ELECTRIC vehicle owners in the Lutterworth area can now stay powered up more easily after new charging points were installed in Harborough district.
Harborough District Council (HDC) has worked with local business Plugmein to install 22kw chargers – replacing less powerful 7kw units – at Station Road in Lutterworth, Orchard Road in Broughton Astley, and School Road in Kibworth.
New chargers have also been installed at North Memorial Hall in Tugby and Allerton Project Visitor Centre in Loddington. They will be owned by the local parish and community organisation.
Coun Darren Woodiwiss, HDC’s spokesperson for Climate Change and Neighbourhood Services, said: “Giving EV drivers options for charging their vehicles more conveniently is an important part of our climate emergency action plan that’s geared to cutting Harborough district’s carbon emissions.
“These new chargers give local residents more options and convenience and we hope they will also encourage others to consider making the switch to an EV to help cut their carbon footprint.
“We also hope EV drivers visiting our district for business, tourism or other purposes will use these rural charging sites and perhaps spend more time in the district as a result, helping to support the local economy and keep our air cleaner.”
The cost of using the new chargers is 43p per kWh.
They were funded by £150,000 from the government’s Rural Prosperity Fund, part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
HDC is also working with other district and borough councils through the Green Living Leicestershire Partnership to deliver more rural chargers across Leicestershire this year.
Funding has been allocated to the partnership from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and the Pooled Business Rates Fund, which is managed by the Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership.
