Case study: Delivering EV charging at Hyde Park Gate
A major works project combining road resurfacing with EV charging infrastructure in prime central London
Hyde Park Gate: Historic, prime real estate in the heart of Kensington
Hyde Park Gate consists of two parallel streets across from Hyde Park, neighbouring the iconic Royal Albert Hall and just around the corner from the capital's famous museums quarter. It’s home to three separately managed blocks of flats as well as an embassy and multi-million-pound houses.
Principle is the managing agent for 39 Hyde Park Gate, a 7-storey red brick mansion block of luxury apartments. We also manage the wider estate across Hyde Park Gate and Reston Place, which is how we came to be involved in this project.
39 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington
Project background and scoping
The road surface in Hyde Park Gate was over 20 years old and the project to resurface the road had been discussed with the previous managing agent for over a decade. Taking future-proofing, sustainability and resident needs into consideration, we recommended installing EV charging points whilst trenching work was already planned, maximising efficiency and value.
“Initially we had advice from various consultants and the project scope and cost was approaching £1m which wasn’t feasible. We engaged our in-house building surveying department to look into different approaches and we really drilled down into the requirements from the residents’ committee. We got a much clearer understanding of their needs, narrowed down the spec and then leveraged our contractor network to find the right supplier.”
“Cosmic Charging is a Charge Point Operator. We specialise in packaging the solution, including the hardware, the software, the installation, the ongoing management, maintenance and often the finance as well. We’d been speaking with the team at Principle about various opportunities to work across their portfolio, and Hyde Park Gate was our first collaboration. ”
Installation
The initial excavation works revealed Victorian-era gas and electricity cables at unexpected depths, which is not uncommon in London. This discovery threatened the planned comprehensive EV charging expansion across multiple properties and required an immediate pivot. We successfully adapted by reverting to our original plan to have two EV chargers which could charge four vehicles at a time. This needed to be done to a tight timescale to maintain the road resurfacing schedule.
The chargers were installed on the existing power supply, which was limited, so Cosmic Charging included some innovative technology to manage the power capacity. This works like internet bandwidth - as the building pulls power through lifts and other equipment, we can automatically drop the charging rate and then return it when power capacity returns. This means we can install chargers with no risk of overloading the building's circuitry.
Once this was completed, the road surface was finished in a premium red and the pavements in a resin bound gravel. We had to pivot again when the specialised red tarmac laying machine was sold by the supplier after booking. We secured alternative equipment but faced additional delays ensuring the replacement machine was thoroughly cleaned of black tarmac residue to maintain the required colour specification. On Reston Place, access meant that the tarmac had to be laid by hand and finished with a small steam roller truck.
Managing resident expectations and communication
This project required exceptional coordination across multiple high-profile stakeholders.
When one of the properties initially withdrew from the project then requested inclusion with days to spare, we rapidly reconfigured installation plans to accommodate their exclusive charging port whilst maintaining the overall timeline. This required exceptional flexibility from contractors and coordination with utility companies.
Coordination around the Australian Ambassador's state dinner created immense pressure, requiring us to modify construction sequences to maintain safe pedestrian access for high-profile guests. Working with the contractors involved, specific pavement sections were left untouched during the event, then seamlessly integrated afterwards these areas into the wider programme. Our approach included colour-coded communication plans, detailed programmes showing affected areas and timeframes, and proactive door-to-door engagement.
“Our on-site team have worked closely with residents to minimise disruption during the works. From being entrusted with keys to move vehicles, to moving 50 items of luggage for one royal resident, they have really gone above and beyond.”
Technical innovation and resident benefits
The EV charging system delivers significant cost savings for residents, with charging rates of approximately 32p per kilowatt hour compared to 64p at the nearest Shell charging point - representing 50% savings whilst adding considerable property value to these prime central London homes.
The project showcases how innovative thinking in major works delivery can combine essential infrastructure renewal with future-proofing sustainability initiatives, creating multiple benefits for residents whilst maintaining the highest standards of project management and stakeholder coordination.
“The system is completely automated and hassle-free for both Principle and residents. Residents can simply tap their key fob against the charger or scan a QR code to pay with their card or phone. We automatically reconcile payments back to the managing agent, who then manages the energy bill as part of the service charge accounts.”
“The project delivered renewed infrastructure designed to last decades, sustainable transport solutions, significant resident cost savings, enhanced property values, and demonstrated how major works can embrace environmental responsibilities whilst meeting immediate maintenance needs.”
Key project statistics:
Total investment: £500,000
EV charging points installed: 4
Resident charging cost savings: 50% (32p vs 64p per kWh)