When plans for a distribution centre in Barnwood were approved last year by Gloucester City Council, details of its occupier remained under tight wraps.

But now, ecommerce giant Amazon's delivery arm 'Amazon Logistics' has announced that it will be owner of the purpose-built facility on a 5.3-hectare plot of land adjacent to the Unilever factory and Premier Inn Hotel at Centre Severn in Barnwood.

Groundworks contractor Wordsworth Excavations has already started transforming the site at Centre Severn, into a storage and distribution centre, with associated offices, yards, 183 car parking spaces, multi-storey van storage deck and HGV parking facilities.

The 11,000 square metre (118,000 sq ft) building is expected to be fully operational this autumn, and will serve customers based in the Gloucester area.

Amazon said the delivery station will power the last mile of its order process and help speed up deliveries for customers. Packages are shipped to a delivery station from neighbouring Amazon fulfilment and sortation centres, loaded into delivery vehicles and delivered to customers.

Kerry-Anne Lawlor, country director for Amazon Logistics, said: "We are excited to invest in the Gloucester area with a new delivery station that will provide efficient delivery for customers, and create new jobs for the talented workforce."

It is said the new site will create around 20 permanent jobs, in addition over 90 driver opportunities for Amazon Logistics' delivery service partners and Amazon Flex delivery partners.