Amazon set to open new depot in Sheffield—“low pay capital of the UK”
By
Danny Richardson
20 February 2018
Global retail conglomerate Amazon is set to further expand its UK investment by opening a “giant fulfilment centre” on the outskirts of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England.
The local Sheffield Star newspaper reported in January that “the US firm is believed to be in discussions with Peel Logistics about taking half of a 48-acre plot situated beside Junction 34 of the M1 and close to the giant Meadowhall shopping centre and transport hub. If the proposal goes ahead it is expected to create 1,000 jobs.”
Amazon has an existing distribution site in Sheffield, which operates as a “last mile depot” delivering Amazon parcels to homes in the Sheffield area. It also operates four recently opened major sites in nearby Doncaster, employing more than 1,000. The newest and largest is on the iport business estate, which opened in time to go into full production for 2017 Christmas deliveries. The iport estate contains 6 million sq. ft. of warehousing and incorporates a 35-acre Rail Freight Intermodal Terminal.
Other occupiers of the iport estate include Fellowes, Ceva and Lidl. The owner of the building housing Amazon’s largest iport operation is the developer Verdion. Speaking about the relationship of Labour Party-run Doncaster council to the big business operations at iport, Verdion’s John Clements said, “It’s gone well here, Doncaster Council is very business friendly.”
Sheffield and its surrounding area was previously a major steel producing region and each of the Amazon “Fulfilment Centres” in South Yorkshire area were built on shuttered steel plants.
Peel Logistics bought up…