Amazon has revealed plans to shut down its Milton Keynes fulfilment centre at Marston Gate, bringing to an end almost three decades of operations at the online retail giant’s first UK warehouse.
The facility, which opened in 1998, has played a central role in Amazon’s UK expansion and has been a major employer in the area since its launch.
The move will impact 590 members of staff.
The company confirmed on Wednesday it has formally launched a consultation process on the proposed closure of the site.
Workers at the site will be offered the opportunity to relocate to alternative Amazon locations across the country as part of the consultation process.
The Marston Gate warehouse has operated as a major logistics hub, storing, packaging and dispatching millions of products to customers nationwide.
Amazon confirmed that affected employees are being offered roles at the company’s new £500million fulfilment centre in Northampton.
The Northampton site is located around 18 miles from the Milton Keynes facility and is scheduled to become operational in May.
The move would impact 590 members of staff
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Amazon said the new building will feature the company’s latest technology, including thousands of robots designed to support warehouse operations.
The site will also include modern facilities and amenities aimed at improving the working environment for staff.
The Northampton fulfilment centre is expected to initially employ around 1,400 people once it opens.
Amazon said the workforce at the new site could grow to as many as 2,000 employees over time.
Staff who choose not to relocate to Northampton will be able to request transfers to other Amazon fulfilment or logistics centres across the UK.
The company said it is continuing to review options with employees as part of the ongoing consultation.
In terms of staffing levels, the Northampton facility will be significantly larger than the Milton Keynes operation.
Amazon said the new centre will employ nearly four times as many people as the Marston Gate site once fully operational.
A spokesman 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”.
The facility has played a central role in Amazon’s UK expansion
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AMAZON PRESS OFFICE“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”.
Amazon said supporting affected staff remains its priority throughout the consultation and transition period.
A collective consultation process has now formally begun with the 590 employees impacted by the proposed closure.
The company said it will consider all employee feedback and views before making any final decisions on the future of the site.
Amazon confirmed that not all of its Milton Keynes operations will be affected by the announcement.
The company’s separate sortation centre at Magna Park in Milton Keynes will continue to operate as normal.
This facility processes packed parcels arriving from fulfilment centres across the country before organising them into overnight delivery routes.
Around 1,100 people are currently employed at the Magna Park sortation centre, with their roles unaffected by the closure plans.
Parcels handled at Magna Park are then distributed to smaller delivery stations throughout the surrounding region.
Amazon said the continued operation of the sortation centre underlines its ongoing presence in Milton Keynes.
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GETTYThe company also pointed to its wider long-term investment plans in the UK, investing £40billion in the UK between 2025 and 2027.
The investment programme includes the construction of four new fulfilment centres in total, including the Northampton site.
It also covers the development of additional delivery stations across the country as Amazon continues to expand its logistics network.
Amazon said the changes form part of its regular review of operations as it adapts to customer demand and long-term growth plans.
