Drivers are being encouraged to switch to electric vehicles by a £40,000 scheme to provide on-street charging points in Folkestone, Hythe and New Romney.
The 15 fast chargers will be installed on lampposts in various locations across the district including three taxi ranks.
Folkestone & Hythe district councillors agreed on Wednesday (25 November 2020) to spend the money from the Climate Change Reserve fund as another way of reducing the district’s carbon footprint.
The number of electric vehicle owners in the district has doubled in the last three years from 127 in 2017 to 252 in June this year.
Folkestone and Hythe District Council
There are already six charging points provided by the council and a further 23 by commercial businesses. The council is also working with Kent County Council to secure funding from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to provide more charging points in car parks.
Councillors agreed that the electricity provided to cars parked on the street should be charged at a rate of 25p per kwh with the exact locations of the on-street chargers still to be decided.
Councillor David Godfrey, F&HDC Cabinet member for Housing, Transportation and special projects said: “The council is increasing access to charging points for our residents and we feel it is good use of some of the money that we earmarked last year to reduce the district’s carbon footprint.
“There is so much more to do over and above electric vehicles which is why the council’s Climate Change working group, chaired by Councillor Lesley Whybrow, is looking at a number of different projects which may lower our environmental impact.”
Councillor Lesley Whybrow added: “We have nearly completed the work on our Carbon Action Plan which seeks to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the council’s own estate. We will then be looking at ways we can work with local residents to help reduce the carbon footprint of the wider district.”