More electric car charging points for Scarborough and Whitby are needed, says MP Robert Goodwill

Robert Goodwill says Scarborough Borough Council needs to “put its green money where its green mouth is” and increase the number of places where owners of electric cars can charge their vehicles overnight.

“More people are getting hybrid vehicles and electric cars,” he said.

“Scarborough Borough Council needs to do something about having far more electric charging points in the area.”

He said people making substantial journeys, such as visitors travelling to the coast for staycations, need to charge their vehicles overnight but there is a “dismal” number of charging points available.

“The council needs to put its green money where its green mouth is and get some more charging points,” he said.

Mr Goodwill’s comments come in the wake of a Government cash pledge for electric car and green skills training for Scarborough TEC.

The college project is one of 45 in Yorkshire to be chosen to share a £115m investment from the Getting Building Fund to build homes, infrastructure and create jobs as part of the country’s economic recovery from coronavirus.

The money will buy an electric car and training equipment for low carbon motor vehicle maintenance courses at the college and pay for charging bays to be installed to promote green transport education, training and employability.

The project will also see hybrid and electric transport courses introduced from September.

Whitby Business Park’s plans to create 10,000sqm of flexible business units is another of the schemes to be funded from the cash pot.

Mr Goodwill, who welcomed both the Scarborough TEC and Whitby Business Park grants, said: “I’ve had contact from businesses in Whitby who want to expand but can’t secure premises so this is good news.”

Across England, successful projects will receive a portion of the £900m Getting Building Fund - announced by the Prime Minister in June - with the investment expected to deliver up to 45,000 homes, create up to 85,000 jobs and reduce around 65 million kgs of CO2 emissions across the country.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said the funding will not only “give a much needed boost” to the country’s economic recovery after the pandemic, but will also “help build the good quality, affordable homes the country needs”.

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