Ribble Valley: Warning over lack of rural electric car charging

Car parks in remote parts of Lancashire are challenging places to install charging points

People with electric cars may not be able to charge them at council car parks in rural Lancashire in the future, a council boss has warned.

Ribble Valley Council heard a lack of mobile phone signal and the cost of digging a power supply tunnel could be a problem in the area.

Councillors fear electric cars could even be abandoned in beauty spots such as the Forest of Bowland.

Council chief executive Marshal Scott said: "It's a national situation."

The issue was raised in a report about EV charging points in council car parks, the Local Democracy Reporting Service writes.

Councillors heard it could cost £100,000 to get an electricity supply to a council car park in some places

Mr Scott said: "There could be a future situation where people with electric cars cannot charge them. It's worth having talks with MPs about this."

Council officer Mark Beveridge told the meeting: "The council now has a budget. The principle thing is the power supply. Access is critical. In one area, the cost of digging a tunnel was £100,000. In some areas, connections are simpler than others.

"We are working with a company, seeing what other councils have done and having talks with E.ON. A report will come back to this committee with financial implications. "

Asked by councillors how people could pay for charging in areas with no mobile connection Mr Beveridge replied: "That's a good question. Charging with a mobile phone app is quite easy in Clitheroe.

"However, in Slaidburn, for example, we cannot link car park pay-and-display to mobiles because we cannot get a signal. However, mobile phone companies say they are going to improve rural signals."

A council report said the primary issue in places such as Clitheroe will be the electrical supply available. The reason there are currently only two car parks in the town is access to a suitable electric supply.

Earlier this year government data revealed the north west of England had the lowest proportion of charging points in England.

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