Amazon's Biggleswade Warehouse Plans Spark Traffic Concerns

A planned Amazon Robotics Sortable (ARS) fulfilment centre in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire is set to create about 2,000 jobs, but a local councillor has expressed concerns over its potential impact on the town's road network.

The facility, which will be positioned next to the A1 and have an internal footprint of approximately 1.4 million sq ft, is part of Amazon's plans for Symmetry Park on Stratton Business Park.

Grant Fage, a Conservative councillor for Biggleswade East, said the application would have 'huge impacts' on the town, both positively in terms of job creation and negatively due to its effects on traffic. He noted that Amazon's proposal includes making changes to the A1 south roundabout, including installing traffic lights on approaches from the north and south.

The councillor stated that this could lead to queuing traffic as vehicle movement would not be free-flowing, which he described as a 'step backwards'. The decision on the project is set for November 18th. Amazon has said it chose Biggleswade because of its access to a 'highly skilled labour market', which is essential for operating and maintaining advanced robotics and automation systems.