EV charging zone plan for superstore

Morrison’s supermarket in Bideford could be getting a charging zone for electric vehicles at its filling station, if plans are approved.

Operator Motor Fuel Group wants to remove a car wash at the Kingsley Road store, extend the sales building, and put in the EV charging zone and four jet wash bays.

The company claims its proposals would not impact town centre shops as it is intended to serve customers at the filling station only.

Planning documents submitted to Torridge District Council by the agent CarneySweeney said that, at the current pace of installation, the UK would not reach a target set by the last Conservative government to provide 300,000 public chargers by 2030.

The number of new installations would have to more than triple to get close.

Councillors in Torridge have regularly voiced concerns over the lack of working EV charging points in their own car parks, with some reported to be out of action for two years.

They said that doesn’t encourage people to buy electric vehicles or mitigate the climate emergency.

Cllr Doug Smith (Lib Dem, Great Torrington) said last summer: “The charging points in Torrington were not working for a very long time. It wasn’t intermittent, and it was well over a year and causing major problems. They are on a national database so people were coming here and finding they didn’t work.”