Two electric vehicle chargepoints and two charging sockets for e-bikes have been installed at Blain House in Penrith.
The electric vehicle chargepoints are the latest in a series of similar installations by Lancaster based community benefit society Charge My Street who, over the past year, have launched chargepoints in Carlisle, Kendal, Barrow and Aspatria among others.
This is the first of the installations to have integrated charging facilities for e-bikes, a prospect that Richard Ingham, Cumbria’s bicycle mayor saw as an important step forward.
He said: “It makes a statement that cyclists, whether they be on e-bikes or non-assisted bikes are welcome here which is important for Penrith because it lies on the coast-to-coast, the UK’s most popular cycle route.
“It’s becoming increasingly apparent that transport has a very large contribution to our carbon footprint and poor air quality in town centers. Cycling and walking for our daily short journeys is a really good way to reduce our car use and tackle those issues. Cycling and walking to school, work and local shops is also a great opportunity to be more active and healthy.”
The chargepoints are located at Blain House, headquarters of Eden Housing Association on Bridge Lane. Using share offer funds as well as government contributions, Charge My Street installed the chargepoints at no cost to EHA who is delighted to have the chargepoint live and in-use.
John Clasper the Chief Executive of EHA said: “We’re really excited to see the chargepoint up and running. The idea was introduced to us that we could do something for our staff and visitors as well as members of the public who either already drive an EV or want to switch to one.
“Eden Housing Association is a community organisation, and it was a no-brainer for us to make use of the space we have in order to better serve the community at large.”
Charge My Street is currently leading a campaign to have 100 chargepoints installed throughout Cumbria and Lancashire at willing host sites. Anyone who owns a car parking space that they are willing to open to the public to charge in is encouraged to apply on their website and volunteer as the next chargepoint host.
Director of Charge My Street Daniel Heery said: “We work with lots of different site hosts and we really look for organisations whose values align with ours and Eden Housing Association have a real commitment to reducing their emissions and helping to build a more sustainable economy for Cumbria.
“It’s great that we’ve got this spot so close to the main road. It provides all the people who live around here or work in the nearby hospital a place to charge their cars that they may not otherwise have had, especially if they live in terraced housing without a driveway.”
Anyone wishing to become a host site for a new chargepoint should go to www.chargemystreet.co.uk/host
This project is possible thanks to grant funding from Innovate UK and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.