THE international online retailer Amazon has officially opened its Darlington Fulfilment Centre almost two years after construction on the enormous site first began.

Amazon today (May 11) announced that its first fulfilment centre to be built in the North-East had officially opened its doors with its very first orders shipped to customers in the region.

The site, which has been built at the newly-created Symmetry Park, had previously been described as Darlington's "worst kept secret" as Amazon kept its plans firmly under wraps.

The Northern Echo:

Amazon signs went towards the end of last year Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

And although ground on the 94-acre site broke in July 2018, it was not until December last year, that Amazon revealed it was coming to Darlington along with 1,000 permanent jobs.

Welcoming the site, Councillor Heather Scott, leader of Darlington Borough Council, described the opening as a "milestone" for the town and hinted at further growth spurred by the retailer.

She said: “This is a milestone moment for Darlington and we welcome Amazon to our town.

"The arrival of good quality, permanent jobs is positive at any time, but during a crisis such as this they are doubly important.

"An investment on the scale of Amazon’s in Darlington is reflective of our wider economic goals for the town and we’re confident that this new site can be a catalyst for further growth."

The Northern Echo:

Amazon in Darlington employs more than 1,000 people Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Amazon said the Darlington site is fitted out with advanced Amazon Robotics technology.

The robots slide under a tower of shelves where products are stowed, lift the product and move it through the fulfilment centre - before being despatched.

Prashant Pandey, Site Leader at Amazon Darlington, said: “I am delighted to welcome our new team in Darlington to launch Amazon’s first fulfilment centre in the North East of England.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the critical role our teams are serving at this time by enabling people to stay safe at home while receiving the products they need.

"Darlington is a fantastic location for Amazon and we’re really excited to serve communities in the North East and across the world.”

The Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who previously said he had received a guarantee over higher pay and permanent contracts at Amazon, said he was 'excited' that the site was open for business.

He said: “It is a huge vote of confidence in the Tees Valley that the biggest online retailer in the world has chosen us for its latest investment.

"The new fulfilment centre is massive for Darlington and the wider region, not just because of the initial 1,000 permanent jobs the company is creating.

"But also the plans for all the development on the surrounding land, which have now been granted planning permission and are just as exciting and bound to create even more jobs. 

The Northern Echo:

The site while under construction at Symmetry Park Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

“We may be in unusual and difficult times at present because of the coronavirus pandemic, but that shouldn’t hide what a hugely significant moment it is for our region that Amazon’s Darlington distribution centre is now operational.

"I am excited that this day has finally come. I want to see good quality, well-paid jobs come to our region and they don’t come much bigger than Amazon.”

'We're keeping colleagues safe'

The opening of Amazon comes after The Northern Echo revealed concerns over the safety of contract workers during the coronavirus outbreak had been raised in the last few weeks.

Amazon said its Darlington site would be implementing 'a series of preventative health measures' to keep its employees, partners and customers safe from coronavirus.

It said: "With guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), we've implemented a series of preventative health measures at our sites around the world to help keep our employees, partners, and customers safe.

"These include increasing the frequency and intensity of cleaning, introducing the two-metre distancing rule for all parts of the operation, staggering shift start, finish and break times, and providing hand sanitiser stations and reminders on hand-washing.

"We’ve made face masks available to our employees and drivers, implemented temperature checks at our sites and our deliveries are contact-free.

"Any Amazon employee diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine will receive up to two weeks’ of additional paid time off, so they can get healthy without worrying about lost income."

Michal Kupczyk, team lead at Amazon Darlington, said: “I feel proud to come to work every day knowing that not only am I developing personally, I am helping to develop those around me while working in a safe environment.

"I am proud that I am helping deliver essential items to key workers and getting every shipment out the door on time has never been more important. This year will truly be memorable for me and my team and I thank Amazon for bringing us together in these tough times.”