County looks at boosting car charging points

Denbighshire County Council could play an increasing role in tackling climate change .

It is currently looking at the possibility of increasing the number of electrical vehicle charging points (pictured) across the county and evaluating the use of potential alternative fuel sources to run its fleet of vehicles.

Plaid Cymru Councillor Mabon ap Gwynfor, Llandrillo/Cynwyd, called on the council to look at the issue of electrical charging points and fuel used for its own vehicles.

Council officers will draw up papers on both issues for discussion at a Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr ap Gwynfor said: “We need to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, which is causing huge damage to the environment. Man-made global warming is one of the biggest threats facing us today. It’s already causing havoc to coastal communities, affecting our health and wellbeing and is the cause of many wars across the globe.

"Sea levels are set to rise, and we could see further damage to communities on the Denbighshire coast over the coming decades unless we do something about this issue.

“It’s also clear that the direction of travel as far as vehicle fuel is concerned is away from fossil fuel, so Denbighshire County Council needs to be prepared for that eventuality and ensure that it builds up a fleet of vehicles that are not dependent on fossil fuels.”

Research conducted by HSBC showed that only 31 publicly-funded charging points are available in Wales, compared with 2,862 in England, 743 in Scotland and 185 in Northern Ireland. That’s 1 charging point per 100,000 people in Wales (1).

Cllr ap Gwynfor added: “There’s an opportunity here to look at developing electric vehicle charging points across Denbighshire. It’s very difficult for rural communities like the ones I represent to move away from diesel or petrol because the infrastructure isn’t yet in place to enable people to charge electric vehicles.

"Denbighshire County Council could lead the way and help our communities to transition to electric. It would also help the Council to achieve its ambition of reducing CO2 emissions as well.”