Gosport Borough Council is deploying new charge points to help support rising electric vehicle take-up.

The new chargers support the council’s vision of providing more sustainable methods of transport for local residents

It’s signed up Believ, formerly Liberty Charge, to install 30 charge points across seven council-owned car parks. Believ will own, operate and maintain the charge points, which will be delivered via its strategic delivery partner, Virgin Media O2.

The new chargers, which include a mix of fast and rapid devices, support its vision of providing more sustainable methods of transport for local residents to mitigate climate change, improve air quality and lower emissions across the borough.

The first two charge points are already operational within Pebble Beach car park, serving customers visiting the Gosport Splash Park, Stokes Bay sailing club, and other similar attractions including the Pebbles Fish and Wine Bar and mini golf.

These will be followed by installations at Marine Parade Car Park, Beach Road Car Park, No.2 Battery East Car Park, Green Lane Hardway Car Park, Walpole Car Park and No.2 Battery West Car Park.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Peter Chegwyn, said: “We want to encourage our residents to make environmentally friendly choices and reduce possible pollution and do so in a sustainable manner. Through providing publicly accessible EV infrastructure, we will promote sustainable lifestyles for residents and visitors alike.

“Local economies should benefit in equal measure, with tourist attractions and local businesses benefiting from new audiences seeking to experience all that Gosport has to offer and being able to do so with their EV on charge!”

The new chargers will support the council’s work to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Perran Moon, interim CEO of Believ, commented: “We’re proud to contribute to Gosport’s plans for cleaner air and a reduction in carbon emissions by providing an accessible, sustainable EV charging network for all, with a variety of charging speeds and at no cost to the taxpayer or council.”

The BVRLA has launched a new campaign this week to support more local authorities in developing electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategies. The trade association has developed a pool of resources and guidance to support local authorities and is also encouraging them to sign its ‘Fleet Friendly EV Charging Pledge’ to demonstrate their long-term commitment to cleaner transport. More details are here.