Left to Right: Heather Page, chief marketing officer, GRIDSERVE, James Dawson-Goodey, senior development manager, GRIDSERVE, Peter Storey, head of Markham Vale, Derbyshire County Council, Gareth Wilkson, head of construction – GRIDSERVE, Cllr Tony King, Cabinet member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Derbyshire County Council, Mick Wilkie, senior project manager, GRIDSERVE, Rebecca Trebble, chief customer experience officer, GRIDSERVE, Laura Hardy, chief communication officer, GRIDSERVE
Markham Vale is a joint venture between ourselves and property developer HBD, part of Henry Boot. The 200-acre scheme is centred around what was the mostly derelict Markham Colliery site and has been transformed into a prime business location over the last 20 years. It sits at the heart of the UK motorway network and provides direct access to the M1 via a dedicated junction, J29a.
Work has been recently started on the Markham Vale Electric Forecourt® by GRIDSERVE who develop net zero transport solutions nationally. This will be their fifth Electric Forecourt®. It will enable 30 electric vehicles to be charged simultaneously, with high power state-of-the-art chargers that can deliver up to 360kW and can add 100 miles of range in less than 5 minutes.
The forecourt is scheduled to open later this year and will be powered by net zero carbon energy. It will serve the visitors, local businesses and communities around Markham Vale and the wider Derbyshire area. There will be a waiting lounge including a children’s play area and information about electric vehicles. It will include disabled parking, access ramps, accessible washrooms and lifts to all areas, making charging accessible to all.
In recent weeks it has been confirmed that land adjacent to the forecourt will become home to Markham Vale Trade Park. This addition will create a useful facility right on the doorstep for existing businesses at Markham as it will be home to ‘trade counter businesses’. These are suppliers to particular trades, often at discounted prices.
The trade park will also include opportunities for other small businesses and could create more than 100 new jobs. All the new buildings will be energy efficient in line with Net Zero ambitions for the county council and HBD. Work on the development is expected to start on site late this year, with completion in 2025.
A third development at Markham Vale is the imminent arrival of digital and information management specialists, Restore Records Management. The warehouse they are letting from the Devonshire Property Group will be able to store 1.4 million boxes of hard copy documents, magnetic data storage tapes and more. They plan to be up and running in the late spring.
Our Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said:
“These are fantastic additions to Markham Vale bringing more jobs to the area and opportunities for small businesses.
“The creation of a supplies hub and the very latest in electric vehicle charging technology show that the business park continues to go from strength to strength.
“It’s particularly inspiring that these developments, through their energy efficiency and carbon reduction, lend weight to our climate change strategy. This 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.
“We’re proud of the positive impact Markham Vale continues to have on the local economy and this announcement sends yet another strong signal to other investors that Derbyshire is a place that helps businesses to survive and thrive.”
Richard Hinds, Senior Development Manager at HBD, said:
“I welcome these developments at Markham Vale. Through collaboration with Derbyshire County Council over 20 years this business park remains one of HBD’s most successful projects.
“The Trade Park will generate strong interest from potential occupiers looking for high-quality, energy efficient space in a prime business location in an area with a strong local labour market and easy access to the M1.
“The Electric Forecourt® is a significant milestone for the area and clean energy. It will provide the best charging experience as already tried and tested by GRIDSERVE at locations including London Gatwick. It will also strengthen Derbyshire’s sustainability ambitions.”
Find out more about Markham Vale.
Watch a video about the Electric Forecourt®.