Welcome
This page provides information on our plans for an Electric Forecourt® in Nevendon.
Nevendon is leading the charge
GRIDSERVE has agreed planning permissions to build and operate an Electric Forecourt® in Nevendon, located off the A132 (Nevendon Road) and just north of the A127 Nevendon Flyover (SS12 0FH). With construction planned for 2024/2025, this will be the second Electric Forecourt® facility in Essex, firmly placing the county at the forefront of the UK’s decarbonisation agenda.
The proposal will provide a new world-class facility for high speed and rapid electric vehicle charging, powered by 100% renewable energy. It will help the UK’s transition to electric vehicles, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. The proposal will also create new jobs and put Basildon on the map for new green technologies.
Who is GRIDSERVE
GRIDSERVE® is a tech-enabled international sustainable energy business. We develop, build, own and operate dependable, low cost, clean energy solutions for critical power infrastructure. To help reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible, we #deliver net zero carbon solutions for power and transport which are designed to be better and less expensive than legacy solutions. With this project, we intend to continue our tech-enabled 'sun to wheel' infrastructure to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
The Site
The site of the proposed Electric Forecourt® is located on Nevendon Road, south of Wickford Town and to the north of the A127 Nevendon Flyover. Access to the site will be taken from Nevendon Road and the point of connection to the grid is to the north east of the site.
The site is currently used for agricultural purposes and our proposal will include new areas of landscaping and tree planting. An area to the east of the main site would be used for battery storage. The site of the proposed Electric Forecourt® is 2.79 acres and 3.34 acres including the access road.
The Proposed Electric Forecourt®
GRIDSERVE has carefully considered the feasibility of an Electric Forecourt® on the site and carried out a detailed site analysis. This analysis has considered environmental and planning designations, proximity to major roads and residential areas, existing screening, topography, the grid connection point, capacity in the local electricity grid and availability of electric vehicle charging facilities in the local area.
An Electric Forecourt® is the new generation of filling station designed to meet the demands of the electric vehicle market. The concept was conceived through extensive research into the limitations and frustrations with existing charging infrastructure and with 36 rapid and high power charging points, it will future-proof Nevendon and Basildon for the transition to green transport.
View the first GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt® in Braintree, Essex.
The Nevendon area currently has only 18 electric vehicle rapid charging points in six locations which will not meet both current and forecasted demand for electric vehicle drivers.
The Nevendon Electric Forecourt® will provide 36 new rapid and high power charging points making a significant contribution to local electric vehicle infrastructure and support passing traffic on the A132 and A127.
It will be a clean and green development that aligns with Local and National support for electrifying transportation to reduce carbon emissions.
- Potential to charge up to 36 vehicles at high speed simultaneously
- A scheme that will enable people to transition to electric mobility and contribute to improvements to local air quality
- The use of 100% renewable energy to help with the transition to a net zero carbon economy
- On-site solar generation to power the amenities building
- A pedestrian friendly, relaxing dwell time environment to ensure customers can make best use of their charging time
- The creation of at least nine new, full-time jobs in a growing sector of the economy
Features of an Electric Forecourt®
Electric Forecourts® support the transition to electric vehicles and future-proof communities to meet the UK’s net zero carbon goals.
The electric vehicle charging spaces will focus on the fastest vehicle charging capability with charging provision for different vehicle types, including charging provision for contracted fleet vehicles. GRIDSERVE rapid and high power charging solutions will address the needs of mass market electric vehicle drivers.
The Nevendon site includes a pedestrian friendly environment with external walking routes and a covered walkway that connects charging spaces to the second floor of the building. Within the hub building the forecourt will be supported by a range of ancillary facilities, designed to maximise the experience of charging and optimise the use of the associated dwell time.
- Lounge-space for people to relax whilst charging their vehicle
- Food and beverage, including convenience retail and small-scale coffee shop
- Toilet facilities and wellbeing area
- Free high speed Wi-Fi and meeting pods
- An electric vehicle education service
- A children’s play area
Key Development Principles
- A modular design that is scalable and can largely be developed off-site
- Ease of access from the highway network
- Sensitive landscape design and
additional native tree planting - Minimal land-take through an efficient use of the site
- A green, clean and high-quality customer environment with ancillary facilities and services
- Use of permeable surfaces wherever possible
“The proposed design has been developed around a number of key principles to ensure environmental harmony and ongoing sustainable principles are met.”
- Raoul Tuffnell, Chief Development Officer at GRIDSERVE.
Transport
The Electric Forecourt® will not be a significant trip generator and will instead be used mainly by cars already on the network. There will therefore be limited impact on local traffic levels. A Transport Assessment will form part of the planning application. This will assess the capacity at local junctions, including the A132 and A127.
Ecology
Biodiversity and tree planting initiatives are an important consideration in all GRIDSERVE development projects. As such, the site will be supplied by net zero carbon energy from solar farms and achieving net biodiversity gains is a central focus.
Ecology surveys are currently being undertaken to assess the ecological value of the site and deliver these gains. The planning proposal will take these into account and deliver new landscaping with wildflower meadows and a living green wall to improve the ecological value of the site.
Flood Risk
The site is situated predominately in ‘Flood Zone 1’ which is an area of land with the least probability of flooding. A Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy will be submitted as part of the planning application. Surface water from the site will be managed with drainage swales.
THANK YOU, Nevendon
We're grateful for your feedback and we've taken it on board. If you'd like to share more with us, we encourage you to email connect@gridserve.com