ELECTRIC vehicle (EV) charging points have now been installed in two Dorset villages – with plans to roll out further charging points to 11 more towns and villages.
The new EV charging points, which will go live in the coming weeks, have been installed in car parks at Park Way in West Moors and Kettle Bridge in Cerne Abbas.
The charging points were installed as part of Dorset Council ‘Charging Ahead’ initiative which seeks to get 80% of households within a 10-minute walk of a public charging point by 2030.
The council said by the end of the year, an additional 11 car parks in towns and villages across Dorset will be equipped with EV chargers thanks to the programme.
This includes the installation of three new charging hubs in Weymouth, Blandford and Bridport.
Funding for the new chargers comes from a mix of sources, including government grants, private investment and local developer contributions.
The new EV chargers will be located in:
- West Moors
- Cerne Abbas
- Blandford Forum
- Dorchester
- Sturminster Newton
- Bridport
- Weymouth
- Sherborne
- Wareham
- Lyme Regis
Once these are installed, the total number of public charging points will reach just under 300 across Dorset.
The council said the installation of the charging points will not affect nearby businesses or impact the use of car parks.
“The Charging Ahead programme is crucial in our efforts to reduce emissions and combat climate change in Dorset,” said councillor Nick Ireland, Dorset Council’s cabinet member for climate change.
“By expanding the network of electric vehicle chargers across the county, we can make it easier for residents to transition to electric vehicles.
“This shift will help improve air quality and create a healthier environment for everyone.
“However, it’s critical that our rural communities don’t get left behind in this transition to sustainable energy, so I’m thrilled to see charge points being installed in our villages as well as our towns.”
There is also a new one in, but not yet commissioned, the high street car park at Gillingham.
Given the number of villages in Dorset this is very slow progress. Whilst welcome, I think it’s optimistic that these targets will be met by 2030. It would be helpful to see a schedule of when all villages in Dorset are going to have any EV chargers installed or have this ’10 minutes walk to one’ available.