Amazon takes shed requirement back on road

Amazon is looking at sites in Knowsley and Deeside for its 1m sq ft Northern distribution centre following the collapse of a deal to locate in Widnes after planning consent was quashed at High Court.

The US online retailer is understood to be considering the former BICC Cables site in Prescot, Knowsley owned by James Industrial and the former RAF Sealand base owned by Praxis Holdings in Deeside, North Wales.

There was speculation that Amazon's requirement would be satisfied by Stobart on a brownfield site at the Mersey Multimodal Gateway in Widnes, next to the contentious greenbelt site that was subject to a judicial review recently. Prologis planned to build a 1.2m sq ft shed for Amazon on the Halton Council-owned greenfield site but Halton did not follow proper procedure around green belt release and public consultation, a judge decided, upholding a challenge by Hale Bank Parish Council.

Agents said Amazon could not agree a price with Stobart and the retailer still wants a major North West presence as soon as possible.