Tuesday February 5th 2019
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Villages and remote locations across East Lothian could be fitted with electric car charging points after the local authority received funding to widen its network.
Residents who live in rural communities and do not have their own driveways can apply for a public charging point to be installed near their home.
The £45,000 scheme, which is being funded by the Department of Transport’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), has seen additional charging points placed in smaller communities including the villages of Stenton, East Linton, West Barns and Aberlady.
The council has also identified potential sites for new charging points in the villages of Pencaitland, Ormiston and Macmerry and has asked any residents who have, or are considering an electric vehicle, to contact them if they want one in their communities.
East Lothian Council said the number of registered electric vehicles in the county is 17 times what it was just six years ago when there were less than 20.
Now there are nearly 180 registered vehicles and the county has installed to date 15 public chargers.
It received £750,000 to install town centre charging points this year and a further £500,000 from the Scottish Government to expand the scheme to key locations.
The funding from OLEV is for people living in residential areas where there have been individual requests from an electric car owner or potential owner for help.
A council spokesperson said: “Individuals without their own driveways who wish to use an electric car are encouraged to request an on-street EV charge point close to their home, and we will apply for the grants available from OLEV to support this where possible.”
A map of charging points available across Scotland can be found at chargeplacescotland.org/
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