Park, Charge, and Ride: the UK’s first solar powered Park and Ride site opens in Leeds

The first solar powered Park and Ride centre opens this week in Stourton – making it Leeds’ third Park and Ride service - with hopes to reduce commuting times and costs while curbing congestion and pollution in the city centre.

The £38.5 million project is powered entirely by solar panels and a battery storage system, creating a smart energy grid on site using sustainable technology. The site is served by a zero-emission electric bus fleet: this will run daily with 26 fast electric vehicle charging ports and 4 rapid chargers – a totalling of 30 EV charging spaces.

The result of a solar powered site will result in the reduction of 471 tonnes of carbon each year, which is the equivalent of removing 203 cars off roads.

The bus priority measures along the new corridor linking the Park and Ride to the city will help provide quicker and more reliable journey times on existing services. Modelling shows that at peak times, the measures along Hunslet Road and Low Road will provide a 10% journey time improvement for buses. More efficient journeys will not only allow everyone to enjoy healthy, affordable, low carbon travel choices but transform Leeds into a more people-focused city: fewer cars on the streets, more space for people, creating more liveable streets.

Kim Groves, transport lead for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority: "One aspect that can't be underestimated is the impact it will have on the local economy and businesses throughout the city. Enhanced public transport links will not only enable firms to attract high calibre staff from across the south and east of Yorkshire but also significantly improve the daily commute for those already employed in Leeds."

The project obtained funds from the Department for Transport to develop Leeds’ Public Transport Investment Programme, together with a grant that was awarded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire: ‘’This is a step forward in tackling the climate emergency and our wider aim of transforming the Leeds City Region into a net zero carbon economy by 2038,".

The Park and Ride centre is surrounded by trees to offset against those removed during construction. It boasts a 54:1 tree replacement ratio and has been sensitive to the existing green infrastructure corridors in the area, to ensure flora and fauna can still co-exist alongside the existing transport links.

Internal landscaping also includes trees in the central area, planters and hedges which break up sections of the car park and a building which incorporates a green roof and a green wall. The “green” credentials also apply to some of the technology used in the facility – solar panels, LED lighting; electric vehicle charge points, and electric buses serving the P&R site. This all goes to ensure this development has a low carbon footprint, now and in the future.