Amazon is meeting resistance in Germany to the arrival of two new distribution centres. The e-tailer wants to expand with locations in Memmingen and Echzell. However, that won't happen overnight.
In Memmingen, Amazon plans to occupy existing premises near an airport. Local leaders of the Greens party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) are suspicious of that intention. The location would only provide jobs for lower-skilled people. And the politicians fear that Amazon wants to use the local airport for its own Prima Air planes. Amazon denies this, but the politicians call it "naive" to take the company's word for it.
Also read: First European air cargo hub for Amazon
Construction freeze
In Echzell, where Amazon is placing a new distribution centre, there is a temporary construction freeze. The court temporarily blocked construction in a case brought by the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz). The property would be too close to a nearby nature reserve. The validity of the building permit issued at the time is now under investigation. Completion of the property was scheduled for July 2021. It is unclear how much the project will now be delayed.
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