All articles by Hugo Griffiths – Page 3
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NewsGrove Retail to resurrect derelict petrol station – but with no petrol pumps
Top 50 Indie Grove retail, which operates around 30 forecourts, has been granted planning permission to reinstate a derelict petrol station – with every amenity bar petrol pumps.
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NewsValli Forecourts loses heated planning bid for new Yorkshire petrol station
A planning application that has been in progress for over four years has concluded with Top 50 Indie Valli Forecourts being refused permission to build a new filling station, with the complex project seeing a local MP, plus a rival forecourt operator, lodge objections to the plans.
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NewsNew EV charging hub “one of only a handful” in Wiltshire
Chargepoint operator Allego has opened a new set of EV sockets in Westbury, Wiltshire. The development on the A3098 is said to be “one of only a handful” in the county.
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AnalysisCOMMENT: If all the world’s a stage, our EV policies are a farce
Confusing, often contradictory, messaging on EV policy is making it harder for retailers to make the right strategic and investment decisions in this important segment. Hugo Griffiths calls for consistency.
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NewsPark Garage Group continues Bakery 79 expansion with new Kent outlet
Top 50 Indie Park Garage Group, which operates 77 forecourts across the UK, is continuing to replace Greggs concessions with its in-house Bakery 79 concept, and is opening its 14th outlet in Bearsted, Kent this week.
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NewsRoadchef again tops tables as one of the best places to work
Motorway services operator Roadchef has again been recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the UK, being named the best firm in Scotland, and the third best firm employing over 2,000 people in the UK.
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NewsThe AA and Zapmap form strategic partnership to encourage EV uptake
The AA has paired up with chargepoint mapping firm Zapmap, with AA members now able to see chargepoint locations, pricing and availability when using the firms app. The companies say they are also “exploring new ways they can combine” in order to encourage the uptake of EVs.
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NewsMajority of shoppers back facial-recognition tech
A survey of over 2,000 adults has found the majority of people support retail firms deploying facial-recognition systems to protect retail workers.
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NewsTop 50 Indie Tankerford wins planning bid for new Norwich forecourt
A local authority’s planning committee has unanimously granted Tankerford planning permission to construct a new filling station on a main road near the centre of Norwich.
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NewsCertas seeks to double the size of its unmanned site portfolio
Certas Energy is engaged in a big acquisition push as it seeks to expand its network of unmanned Gulf-branded Fuel Express filling stations to 82 sites by the end of the decade.
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NewsForecourt sale completes just 10 days after offer being accepted
Forecourt property has been ‘hot’ for some time, but the recent sale of a Stoke-on-Trent filling station was speedy even by industry standards, with the deal completing just 10 days after the buyer’s offer was accepted.
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NewsSGN Retail acquires five sites as Rusdene Services leaves sector
Top 50 Indie SGN Retail has purchased a group of five forecourts from Rusdene Services, as the latter departs the fuel retailing sector after four decades in the business.
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NewsWorld’s first car fragrance vending machine launch can be adapted for outdoor use
A new revenue stream for forecourt firms, particularly those with valeting operations, has just been launched with the introduction of the world’s first car fragrance vending machine.
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NewsElectric cars to pay London Congestion Charge as squeeze on EV drivers continues
Transport for London has announced that drivers of battery-powered cars will have to pay the Congestion Charge from next year, when the cost of the tariff will increase by 20%.
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NewsMore petrol station property investments were made in the first nine months of 2025 than all of last year
The market for filling station property purchases has ramped up this year, with more forecourts changing hands in the first three quarters of 2025 than all of last year combined.
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NewsEG On The Move wins bid to build new forecourt on land with chequered planning history
Nottingham City Council has granted EG On The Move planning permission to construct a new forecourt on a prominent city-centre plot that various firms have tried and failed to redevelop over the years.
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NewsBiofuel firm to build three refuelling stations after securing £25m funding
CNG Fuels, which supplies compressed biomethane (Bio-CNG), has secured a £25m debt facility from investment firm The Foresight Group. The five-year deal will see CNG Fuels build three new UK refuelling facilities.
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NewsNew partnership syncs till-point data with CCTV and ANPR footage
A “groundbreaking” partnership between security firm Big Brother and Epos provider Madic that allows till-point data to be automatically synchronised with footage from ANPR and CCTV systems has been announced.
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NewsTransport Secretary opens new MFG charging hub as firm continues £400m EV programme
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has opened a new MFG EV Power charging hub at the firm’s Marlborough Road forecourt in Swindon, Wilts.
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NewsPolice seek perpetrator of forecourt knife robber
Officers from Police Scotland are seeking a man who held up a filling station in Dumbarton at knifepoint.