Aegis Energy has applied for a 24/7 lorry and van charging hub on the old Littlebrook power station site, plus 4,000 sq m of warehousing. Comments by 13 Nov.
The plans for a lorry charging and refuelling hub on the former Littlebrook power station site are now in. Aegis Energy has applied to Dartford Borough Council for a hub that would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, off Rennie Drive.
The hybrid application also seeks outline permission for up to 4,000 sq m of factory or warehouse space next to it. The council validated it on 22 October (planning application 26/01204/FUL).
We reported in August that the council had ruled the scheme would not need an environmental statement. This is the application that followed.
What would be built
The design and access statement lists these features for the hub:
- 12 charging bays for electric lorries
- 12 more lorry parking bays, with chargers optional
- 13 bays for overnight or ad hoc lorry parking
- 4 refuelling bays for HVO, a renewable diesel made from vegetable oil
- 50 charging bays for electric vans and light lorries, 3 of them accessible
- a truck wash
- a welfare building for drivers, with a rest area, showers and a small shop
That is 91 bays in all.
Canopies would cover the two rows of 12 lorry bays. The whole site covers about 5.9 hectares (design and access statement, Janus).
The transport assessment says the hub would be “available 24/7 to all users”. Operators could pre-book charging, and Aegis would seek agreements with local fleets. It names Amazon, Ikea and Sainsbury’s at Littlebrook as the kind of nearby businesses it wants to serve (transport assessment, PEP; statement of community involvement, Maxim).
Jobs
The economic benefits assessment, by Lichfields for Aegis, estimates:
- about 10 full-time equivalent jobs at the hub itself
- up to 106 in the warehouse space, depending on who occupies it
- up to 65 net additional on-site jobs once both are running
- around 28 net direct jobs during a build of up to 18 months
The warehouse figure is an estimate from standard job densities, not a named employer (economic benefits assessment, Lichfields).
The traffic question
Traffic is the issue residents raised most. Aegis consulted by flyer and an online form. It says 25 people replied, all local residents, which it puts at 1.25% of those who got a flyer.
The statement says the “dominant concern” was congestion around The Bridge, Bob Dunn Way, Rennie Drive, Junction 1a and the crossing approaches. Residents told the transport consultants that journeys out of the area often take 40 to 45 minutes.
Aegis’s answer is that the land already has permission for about 13,300 sq m of logistics space. It says its scheme would add no more than about one extra lorry arriving or leaving every two minutes in the busiest hour, compared with that permission. It also says most of its traffic would be vehicles already on nearby roads.
The transport assessment forecasts up to 14 two-way electric lorry movements in each of the morning and evening peak hours, at maximum use of the charging bays. Vans and the warehouse are counted separately.
Kent County Council and National Highways raised concerns before the application went in. At a meeting on 4 August they asked for robust modelling of Junction 1a, with mitigation or a contribution “to ensure nil detriment”. The assessment says the two bodies have commissioned their own traffic modelling of Junction 1a, aiming at a wider improvement scheme. It adds that no such scheme has been published.
Aegis says it is willing to work with Kent on signs and road changes to keep lorries off Marsh Street North.
What it means for you
If you live near The Bridge or Rennie Drive. This is the moment to comment. Dartford’s register gives three different deadlines. Use the earliest:
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Standard consultation expiry | Friday 13 November |
| Neighbour consultation expiry | Tuesday 17 November |
| Newspaper notice, 21 days from 29 October | Thursday 19 November |
| Agreed date for a decision | Thursday 21 January 2027 |
The council’s newspaper notice says the scheme is a major development that “could be a departure from the Adopted Development Plan”. Quote 26/01204/FUL (dates tab; newspaper notice). Our planning applications guide explains how to comment.
If you drive a van or an electric lorry for work. Nothing is open yet. Planning permission would come first, then a build of up to 18 months.
Sources
- Dartford Borough Council: planning application 26/01204/FUL (proposal, validated 22 October 2026; consultation and decision dates on the dates tab, read 3 November 2026)
- Design and access statement, Janus for Aegis Energy (bays, truck wash, welfare building, 5.9 hectares)
- Transport assessment, PEP, September 2026 (24/7 operation, 4,000 sq m, extant consent, peak-hour lorry trips, KCC and National Highways concerns, Junction 1a modelling)
- Economic benefits assessment, Lichfields (job estimates, construction period)
- Statement of community involvement, Maxim (25 responses, residents’ concerns, Aegis’s replies, Marsh Street North)
- Council newspaper notice, 29 October 2026 (major development, possible departure from the plan, 21 days)
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