Grupotec are delighted to unveil plans to build an Eco Hub at James Farm, located on land just to the north and south of Goring Lane in Grazeley Green.

The Eco Hub is an all-encompassing concept that will deliver:

• Electricity generating solar panels;

• Batteries to store electricity helping to regulate the National Grid;

• Electric Vehicle charging points; and

• A small rest area with toilet facilities.

West Berkshire Council (hereafter ‘the Council’) declared a Climate Emergency on 2nd July 2019.  The Council subsequently declared an Ecological Emergency on 5th October 2023.

The Council has produced an Environment Strategy that outlines steps to reach a net-zero target by 2030 across the district and clearly states that solar energy generation is a significant part of this strategy.

Our proposal to generate clean, green electricity at source, along with plans to increase the biodiversity of the site, responds to the Council’s local climate and ecological emergencies. It chimes with a broader national and global effort to tackle climate change by producing clean, green renewable energy in place of harmful fossil fuels.

The proposed project is considered by Government as a “critical national priority” in National Policy Statements that came in to force in January 2024.  The same documents confirm the Government’s commitment to sustained growth in solar capacity and its expectation of a five-fold increase in combined solar development by 2035, which equates to solar installation rates equivalent to around 5 projects of the scale of James Farm every week for the next 12 years!

In addition, the Council’s Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle Strategy encourages the delivery of charging points across the district.

The Government’s announcement to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 has prompted an urgent need to build public electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country, infrastructure that will gradually replace the traditional petrol forecourt.

Grupotec are proud to be spreading the electric vehicle charging revolution right here. The project, known as the James Farm Eco Hub, will enable electric vehicles to fully charge in as little as 20 minutes whereas it can take up to 24 hours to charge up at home.

The Eco Hub is state-of-the-art. The electricity generated by the solar panels would be equivalent to the electricity demand of around 4,000 typical UK homes or provide over 50 million miles of range in a typical electric vehicle.

About Grupotec

Founded in 1997, Grupotec is a global renewable energy developer operating in 16 countries.  Grupotec has built over 60 solar farms across the UK and is proud to be investing again in UK renewable energy infrastructure in West Berkshire.