Brno opens the way for Amazon warehouses

Brno councillors on Tuesday approved changes to the city’s local development plan which will enable e-commerce giant Amazon to build a long-disputed distribution centre on the outskirts of Brno. The decision approved by 29 votes out of 55, comes after weeks of controversy and protests from some of the locals regarding the presence of warehouses in relatively close proximity to Brno’s housing estates. In order to facilitate the deal, which is expected to create 1,500 new jobs, the government recently removed a clause banning the use of land being offered to Amazon for warehouses. At the start of April Amazon representatives indicated that they had given up on investing in Brno; however, after talks with the Czech prime minister they said they would reconsider.