25 electric vehicle charging points to be built across Shropshire by spring
Dozens of electric vehicle charging points are set to be built across Shropshire by spring, the council has revealed.
A total of 25 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging points are set to be installed in Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Oswestry, Ludlow, Much Wenlock and Broseley by the end of March.
The partnership project, being delivered by Shropshire Council, will be in addition to the two charging points the authority has already installed.
The initiative has been welcomed by Much Wenlock Councillor David Turner, who said it could also give the town's traders a boost.
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Councillor Turner, who owns an EV himself, said: "I certainly welcome this initiative and I'm pleased Much Wenlock has been included in one of the initial phases of introducing charging points.
"There are EV owners in Much Wenlock, including myself. This is a great opportunity for both residents and visitors – if as I anticipate these points are put in one of the car parks – to park up, charge their vehicle and enjoy our independent shops, cafes and restaurants once lockdown is lifted."
The move forms part of Shropshire Council's response to the climate emergency it declared in 2019.
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Councillor Dean Carroll, the authority's cabinet member for adult social care, public health and climate change, said: "As we move to a low-carbon economy, it is imperative that we develop an infrastructure to support our communities and give them the confidence to make the switch from high carbon fuels, which extends to EV charging points.
“We are working hard to further expand the EV charging points network and will be installing 25 on-street charging points as part of a partnership project in residential areas including Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Oswestry, Ludlow, Much Wenlock and Broseley, and aim to have these installed by spring 2021. The government is also making available £20 million to local authorities for EV charging points and the council is proactively applying for funding.
“However, the council must be careful to avoid spending scarce public money duplicating infrastructure which will be provided by commercial companies anyway. The council is in discussion with a number of commercial companies about opportunities to host fast and super-fast EV charging points on council-owned land across Shropshire."
It comes after the biggest group formed to date in efforts to try and achieve a carbon neutral Shropshire by 2030 said thousands more EV charging points are needed across the county.
The Shropshire Climate Action Partnership said a total of 20,000 EV charging points, including 12,000 in Shropshire Council's area and 8,000 in Telford & Wrekin Council's area, would need to be built within the decade.
Telford & Wrekin Council, which currently has three charging points, said work was ongoing to develop its charging point network across the borough.
