lancashire jobs will be affected by its downsizing, Amazon declined to answer directly, but said that "the Leyland site is a delivery station, so an operations site" - not an area highlighted as being affected by the cuts.

The GMB union which represents Amazon workers told the Post that it wasn't aware of any Lancashire jobs affected by the announcement.

In fact, Amazon appears to have big plans for its warehouse in Leyland.

The online retailer has been granted permission to build a huge new multi-storey car park for it’s fleet of delivery vehicles.

The three-storey car park will be have space for 400 Amazon delivery vans and will be built next to its warehouse at Lancashire Business Park.

You can read our full report here.

New super warehouse to bring 1,000 new jobs to Leyland

Next door to the Amazon warehouse in Leyland, one of the largest warehouses ever built in the North West has been given the go-ahead.

The colossal unit, which will be more than half a mile long and almost a third of a mile wide, was approved by South Ribble Borough Council last year.

The £35m warehouse, on what was once a landfill site for a former Leyland Motors factory nearby, is expected to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the area and generate more than £40m for the local economy.

You can read our full report on Leyland’s new super warehouse here.