The Eco Hub

Location

The 50-hectare site is located at Highfield Farm, close to the junction of the A505 Baldock Road and Royston Road, located 1.7 miles west of Royston and 1.7 miles south of Litlington.

Why this site?

Firstly, the A505 Baldock Road is a vital transport corridor, therefore it is a convenient place to enable electric vehicle charging, like the location of conventional petrol stations on motorways and A roads.

Secondly, the site is located directly next to a connection point to the local electricity network, so electricity generated at source can feed directly into the National Grid.

A direct grid connection point within the site means that there is no requirement to dig up roads and pavements to lay miles of new cabling to connect to the grid as would be necessary on another site.

Thirdly, conveniently located on a main road, far away from homes, this project has minimal impact on nearby residential communities.  Moreover, the site is not located within or adjacent to any statutory landscape or ecological designations.

What is an Eco Hub?

The Eco Hub concept is all-encompassing and sustainable.  Light shines on the solar panels which generate electricity that will supply the electric vehicle charging station, on-site batteries and the National Grid.

The Eco Hub comprises:

  • A public electric vehicle (or ‘EV’) station with at least six ultra-rapid and six rapid charging points, which means that electric vehicles can charge in as little as 20 minutes.

  • Batteries that will store electricity and power the electric vehicle charging station.

  • Solar panels that will feed electricity directly into the National Grid.

  • A café / toilet facility to provide comfort for drivers while their EVs are charging.

Is it required?

Since the UK Government announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, there has been rapidly growing need to build public EV charging infrastructure across the country, infrastructure that will gradually replace the traditional petrol forecourt. 

Moreover, there is a legal obligation to decarbonise the UK economy to respond directly to the climate and ecological emergencies.  This project will make a tangible contribution to the wider process of decarbonisation, which is good for the economy, vital for national security, and is kind to planet earth.