INFRASTRUCTURE to charge a fleet of new electric buses to serve West Somerset has been approved for the First Bus depot on Minehead’s Mart Road industrial estate.

The company is investing £12.5 million in an electric fleet for the county on top of £2.2 million of Government funding provided to Somerset Council.

The electric buses will be used on five routes out of Taunton, including the No 28 service to Minehead, and eventually zero-emission vehicles will replace the older diesel stock and meet enhanced accessibility standards and include on-board wi-fi and USB charging sockets.

First Bus applied for planning permission to install 12 electric bus parking bays in its depot off Brunel Way, Minehead.

Now, Somerset Council planning officer Helen Addison has approved the application, which includes a new transformer building, feeder panel building, and relocated portable building along one boundary.

Ms Addison said: “The delivery of the proposed infrastructure would support the regional bus operator in shifting toward low-emission transport which would benefit the environment through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”

She said the development was appropriate for an industrial estate and would not impact any residential properties.

An existing workshop, bus washing, and fuelling facilities on the 15,000 sq ft site would remain unaltered.

First Bus has let a contract to NG Bailey for the design and installation of the new Minehead charging facilities, including construction and civil works, and associated low voltage electrical infrastructure.

NG Bailey is the UK’s largest independent services and engineering business and has also won a similar contract for the First Bus depot in Hengrove, near Bristol, which will have capacity to charge 74 electric buses.

Work on both the Minehead and Hengrove depots is scheduled to be completed by early 2025 and will be managed by a team with extensive experience working on electrical infrastructure projects, while using local supply chain partners where possible to support the local community.

NG Bailey EV director Alex Chilvers said: “If the UK is to meet its ambitious decarbonisation goals, the adoption of electrical vehicles across the region’s public transport network is critical.

“We are pleased to be working with First Bus, one of the country’s largest bus operators, to deliver the infrastructure they need to make this happen.”

Mr Chilvers said the company would be working closely with local contractors and suppliers in West Somerset to ensure that the First Bus investment delivered not just for the local environment but also the local economy.

First Bus west of England managing director Doug Claringbold said: “This is a real ground-breaking moment, as we see the first signs of a new electric, zero emission era for bus travel in our region.

“We are proud as a company to be investing more than £50 million into electrification projects across the west of England, which also includes these projects as well as one in Weston-super-Mare.

“It marks our biggest investment this region for decades and supports First Bus’ commitment to have a zero-emissions fleet by 2035.”