Shropshire towns set to gain more on-street electric vehicle charging points
Shropshire motorists who have been quickest on the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles will see more on-street charging points coming to their towns.
A successful bid for Government funding has landed Shropshire Council almost £1m to install more on-street electric vehicle charging points in its communities.
A total of £902,940 has been awarded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, with support of the Energy Saving Trust, to enable the installation of on-street charge points for local residents wishing to charge their plug-in electric vehicles.
The new sites will raise Shropshire from 65th out of 375 local authorities for the number of public charge points available, to 11th place – or within the top three per cent nationwide.
Measures to install the charging points have now been agreed by Shropshire Council, and the towns expected to have the largest number of plug-in vehicles on their roads will be targeted.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said:
“We are working with our partners Connected Kerb to bring these on-street charging points to the towns where the demand is likely to be the greatest.
“We’re committed to improving and developing infrastructure to enable residents and businesses to lead more sustainable and self-sufficient lives, which in turn helps reduce the impacts of climate change on our environment. Providing more electric vehicle charging points that are accessible to all motorists is just one of the ways we are delivering on this priority.
“This is one of the biggest awards to have been made to any council under the on-street residential charging points scheme from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles, and it means we can add 270 more charge points to our streets and car parks to benefit the growing number of hybrid and EV owners in the county.”
It is anticipated four to 12 on-street charging points will be added, in 17 locations.
They are:
Albrighton – Crown Hotel and High Street
Bridgnorth – Innage Lane and Listley Street North
Broseley – Bridgnorth Road and Dark Lane
Church Stretton – Essex Road and Easthope
Cleobury Mortimer – Childe Road East, Childe Road West and St Mary’s Lane
Clun – High Street
Gobowen – Railway Station
Highley – High Street, Woodhill Road
Ludlow – Galdeford Zone A, Corve Street and Broad Street
Market Drayton – Frogmore Road
Much Wenlock – Falcons Court
Oswestry – Edward Street, Wats Drive and Lloyd Street
Prees – Church Street
Shifnal – Aston Street, Broadway and Victoria Road
Shrewsbury – Bainbridge Green, Copthorne Road, New Park Road, Bishop Street, and Abbey Foregate
Wem – Aston Street and Mill Street
Whitchurch – Castle Hill, Newtown, Sherrymill Hill, St John’s Street and George Street
Ian Nellins added: “The locations have been chosen using insight from data which predicts the locations of early adopters of technology in residential areas where properties have little / no off-street parking. The installation is intended to give them confidence in their ability to access chargers when and where they need them.
“We will be actively encouraging drivers to use these on-street charges whenever possible, and needless to say we will be seeking more funding opportunities for this equipment at every opportunity.”
