New electric vehicle charging points installed in Earl Shilton
Electric vehicle drivers in Earl Shilton have been charging their vehicles at a new public point which has just been installed in the town centre.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council finished installing the first of three new charge points for electric vehicles (EVCs) in Hall Fields car park in Earl Shilton in December, with further points due to be installed in council-run car parks in Market Bosworth (Rectory Lane) and Barwell (Stanley Street) in the coming months.
This will mean a total of 11 new charging points will be available in the borough in addition to the 12 twin charging points already located in Hinckley.
The Market Bosworth charge points will be provided in partnership with Market Bosworth Parish Council, who jointly own Rectory Lane car park with the Borough Council.
Each charger is a Pod Point 7kwh twin points that can charge two cars simultaneously and runs off the same app as the Hinckley charge points. This makes it easy for electric vehicle drivers to charge on these council-owned car parks.
The points cost £82,500.000, with the funding secured from the Office of Low Emissions as part of the government’s commitment to increase the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. These preparations come in readiness for the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Increasing the number of electric charging points available to Hinckley and Bosworth residents and visitors is a key action in the council’s ambitious Climate Change Strategy and will be essential if the council hopes to meet the government target of becoming a carbon neutral borough by 2050.
These locations have been chosen because they have a high number of properties in close proximity with no private parking where a home charger can be installed. Therefore, these residents will have to rely on a public charging network.
Council Leader, Councillor Stuart Bray, said:
We are pleased to see this charge point now in use – we’ve already seen many electric vehicle drivers using them. It is important to us that the council provides the essential infrastructure needed to encourage more car owners in the borough to choose electric vehicles over petrol and diesel equivalents.
The new charge points we’re installing are located in key villages in the borough, making driving an electric vehicle easier than ever. Travel is one of the biggest contributors to our borough’s carbon footprint, so, as part of our response to the climate and ecological emergency, it’s vital we make the changes needed to help tackle this.
Executive Member for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Councillor Martin Cartwright, added:
It’s been great to see so many drivers using this new charge point. We hope that it encourages even more electric vehicle usage as we look to lower Hinckley and Bosworth’s carbon footprint even further.
As part of the government funding, residents living within a short walking distance of the car parks will be eligible for permits to enable them to park for free while charging at the points. The offer aims to make it easier for residents who may not have off street parking available at home to charge a vehicle nearby in a bid to make electric vehicles more appealing in the future.
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