Sorry for the controversial  post  but

GNE has submitted a bit for  ZEBRA funding for 59 new electric buses for Tyneside & Hexham routes which includes 17 vechicles for the 309/310/311 Cobalt & Coast routes on the Coast Road corridor 

Question is 

Can Norham Road site sustain 17 electric vechicles?

Does this suggest the site may need to be relocated?

Or will 17 vechicles be displaced to a different depot elsewhere?

Sorry for the controversial  post  but

GNE has submitted a bit for  ZEBRA funding for 59 new electric buses for Tyneside & Hexham routes which includes 17 vechicles for the 309/310/311 Cobalt & Coast routes on the Coast Road corridor 

Question is 

Can Norham Road site sustain 17 electric vechicles?

Does this suggest the site may need to be relocated?

Or will 17 vechicles be displaced to a different depot elsewhere?

Might be an opportunity for a replacement depot?

Sorry for the controversial  post  but

GNE has submitted a bit for  ZEBRA funding for 59 new electric buses for Tyneside & Hexham routes which includes 17 vechicles for the 309/310/311 Cobalt & Coast routes on the Coast Road corridor 

Question is 

Can Norham Road site sustain 17 electric vechicles?

Does this suggest the site may need to be relocated?

Or will 17 vechicles be displaced to a different depot elsewhere?

The decker operation (including Percy Main) is supposed to be operational by March 2024, so I'd suggest there's not enough time there to plan, sell, build and move depot. 

The biggest challenge is probably the electricity supply. Riverside ended up going through planning and getting a substation built for the VOLTRA fleet (although with extra capacity). I can't see any planning application in for the Percy Main depot yet.

Oh, Percy Main Depot. Not Norham Road.

The decker operation (including Percy Main) is supposed to be operational by March 2024, so I'd suggest there's not enough time there to plan, sell, build and move depot. 

The biggest challenge is probably the electricity supply. Riverside ended up going through planning and getting a substation built for the VOLTRA fleet (although with extra capacity). I can't see any planning application in for the Percy Main depot yet.

That might be an idea. Something on the TT Industrial Estate or New York Industrial estate.

Then depending on patterns / shifts, driver changeovers would be:

309 - New York (as now) if in New York Ind Est or Middle Engine Lane if vans allowed to use bus link and substation is on TT Trading Est
310 - Middle Engine Lane
311 - Hadrian Park (as now)

I can't see any new depot in North Tyneside, the place blatantly barely makes any money considering every route is subsidised bar the 1/309/310/311 and the last 3 are on a reduced timetable at night time because, 'North Tyneside is a low usage area during the day, never mind the evening,' and the drivers are used elsewhere as said last night.

There's no chance for getting investment in a full depot out there imo unless something changes big time or there's some form of working together with other operators to save money, work with Arriva at Walkergate for example which supposedly is going to have electric charging potential but that sort of partnership is unknown.

I can't see any new depot in North Tyneside, the place blatantly barely makes any money considering every route is subsidised bar the 1/309/310/311 and the last 3 are on a reduced timetable at night time because, 'North Tyneside is a low usage area during the day, never mind the evening,' and the drivers are used elsewhere as said last night.

There's no chance for getting investment in a full depot out there imo unless something changes big time or there's some form of working together with other operators to save money, work with Arriva at Walkergate for example which supposedly is going to have electric charging potential but that sort of partnership is unknown.

The Little Coasters services aren't subsidised during the day, apart from the northern sections of the 42/42A. I also believe the 19 is commercial between Northumberland Park and North Shields during the day.

Is Jesmond Depot any bigger than Percy Main Depot?

Jesmond depot been sold to developers for student accommodation

Jesmond depot been sold to developers for student accommodation

Surely the building, or at least facia is listed?

Surely the building, or at least facia is listed?

The whole building appears to be listed: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/t...ry/1024795

There was similar a couple years ago with the County Hospital in Durham. Listed and in a conservation area, but developers won in the end.

Why would Percy Main depot not be able to accommodate electric buses. They’ll need works to connect the infrastructure to the national grid (which would no doubt take an age with all the red tape) wherever they were located. Many other older depots have had similar works done around the country.

The whole building appears to be listed: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/t...ry/1024795

There was similar a couple years ago with the County Hospital in Durham. Listed and in a conservation area, but developers won in the end.

I do hope this is will not be a developers victory, nobody wants more cars on that road and we need to preserve what we can of our transport heritage. Dean Road at South Shields is a fine ex tramshed still operational, and thankfully Wingrove is still there, in building only.

Why would Percy Main depot not be able to accommodate electric buses. They’ll need works to connect the infrastructure to the national grid (which would no doubt take an age with all the red tape) wherever they were located. Many other older depots have had similar works done around the country.

Percy Main isn't big enough to have an area for the charging ports (if there the same as the Voltra)

Percy Main isn't big enough to have an area for the charging ports (if there the same as the Voltra)

Could always knock down the rear shed and use that land to install electric points.

It's mentioned that there is 17 electric buses.

Have a look at Voltra space at Riverside and think... it will be tight but you will also need to factor in a sub station to be built and remidal works

A long shot but what about the current temporary depot at Howden for the metro. If they knock that down one the new one is built. Could it see Percy Main move there. Area is big enough for a depot and space for an area for charging ports

Percy Main isn't big enough to have an area for the charging ports (if there the same as the Voltra)

A long shot but what about the current temporary depot at Howden for the metro. If they knock that down one the new one is built. Could it see Percy Main move there. Area is big enough for a depot and space for an area for charging ports

What are you basing these statements on? Do we know for sure? I'd suggest the supply and need for a substation is a problem that needs to be overcome, but at the same time we don't know whether there's already sufficient electricity capacity or different technology available at the existing Percy Main depot. 

You can't just pluck a new depot out of fresh air. The costs for planning a new depot, building it, moving and selling old one aren't exactly insignificant. The new Consett depot cost a reported £3.5 million. There's already a hefty investment by Go North East in this project (£20 million, iirc!) without that added cost. 

For me, the business case is clear in that it's going to be out of the existing facility at Percy Main.

What are you basing these statements on? Do we know for sure? I'd suggest the supply and need for a substation is a problem that needs to be overcome, but at the same time we don't know whether there's already sufficient electricity capacity or different technology available at the existing Percy Main depot. 

You can't just pluck a new depot out of fresh air. The costs for planning a new depot, building it, moving and selling old one aren't exactly insignificant. The new Consett depot cost a reported £3.5 million. There's already a hefty investment by Go North East in this project (£20 million, iirc!) without that added cost. 

For me, the business case is clear in that it's going to be out of the existing facility at Percy Main.

Even if the supply isn't sufficient, the cost of upgrading it had to be significantly lower than a new depot!

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Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate applying for permission to expand:

https://twitter.com/uklandestates/status...96065?s=21

Thing is, the land that Percy Main is on is sellable, and with the new housing estate being built to the North of the depot. No doubt the price of the land the depot stands on is increasing.