The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Cash refuels green transport hub plan
Plans to build a pollution-busting green energy travel hub on the outskirts of Perth have been revived. Council bosses want to open the £1 million centre for low-carbon transport at the Broxden Park and Ride facility.
The scheme, which will feature a hydrogen refuelling station, a solar carport and ultra-fast charging points, was first mooted five years ago when it secured nearly £800,000 of European funding.
Now contracts are being drawn up following a successful pledge for £636,000 of Tay Cities Deal cash.
Broxden was selected for the project as a key central point on the Scottish motorway network.
It will be the first building block of the Perth Innovation Highway, which will link up the city centre and a planned expansion at Perth West.
The overall aim of the scheme is to increase the range of refuelling services and transport modes, and to provide sustainable travel options to local residents, businesses and visitors.
A solar carport will create renewable energy, which will feed into a battery storage unit and help support an expansion of EV charging points.
These will include rapid chargers, as well as longstay 7kW chargers to encourage users to leave their vehicles outside the city.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokeswoman said the project was phase one of a wider network of local carbon transport and active travel hubs.
She said: “It will create an innovative, low-carbon transport facility at a strategic node on the Scottish motorway network.
“The project includes expansion of existing electric vehicle charge points to provide a range of charging speeds to accommodate a variety of EV usage patterns.
“Solar carport canopies will be integrated with a battery energy storage system to hold on-site generated renewable energy.
“To encourage active travel, Broxden will also host new bike storage facilities, e-bike charging and a public transport information display.”
She added: “Overall, the project will contribute to the provision of an integrated, effective, efficient low-carbon transport system for Perth and the wider region.”
New tenders for work at the site are expected to be issued before the end of April.
Environment convener Angus Forbes said: “I fully support this initiative and am proud that it’s coming to Perth.
“Perth is ideally situated for this type of investment, especially at Broxden, which sits on the major road network across the whole country.
I am especially keen to see how the solar canopy chargers work because that really is green technology at its best.”
The scheme will be next door to the proposed Perth West eco-project, which will have its own travel hub.
A spokeswoman said that the developer, the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, is “fully supportive of PKC’s project and the wider objective of providing sustainable transport for the region”.
“Perth is ideally situated for this type of investment, especially at Broxden