Call made for EV charging points in Northumberland coastal village

There are no EV charging points in the popular coastal village at the moment, the nearest being in the railway station car park.

Parish councillors are hoping the idea can be developed in partnership with Northumberland County Council, the AONB team and possibly the burgage holders who manage the beach car park.

Cllr Shaun Whyte, parish council chairman, acknowledged there were ‘challenges’ given the density of the settlement and its layout.

But Cllr Ed Williams said the case for their introduction was ‘compelling’ and he did not want to see Alnmouth miss the boat.

Cllr Ian Armstrong added: “We should harness the climate change momentum to make progress. I’m quite optimistic that we can make some early inroads.

"There are grant opportunities out there and I’m sure that with a unified front Alnmouth can be near the top of the queue.”

Cllr Gordon Castle, local county councillor, commented: “Alnmouth is a visitor destination and large numbers visit from quite a long way away and that's a case for pressing for charging points. They’re not stopping for 20 minutes. Very often they’re there for quite a part of the day so I think there is a strong case for pushing forward.”

It was agreed to seek further talks with the AONB, county council and burgess holders to discuss how Alnmouth can play a role in reducing emissions.

It was felt it could be something that holiday let owners who don't pay council tax might be able to help with.

It was revealed that the parish council had received £950 in donations from holiday let owners this year.

However, it was noted that it was still a small proportion of holiday lets paying.

"Most people give £25 although there are one or two who give much more than that,” said Cllr Whyte. “We could do with a lot more but it is a donation and not a levy so there's not much more we can do.”

The return of the village bonfire and fireworks display had been well received and raised £930.

“There must have been 400-500 there,” said Cllr Whyte. "The gift of food from The Whittling House made a huge difference so I’d like to register our thanks to them.”

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today.

With a digital subscription you get access to the ad-lite version of our website, meaning you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times and get all of the headlines you need with fewer distractions.

The Northumberland Gazette has been serving the county since 1854, and your support means we can continue telling your stories for generations to come.

Click here to subscribe.