(19 Jan 2022, 1:15 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote 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?

(19 Jan 2022, 1:15 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote 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?

(19 Jan 2022, 11:29 am)Adrian wrote 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.

(19 Jan 2022, 2:04 pm)Storx wrote 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.

(20 Jan 2022, 5:00 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Jesmond depot been sold to developers for student accommodation

(20 Jan 2022, 6:08 pm)54APhotography wrote Surely the building, or at least facia is listed?

(21 Jan 2022, 9:36 am)Adrian wrote The whole building appears to be listed: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/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.

(21 Jan 2022, 11:28 pm)Wybus wrote 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.

(22 Jan 2022, 8:39 pm)Train8261 wrote Percy Main isn't big enough to have an area for the charging ports (if there the same as the Voltra)

(22 Jan 2022, 8:39 pm)Train8261 wrote Percy Main isn't big enough to have an area for the charging ports (if there the same as the Voltra)

(23 Jan 2022, 9:00 pm)Train8261 wrote 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

(23 Jan 2022, 10:37 pm)Adrian wrote 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.