Electric vehicle boost as Warwick DC offers free parking

ELECTRIC vehicle owners living or working in Warwick District can now apply for a permit which will allow them to park for free, all day every day in car parks run by the district council.

The initiative was announced in January and is now set to go ahead.

To receive a free pass, registered owners of fully electric cars or vans – hybrids do not qualify under this scheme – need to supply the council with their name, address, vehicle registration, make and model. The annual permits will be valid from 1st August.

The council’s portfolio holder for neighbourhood services, Cllr Moira-Ann Grainger said: “In June 2019 our Council declared a ‘climate emergency’ in response to the need for significant and urgent action to reduce carbon emissions.

"This new green scheme we are trialling, is just one of the steps we are taking to help improve air quality in our town centres and encourage increased ownership of electric vehicles.”

There are currently six EV charging points in Warwick District Council-operated car parks in Leamington Spa, these are in Covent Garden and St Peter's multi-storeys and Station Approach short-stay facility.

The council is working with the county council to increase the availability of public charging points across the district.

To apply for a permit and for further information, EV owners should visit https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/evpermits