Electric chargepoint operator Gridserve has marked the start of construction of its fifth Electric Forecourt with a groundbreaking ceremony.
The site, at the Markham Vale trade park in Derbyshire, off junction 29A of the M1, will open this winter and feature 30 chargers.
Gridserve is targeting motorists using the motorway, as well as communities around Markham Vale, which include Chesterfield, Mansfield, and the southern suburbs of Sheffield.
The location of the electric vehicle charging station is poignant as Markham Vale is a former colliery that shut 30 years ago.
As with other Gridserve forecourts, Markham Vale will feature a waiting lounge with wifi, a convenience outlet, children’s play area, and an “educational space to increase understanding and awareness around electric vehicles”.
Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, who attended the ceremony, welcomed the forecourt and said it would aid the transition to electric cars: “Decarbonising transport is one of our top priorities as part of our climate change strategy which aims to reduce emissions generated by the county council to net zero by 2032 or sooner and help the rest of Derbyshire reduce carbon emissions generated within the county to net zero by 2050 or sooner,” he said.
Rebecca Trebble, chief customer experience officer at Gridserve said the company is “happy to keep the momentum going” after opening its Gatwick Electric Forecourt earlier this year.
Gridserve’s other Electric Forecourts are at Braintree and Norwich, with a fourth site at Stevenage under construction.
It has planning permission for forecourts in Gateshead, Nevendon in Essex, and Plymouth. It is seeking approval for further locations at Bromborough in The Wirral, Hartlepool, Rutherglen near Glasgow, and Yeovil.
In total, the company has more than 175 locations with 1,200 charging bays. Gridserve says 11 new locations opened in the first quarter of 2024.
