Bath & North East Somerset Council has provided a new charging point for electric vehicles in South Wansdyke Sports Centre car park in Midsomer Norton.

The charging unit enables two cars to charge at once, each using one of the 32amp/7kw fast charge sockets which provide a full recharge from empty in about four hours.

The unit has been funded through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund – a Government grant for a package of measures aimed at improving sustainable transport options. It is hoped the charge point will encourage electric vehicle use, lower emissions and improve air quality in the area.

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Caroline Roberts (Lib Dem, Newbridge) said: “Electric vehicles are more environmentally-friendly than fossil fuel-based vehicles, so the Council is pleased to be supporting the use of them through electric charging points. This is a definite bonus for air quality and we hope people will make the best possible use of them.”

Further charge points will be installed at other locations including the Fox and Hounds car park in Keynsham and Newbridge Park and Ride in early 2015. Other public charge points already available across Bath and North East Somerset include Odd Down and Lansdown Park and Ride sites, Charlotte Street car park in Bath and the University of Bath.

The website www.sourcewest.info maps all of the publicly available charge points as well as providing information about electric vehicles. There is also a Source West smartphone app run by Charge Your Car that enables you to check charge point locations and availability while on the move.