Electric vehicle (EV) charging points are set to be installed in council car parks across the Staffordshire Moorlands later this year.

It comes as Staffordshire Moorlands District Council progresses its strategy on local EV charging infrastructure to help residents with the transition away from petrol and diesel cars.

Council leaders say the plans also tie into the authority's tourism strategy, with evidence suggesting many EV owners plan their trips by focussing on where they can charge their cars.

Cllr James Aberley (Con) is spearheading the work alongside officers from the council.

He's owned electric vehicles since 2008, and said: "I'm very aware of the issues and implications with electric vehicles."

He explained it was important to install enough chargers to future-proof the council's car parks and reassure residents that swapping their combustion engine vehicles to electric is feasible.

He also said it was important to install rapid chargers, so vehicles charged quickly enough, and consider what sorts of activities people would carry out in town centres while their cars are charging.

He said: "We've got to think about the implications of people waiting in car parks, and what they're going to do in that time.

"In reality, you're going to struggle to fill 12 hours in Cheadle – no offence – there's only so long you can spend in Wetherspoons!"

Cheadle High Street (Stoke Nub News).

The Staffordshire Moorlands currently sits in the lowest 10% when ranked against other local authority areas for EV infrastructure. Their ambition is to be within the top 25%.

Cllr Aberley said this was also important in relation to tourism, because tourists with electric vehicles think about where they can find charging points when they plan their journeys.

He said: "Its a personal ambition to see the Moorlands at the forefront of encouraging people to move to EVs.

"Building in confidence that you can come here, charge your car and get home has to be absolutely essential in delivering all the benefits for our residents and visitors."

He was backed by councillors from across the political divide.

Cllr Mike Gledhill (Lab) said: "It's great to see us blaze a trail with this, and say we're going to make this happen – in our community, for our community.

"I think a move like this will give more people confidence to make a move to electric vehicles and it will fit with our climate change policies."

Electric Vehicle Charging Point in Windmill Car Park, Stafford Town Centre (Google).

The strategy was also backed by local climate campaigners.

Mark Johnson, Moorlands Climate Action said: "This is a bold, confident and well thought-out strategy, designed to meet a crucial but fast-changing need."

"We need more of this kind of decisive action if Staffordshire Moorlands is get even close to its Net Zero targets."

The strategy will see charging points installed in busier council-owned car parks first, but all car parks should have chargers by the end of the summer.

The council is currently beginning conversations with companies that will install and maintain the chargers, and has allocated £200,000 towards the cost of the scheme and central government will  cover 60% of the costs.

Once installed, around 5% of council-owned car parking spaces in the Moorlands will have an electric vehicle charger.

This is likely to increase further in coming years as take-up of electric vehicles increases.

The chargers will be 50kw, which is industry standard, and charging times will vary depending on the size of the vehicle's battery.

The tariffs for vehicle charging have not been decided yet.

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