Bradley Stoke residents and visitors to the town could soon to able to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) at the Willow Brook shopping centre, if a planning application submitted by Osprey Charging Network gains approval from South Gloucestershire Council.
The operator, which has over 200 sites across the UK, wants to install an array of 16 ultra-rapid EV chargers, along with an associated electrical sub-station, in the car park of the shopping centre.
The charging points would be grouped together on the eastern edge of the car park, along the boundary to Bradley Stoke Way, between the new McDonald’s restaurant and the bus gate near the Giant cycle store.
The proposed installation site currently accommodates 24 car parking spaces, so the development will result in an overall loss of eight spaces at the shopping centre.
Osprey says the facility will exceed the requirements for accessibility through the use of hatched areas to the sides of each charging station.
In a covering letter, the firm says the proposed development will support the take up of electric vehicles and help the local authority meet its declared climate change targets:
“South Gloucestershire Council has committed to reducing their carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 (as stated in their Climate Change Strategy 2018-2023). A large part of this will be reducing vehicle emissions. To support ultra-low emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles, many more public charge points will be needed. Osprey charging network believe that, through this proposed development of 16 ultra-rapid charge points we will be helping South Gloucestershire council to achieve their goals.”
The letter adds:
“Not all homes and EV drivers will have access to off-street parking (over 30 percent) and they will be reliant on affordable and accessible public charging infrastructure.”
According to Zap Map, which maintains a UK-wide directory of publicly accessible EV charging points, there are currently just four devices available in Bradley Stoke – one at the Hollow Tree public house (also operated by Osprey), one at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre (operated by Revive but currently shown as being ‘out of service), one at the Toby Carvery (operated by BP Pulse) and one at Linden House, Woodlands (operated by Pod Point but currently shown with unknown status).
A source at the Willow Brook Centre confirmed that the proposed development would not affect the Covid-19 ‘happiness snake’ installation that is located within the small garden area next to the bus gate.
Related link: Planning application ref. P22/06333/F (SGC)
At the time of writing, the planning application remains open to public comment – via the ‘Make a comment’ button shown on the application webpage (see link above). Registration may be required if you haven’t previously commented on a planning application.
