Amazon closing centre catastrophic, says councillor

Amazon's plan to close its first UK centre has been labelled as a "catastrophic decision" by a councillor.

About 600 people worked at the site in Brogborough, Bedfordshire, which opened in 1999, and employees have been offered roles at other locations including a £500m facility being built in Northampton.

Richard Wenham, the leader of the Conservative group at Central Bedfordshire Council, asked at a meeting on 29 January what had been done by the authority "before the company took the catastrophic decision to close".

Adam Zerny, the Independent leader of the council, said there had been "long conversations" with Amazon ahead of its "regretful" decision to close the centre.

Amazon said when it opens the new Northampton building - near junction 15 of the M1 - it will employ about 1,400 people, with that number set to rise to 2,000.

The US-based business said it was "investing £40bn in the UK" between 2025 and 2027, which included four new fulfilment centres and other new delivery stations.

"Does the council leader regret Amazon's decision to move to Northamptonshire and create 2,000 jobs there?" asked Wenham.

Zerny replied: "It was a very important commitment that Amazon made that jobs would be available for pretty much every employee at the new warehouse and base in Northampton.

"Amazon remains a huge employer in central Bedfordshire with more than 2,000 people working at its sites around Dunstable," he added.

The new Amazon building in Northampton is scheduled to open in May.

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