A pilot scheme to help support and encourage the use of electric cars is on its way to Sudbury, after a programme of environmentally-friendly initiatives received a major funding boost.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils successfully bid for £800,000 in match-funding from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, to support the installation of multifunctional solar carports in key market towns in the areas.
The funding will cover up to 50 per cent of the councils’ budget for delivering the project, with one of the solar carports currently planned for the surface car park in Station Road, Sudbury.
Results of a detailed feasibility study for the scheme will be published by November, with the objective of completing the scheme by March 2022.
The MP for South Suffolk, James Cartlidge, said he was very pleased to see an innovative project in the heart of Sudbury secure such an important cash injection.
“I have been contacted by a number of constituents about the need for more electric vehicle charging points in the town, so I was delighted to see their inclusion in the scheme,” he added.
“It is important that Sudbury harnesses new technologies to protect our beautiful natural environment, and I know that this news will be welcomed by many local residents.”
The initiative forms part of the Babergh District Council’s ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030, by aiming to increase the use of clean technologies, reducing fuel miles and offsetting energy costs.
Cllr Elisabeth Malvisi, Babergh District Council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “The introduction of a solar carport in Sudbury really demonstrates our forward-looking approach for our towns.
“We are looking at a range of opportunities to introduce green technologies across the district to help us create places where people are proud to live and work.”
The solar carports are among 13 projects in the region to receive financial support from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which awarded £32.1million to the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership to aid the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Published by the Suffolk Free Press.
