The Electric Forecourt could create more than 25 new full-time employment opportunities through the design, engineering, construction and operation phases.

If approved, the new Electric Forecourt, located opposite the existing service station, will initially provide over 30 charging bays for electric cars. In the future it will also incorporate provision for HGVs and buses.

The site would form part of GRIDSERVE’s £1 billion UK-wide investment being rolled out into its charging infrastructure network, designed to deliver the best possible charging experience.

Powered by sustainable energy from the company’s solar farms, the proposed site is 1.28 hectares (3.16 acres) and will include extensive new areas of landscaping and tree planting. An area to the south east would be used for on-site battery storage to capture and store renewable energy.

Richard Hinds, Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “Markham Vale is one of the largest industrial and logistics schemes in the North, so it’s important that we look to the future to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place to provide motorists with clean energy. We’re very pleased to welcome GRIDSERVE and look forward to working with the team as they bring their plans forward.”

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said: We welcome GRIDSERVE’s interest in Markham Vale and, if their proposal is granted planning permission, the new Electric Forecourt, will give motorists the confidence to make the switch to an electric vehicle and move us closer to our target of helping to get 1,000 public facing electric vehicle charge points in place throughout the county by 2025.”

“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.”

GRIDSERVE CEO, Toddington Harper, said: “We are committed to delivering EV charging infrastructure that both enables the transition to net zero carbon transport, and excites drivers to make the transition to electric vehicles. The geographical distribution of EV charging across the UK is essential to usher in the mass market era of electric vehicles. This development would benefit the local community, and the wider UK as it reduces its reliance on fossil fuels. We are proud to have chosen the area of Markham Vale for this project and we hope the people across the region share our passion for delivering a cleaner, more sustainable future in the earliest possible timeframes.”

Markham Vale is a 200-acre industrial and logistics scheme with direct access to the M1 in Derbyshire. A joint venture between property developer HBD and Derbyshire County Council, it is a hugely successful regeneration project that transformed a former colliery site and has created thousands of new jobs since work began.

HBD is one of the UK’s most active developers. With seven offices across the country, it focuses on three key sectors; industrial and logistics, urban regeneration and residential.