Electric vehicle charging points have reached the medieval village of Dunster in Somerset.

The 22kW fast charge point has been placed in Dunster Steep car park and become one of 305 publicly accessible charge points in Somerset.

This has seen an increased figure, rising from 40.5 per cent from 217 in June 2022.
 
These charging points have been achieved through public, private and grant funding, in particular the Government led ‘On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme’ (ORCS).
 
This is all part of Somerset Council’s commitment to a greener. 
 
Councillor Mike Rigby, Lead Member, Transport and Digital, said: “Having a good network of charging points – including in rural locations like Dunster - is crucial if we are going to successfully shift to electric vehicles, with all the environmental and health benefits that go with that.”
 
Councillor Dixie Darch, lead member for environment and climate change said:
 
“This is another step forward in helping Somerset become a greener and more sustainable county. The Council recognises that expanding Somerset’s EV charging network will help us in the journey towards net zero.
 
“We are doing this by successfully tapping into Government funding and in the coming months the team will be working hard to deliver a charging network that works for Somerset.”
 
Earlier this year the Council submitted an expression of interest to secure £3.8m from the Governments ‘Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure’ (LEVI) fund.

Recently the council has received confirmation that it has cleared the initial stage.

Potential street charging locations will be mapped out and there are a variety of charging solutions with the aim of making sure the right charge points are available in the right locations, as part of the LEVI process.
 
The network will include car parks and on-street locations, making it applicable to more rural communities, and tourist destinations.
 
If approved the first charge points could start being installed from late 2024.