Amazon will have the chance to open a last mile distribution centre in the centre of London after local authorities approved the conversion of a car park.
The City of London’s Transport and Planning Committee recommended in a new report that 39 spaces in London Wall Car Park be repurposed for use by Amazon Logistics.
Amazon will be required to deliver parcels on foot and by bicycle within a 2km radius, covering the whole of the City of London and other parts of central London. The committee calculated that this will take up to 85 vehicles off the road each day.
Amazon was one of 10 bidders for the hub, with submissions opening in February before being paused until June due to the Covid pandemic.
For the City of London Council, the decision is part of its 25-year Transport Strategy, which aims to deliver a total of five last-mile hubs by 2025. It will provide revenue from an “under-utilised asset”, with the report noting Amazon’s commitment to drive down carbon emissions to net zero by 2040.