More electric charging points installed at car parks in West Norfolk, with some on the way in Breckland too

New electric car charging points have been installed in two car parks run by the borough council and two Breckland towns will shortly have some as well.

Central Car Park in Hunstanton and St James Multi-Storey in Lynn now have 50kW chargers where up to two vehicles can be charged at a time in Hunstanton and up to six in Lynn.

The electricity will be paid for by the user via an app, using a BP pulse membership card, RF ID card, credit or debit card.

Cllr Michael de Whalley, cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity at West Norfolk Council, said: “This is one of the steps the borough council is taking to help our residents towards the journey to net zero.

“Having declared a climate emergency, our organisation is looking to see how we can tackle climate change as well as how we can support residents and businesses to do the same.

“These new electric vehicle charging points in well-used car parks in the centre of Hunstanton and Lynn will certainly help.”

The new 50kW electric vehicle chargers are in addition to the 7kW ones, which are designed for overnight charging or for extended use, that have already been introduced this year in the following borough council car parks based in Burnham Market, Hunstanton, and Lynn:

– Chapel Street, Lynn.

– Fairstead Centre Point, Lynn.

– Gaywood Library, Lynn.

– Lynnsport North, Lynn.

– North Street, Burnham Market.

– Valentine Road, Hunstanton.

To upgrade EV chargers in the area the borough council secured a grant of £195,000 from the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and a further contribution of nearly £90,000 from BP Pulse, as well as its own contribution of £73,500.

Users should check local signage for restrictions as some EV charging points belong to other providers and different rules and tariffs may apply.

There will also soon be new charging points for electric cars installed in two Breckland towns which will help serve the growing number of electric vehicles across Breckland and attract visitors.

The two charging points, capable of charging up to four vehicles at a time, will be installed at Theatre Street Car Park in Swaffham as well as Kittell Close Car Park in Watton. The installation work is due to start in November.

Officials said the move would help to future-proof the towns in light of national government initiatives that aim to increase the number of electric vehicles and reduce the sale and use of conventional petrol and diesel cars in the UK over the coming years.

As part of Breckland 2035, Breckland Council has also committed to enabling communities to lead greener lifestyles and cut local carbon emissions.

Electric vehicle charging points have previously been installed in four of Breckland’s market towns and this new round of installations will increase accessibility to six points across the district.

The existing electric vehicle charging points have been strategically placed to supplement the existing private sector offering along with off-street charging options.

Cllr Helen Crane, Breckland Council’s executive member for waste, environmental health, licensing, and sustainability, said: “Installation of these new charging points will provide greater accessibility for the growing numbers of electric vehicle drivers.

“Meeting the growing demand we are seeing for electric vehicle charging points will make it convenient for residents and visitors to come into our market towns, visit our shops, and then return to a recharged vehicle.”

The installation work is being delivered in partnership with EV charging infrastructure experts Mer and UK Power Networks.

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