Plans to redevelop former A1 service station with electric car charging points submitted to Peterborough council

The site where the electric charging points woud be installed

Solar Charging Ltd wants to revamp the former Abbotts Wood Service Station which lies near the southbound carriageway in Thornhaugh, near Wittering.

Under its plans 20 electric car charging points would be installed, as well as a “service building” which would include a café.

The electricity would come from a nearby solar farm - a process the company said would be “the first of its kind” within the region and would “seek to reflect the aspirations of Peterborough City Council’s Environment Capital agenda”.

The charging points would be able to recharge a car battery to 80 per cent of its capacity within 45 minutes, it is claimed, and would not impact on the existing electricity grid.

A report outlining the plans, which has been submitted as part of the application to the council, added: “The aim towards using cleaner, renewable energy is also backed by government and it is vital that this infrastructure is in place as the use of the electric car becomes more popular as the production of vehicles solely powered by fossil fuels is presently set to cease by the year 2040.”

Solar Charging Ltd said if the application is approved, six to eight charging points would be installed initially, with a second tranche put in place within five years.

It is expected that eventually 843 vehicles would enter and leave the premises each day.

The site is currently said to be “semi-derelict” and “relatively overgrown with shrubs and weeds”.

Under the proposals, space would be allocated for staff car parking as well as outdoor seating.

Peterborough was recently dubbed the electric vehicle capital of the UK after a report revealed that the city comfortably came out on top percentage wise for the number of registered electric vehicles.

Figures compiled last month by comparethemarket.com, which were taken from the DVLA, showed that residents in Peterborough own 210,167 vehicles, of which 10,866 are electric.