Keswick has missed out on receiving any new charging points for electric vehicles as part of a drive by Cumbria County Council towards greener transport.
Thirty new charging points are to be installed at council-owned sites across Cumbria as part of the largest single public investment in charging infrastructure in the county to date
The new charging points, part of a £250,000 investment, will be located at Cumbria House and Cecil Street car parks in Carlisle; at the Maryport and Workington transport hubs and at the County Hall car park in Kendal. They will support the transition to low emission electric vehicles in the UK.
Electric vehicle adoption is predicted to rapidly increase with approximately 20 per cent of all new car registrations in the UK, as of April 2021, being electric and predicted new vehicle sales growing to 75 per cent by 2030, when sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be phased out.
Charging points in the Keswick area can be found at Booths, the Allerdale central car park, Armathwaite Hotel & Spa, Ravenstone Lodge Hotel and the Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat at Bewaldeth.
Councillor David Southward, Cumbria County Council cabinet member for property, said: “The county council is committed to making Cumbria carbon neutral. I very much welcome this significant expansion of the EV charging points network in Cumbria, which will support the transition towards greater use of low emission vehicles.”
Peter Thornton, deputy leader of the county council, said: “It’s essential that Cumbria has a robust network of charging points which provide a low carbon transport solution.
“I’m sure this project will help open up the county to more electric vehicle drivers and make a real difference, both in Cumbria and nationally.”
There are currently 213 public charging locations within Cumbria.
By 2022 it is estimated that 581 public charging points will be required within the county.
The proposed project will help to facilitate the achievement of the 2022 requirement.
A county council spokesman said Keswick could be included in a second tranche.
