SLR’s Land Quality & Remediation team in the UK recently supported Motor Fuel Group (MFG) – the largest independent operator of forecourts in the UK, with over 900 sites - on a project in Stretford, Manchester. The objective was to redevelop a disused petrol filling station as an electric vehicle (EV) charging hub with an on-site convenience store and valeting centre.

This is the very first EV only forecourt and valeting centre dedicated to ultra-rapid charges in the North-West of England, with eight dedicated ultra-rapid 150kW EV charging bays which can give 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes of charging.

With the UK Government having pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, EV charging hubs are an essential addition to UK roads. This is a step in the right direction towards greener travel on our roads, better air quality in our cities, and improving our overall climate impact.

Electric vehicles were also a talking point of COP26, which wrapped up earlier this month. Almost 30 governments signed a declaration committing to “work towards the sale of new cars and vans being zero emission globally by 2040, and no later than 2035 in leading markets”. This pledge was also supported by automotive manufacturers, investors, and financial institutions, amongst others.

SLR’s work with MFG

Following the granting of planning permission, SLR was commissioned to address planning conditions through:

• Preparation of Phase One environmental assessment.
• Preparation of Remediation Method Statement and Sampling and Analysis Plan.
• Attendance on site by SLR engineer during redevelopment to validate removal of items of fuel and drainage infrastructure via soil sampling and subsequent laboratory analysis.
• Preparation of Validation Report confirming the site as suitable for the proposed use.

James Mahoney (Technical Director, London) project managed SLR’s work on site, with James Appleby (Principal, Maidstone) as Project Co-ordinator and Megan Stainer (Geo-Environmental Engineer, Nottingham) carrying out field work as the Project Engineer. The project was awarded after the preparation of a site-specific proposal.

SLR is working on several similar projects for MFG, continuously building on an already strong and strategic relationship as MFG’s sole supplier of Land Quality consultancy. This has enabled a close working relationship between SLR and MFG’s Group Infrastructure Director, Andy Edwards, which is reflected in the steady flow of project instructions as SLR supports MFG’s ambitious station development programme and roll out of its dual fuel strategy. These projects include conversion of disused filing stations to EV hubs – similar to the site in Stretford – to numerous projects involving the installation of EV charging equipment at operational filling stations.

The majority of SLR’s projects with MFG involve SLR’s Land Quality & Remediation Team, however, other disciplines support when required, and at an increasing rate. For example, recent projects have required support from SLR’s Geotechnical Engineering and Hydrology & Hydrogeology teams

A good example of the cross-disciplinary services SLR regularly provide for MFG is demonstrated in a recent project on MFG’s flagship London EV site, in Putney, which opened in October 2021. Further to Land Quality work, SLR’s Ecology and Landscape teams supported the project with work to address comprehensive ecology and landscape planning conditions.

The project comprised the complete rebuild of an operational filling station with EV facilities incorporated in the new layout. You can read more about the station on MFG’s website.