Amazon Launch

The new Amazon Fulfilment Centre near Halbeath is a ringing endorsement of Dunfermline as a desirable location for world-leading businesses.  It brings a welcome bumper boost of jobs just in time for Christmas.

I was delighted to attend the official opening, where First Minister Alex Salmond restated the Scottish Government’s commitment to attracting globally successful companies to Scotland.

The facility itself is most impressive. As the largest Amazon depot in Europe, it matches the size of fourteen East End Parks.  Since workers have to rely on satnav to find their way around this maze, I can only hope theirs is a little more accurate than the one in my car! With the approach of Christmas, the Amazon workforce can expect to fulfil peak orders of up to 27 a second.

Clearly, an enterprise on this scale has an impact on the surrounding area.  Local residents have contacted me with concerns about road safety, privacy and light and noise pollution, among other issues. I have met with residents, Fife Council officers and Amazon, and hope agreements can be reached so everyone wins from the arrival of this giant in Dunfermline.

The above was originally written for Bill’s Dunfermline Press column. This version may vary slightly.