More electric car charging points are set to be installed in the Cotswolds.
Ten electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs), providing twenty connection points in total, are expected to be installed across four council-owned car parks.
Under the proposals, the existing but now outdated and decommissioned units at The Beeches in Cirencester and Old Market Way in Moreton-in-Marsh car parks will be upgraded with new 50kW rapid chargers.
The roll out, which will be delivered by EB Charging, will also see the car parks at Cotswold District Council’s Trinity Road offices in Cirencester and Rissington Road in Bourton-on-the-Water receive EVCPs for the first time. The Trinity Road chargers will be available to the public.
Councillor Rachel Coxcoon, cabinet member for climate change and forward planning, said: “We have seen a rapid rise in the use of the current EVCP points in our car parks and nationally the take up of electric vehicles has surged. Upping the provision of EVCPs will make it easier for those residents, businesses and visitors to our district who have already made the switch to charge their vehicles and avoid ‘range anxiety.’
"The new infrastructure will also play a vital role in encouraging those who are considering buying an EV, but do not have anywhere to charge it at home, to take the plunge. While the chargers will start with a simple standard tariff, work will begin immediately on collecting usage data so that the council can work out whether it is possible to provide cheaper overnight charging for residents in the future.”
It is hoped the replacement units will be installed in the Beeches car park and Old Market Way car park in April, with the installation at Trinity Road following in late summer. The works at Rissington Road will coincide with wider improvements to the car park, including resurfacing, which are scheduled to take place in the autumn.
The work is part of a wider plan for introducing EVCPs throughout the district.
Councillor Mike Evemy, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “With around 45 percent of our district’s carbon emissions linked to local transport, doing what we can to support a reduction in the number of petrol and diesel vehicles on the road will bring positive environmental benefits and improve air quality, aiding public health.
"To accelerate the delivery of this key project, the Council is committed to pushing ahead with the proposals with full provision for the costs in our medium term financial plan.
"However, we anticipate that some of the capital costs for the new units will be met from grant funding available from the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles which supports local authorities to provide on-street charging points, including those in publicly accessible car parks.”
Following the initial roll out of installations, further sites will be assessed and costed for EVCPs at Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury.
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