Flintshire hotel submits second proposal for 12 EV charging points

A second bid has been made to install 12 new electric vehicle charging points outside a Flintshire hotel.

It follows a previous application to create charging facilities within the car park of the Village Hotel St David’s in Ewloe being refused due to safety concerns.

Proposals were originally entered by Ionity, a joint venture between several car manufacturers to build more high-power charging stations, in March this year.

Documents sent to Flintshire Council at the time said it would help the hotel’s owners, Village Hotel Club, with their aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

However, the Welsh Government later instructed the local authority to reject the scheme due to fears a vehicle could leave the nearby A494 and crash into the equipment.

A fresh application has now been made which proposes adding a barrier system to prevent the risk of collisions and satisfy the devolved government’s reservations.

In a planning statement, agent acting for Ionity said: “The previous application for this scheme was as insufficient information had been provided to comply with Welsh Government trunk road legislation and the Flintshire Local Development Plan.

“The applicant has provided appropriate measures to address this by producing a vehicle restraint system design report that accompanies this application.

“The proposed development will deliver 12 new EV charging parking bays to help facilitate the transition to a more sustainable transport system.

“It is hoped that Flintshire Council will take a forward-looking approach to the need for new EV charging infrastructure in this location.

“There is a need for decision-makers to support the transition to more sustainable modes of transport across the country and we look forward to working with planning officers on these proposals.”

The plans showed that creating the charging bays will result in the loss of 19 existing parking spaces, meaning a net loss of seven overall.

It will also require six trees to be removed to accommodate the development.

Comments are currently being invited on the application via the council’s website, with a decision expected at a later date.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter