ELECTRIC vehicle charging points have reached the medieval village of Dunster as Somerset Council continues its EV rollout across the county.

The 22kW fast charge point is located in Dunster Steep car park and becomes one of 305 publicly accessible charge points in Somerset.

Expanding EV charging is part of the council’s commitment to a greener and more sustainable travel strategy.

It has seen the number of charging points increase by 40 per cent in the past year.

Somerset executive Cllr Mike Rigby said: “Having a good network of charging points, including in rural locations like Dunster, is crucial if we are going to successfully shift to electric vehicles, with all the environmental and health benefits that go with that.”

Cllr Dixie Darch said: “This is another step forward in helping Somerset become a greener and more sustainable county.

“The council recognises that expanding Somerset’s EV charging network will help us in the journey towards net zero.

“We are doing this by successfully tapping into Government funding and in the coming months the team will be working hard to deliver a charging network that works for Somerset.”

Earlier this year, the council submitted an expression of interest for £3.8 million from the Governments ‘Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure’ (LEVI) fund and recently received confirmation the bid had cleared the initial stage.

As part of the LEVI process, potential on-street charging locations will be mapped, and as all locations are different, and there are a variety of charging solutions, the aim was to make sure the right charge points were available in the right locations.

The network will include car parks and on-street locations, as well as addressing the charging needs of more rural communities and tourist destinations.

Planning for the network is underway, and if approved the first charge points funded in this way could start to be installed from late next year.

To find a nearby charging point search here.