Amazon is set to close its fulfilment centre at Marston Gate in Bedfordshire, raising concerns among workers and unions about the impact on jobs and the practicality of relocating staff to alternative sites.
The GMB union said it had been informed of Amazon’s plans and warned that any move to transfer employees elsewhere could prove difficult for some of its members, particularly those with family and caring responsibilities rooted in the local area.
The Marston Gate site has been a significant employer in the region, and the announcement is expected to affect staff who have built their working lives around the facility’s location and shift patterns. While Amazon has indicated that employees could be offered opportunities at other locations, the scale of disruption remains unclear.
Amazon has suggested that staff may be able to move to other operations, including a new facility currently being built in Northampton. However, the union said relocation options may not be workable for all employees, especially those without access to transport or those who rely on predictable commuting times.
GMB Regional Organiser Mick Lancaster said the closure decision may appear straightforward from a corporate perspective, but the consequences for workers could be far more complex.
“The decision to close a depot may be a simple one for the likes of Amazon, but the decisions our members face over the coming months won’t be so easy,” he said.
He added that many workers have structured their employment around responsibilities outside of work, which could make a transfer to another site difficult.
“We know many of our members live in the local area and have planned work around caring responsibilities and other family commitments,” Lancaster said.
The union said it would be supporting members during the process and engaging with Amazon as details of the closure plan emerge.
“GMB is committed to working with and supporting its members through these uncertain times,” Lancaster said.
The closure plans come at a time when large employers across the UK logistics and warehousing sector are continuing to review their operational footprints, balancing efficiency, automation and distribution requirements with the needs of their workforces. Amazon has invested heavily in its UK network over recent years, expanding capacity and developing new sites, but has also adjusted operations in line with changing demand and productivity targets.
For employees at Marston Gate, the immediate concern is how quickly the closure will be implemented and what support will be offered to those unable to relocate. While transfers to nearby sites may be an option for some, travel time and cost can represent a significant barrier for workers on warehouse wages, particularly in households already facing pressure from higher living costs.
The mention of a new Northampton facility indicates Amazon may be looking to consolidate or modernise parts of its network. However, for Bedfordshire-based staff, a move to Northampton could add substantial commuting time, creating challenges for parents and carers who depend on proximity to home and flexible scheduling.
GMB’s response suggests it expects difficult conversations ahead, including whether workers will be offered redundancy terms, retraining support, or guaranteed roles at alternative sites on the same pay and conditions. The union has not set out how many members it represents at the Marston Gate facility, and Amazon has not provided a timeline for closure in the information released so far.
The coming months are likely to bring greater scrutiny of Amazon’s consultation process and the measures it puts in place to minimise disruption. Unions typically push for clear commitments on redeployment, compensation, and support for those who cannot transfer, particularly when a closure affects workers with long service or limited alternatives in the local labour market.
For now, the announcement leaves staff facing uncertainty as they weigh up their options. GMB said it will remain engaged with members and continue to press for assurances that employees will be treated fairly as the closure plans progress.
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