Electric charging plan

ELECTRIC vehicle owners will be delighted to hear of proposals for a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Zone in Southport.

Eight new electric vehicle charging points would be installed at the Town Lane Service Station at 258 Scarisbrick New Road in Southport (pictured), close to Kew Roundabout.

The Motor Fuel Group, the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator with over 900 sites, wants to offer motorists a ‘dual-fuel strategy’ to make it “as easy to charge your vehicle as re-fuelling with petrol or diesel”.

The firm has submitted a planning application for its ambitions to Sefton Council, which would see the erection of a charging zone, canopy and EV chargers, plus three jet wash bays, a substation enclosure, plant room and associated forecourt works.

The facilities would be available 24 hours a day. In their submission to the council, they wrote: “The UK has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by 2035 and moving to Net Zero by 2050.

“As part of the Net Zero Strategy, the UK government has placed a new emphasis on electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK.

“As part of this drive, it is essential that there is a comprehensive and competitive EV charging network in place.

“Although difficult to know precisely how much charging will be needed, forecasts suggest that at least 280 to 480,000 public charge points will be needed by 2030 - more than 10 times the current number (around 25,000).

“En-route charging for longer journeys is deemed crucial to support the switch to EV and reduce concerns about charge ‘range anxiety’.

“Motor Fuel Group is the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator with over 900 sites offering a dual-fuel strategy, convenient retail and ‘food to go’.

“Motor Fuel Group’s proposal to install new EV charging points at Town Lane Service Station should be considered positively in light of the demand for the national context and the demand for the necessary infrastructure to support electric vehicle use across the UK.”