Car Leasing
Stevenage Borough Council leads the charge
Stevenage Borough Council has pressed go on the latest in EV Charging infrastructure and granted planning permission for a GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt® in Stevenage. The site combines heritage and musical roots with a flagship sustainability project, providing much needed charging infrastructure.
Creating environmental harmony
By hitting the green light, the council has made a commitment to cut transport emissions without impacting the natural beauty of the environment. For residents this means easy access to EV charging infrastructure while festival goers will be able to drive electric cars to these popular events
Features
- An ecology-led and sustainable development process ensures the site will not only preserve but enhance the area for future generations
- Tucked in beside Knebworth Estate, native planting will screen the site from parklands visitors throughout development
- Sustainably powered construction methods and sensitive landscape design will retain the ambience of the area
- By creating a biodiversity net gain of this low-grade arable land, GRIDSERVE is ‘greening’ the green, it’s a truly sustainable development
- Supplied by 100% renewable energy, the Electric Forecourt® will speed up transport decarbonisation, reduce emissions and protect the environment
“As EV registrations continue to skyrocket, it is crucial that all drivers are supported with reliable, convenient, and affordable public charging infrastructure. Our state-of-the-art Electric Forecourt® in Knebworth will support Stevenage Borough Council and the Knebworth Estate to preserve biodiversity, tackle air pollution, slash carbon emissions and make it more feasible for both residents and tourists to switch to low-carbon transport. By ensuring that all the energy provided to the Electric Forecourt® is 100% renewable, we are making sustainable development a reality at every stage of the site’s delivery.”
– Raoul Tufnell Chief Development Officer
Our checklist
Once construction starts, the site will be screened by the A1(M) to the east and by large areas of existing woodland to the north, south and west. It’s also not visible from Norton Green.
Working with Knebworth House, impact events will be minimised as much as possible to enable visiting to continue.
An Ecological Appraisal and your feedback prompted us to plant 57 native trees to improve the on-site ecology.
Any noise from the development will not be heard beyond local areas to ensure peace and quiet for Novotel guests and residents who stay nearby.
As this is a historic site we will be building with what’s called a ‘watching brief’ so if anything important is discovered during construction it will be safely preserved.
Frequently asked questions
GRIDSERVE is delighted that planning consent has been granted for the above site. Gaining planning is just one stage of the development process. The site and layout for the development will now be subject to a detailed design stage to finalise the layout for construction.
Planning secured, construction due to start later this year, with opening targeted for the first half of 2024.
You are welcome to flick us an email at connect@gridserve.com with the subject line Stevenage. We will endeavour to answer your questions as quickly as possible.
Yes, the site does include a solar canopy which generates energy to power the retail building, we feed in larger amounts of solar power through grid connections to power the chargers on site with 100% renewable, net zero carbon energy.
Yes, we are planning on including a retail and convenience offering to ensure our customers have the best possible dwell time experience. While your car is charging you can enjoy great coffee, yummy food and of course a lounge area to relax in.