A brief online survey carried out from 16 July 2020 to 26 July 2020 showed strong support amongst respondents for electric vehicle charging points in the town. The survey was posted on this website, and in the two main Bruton Facebook groups. There were 81 responses (about one response for every 15 households).
Station Road car park
This car park, for up to 34 cars, is leased by the Town Council from Godminster Farm. The Town Council had planned to install a charging point for two cars, the costs being met by users and not the Council.
Nearly half the respondents thought there should be charging for more than two cars. Only 10% thought there should be fewer points.
Tolbury Mill and Higher Backway car parks
These car parks are owned and managed by South Somerset District Council. The District Council has asked the Town Council whether it wants charging points installed in these two car parks. Tolbury Mill car park has 25 spaces, Higher Backway 10.
Again there was strong support for charging points, with ‘more than two cars’ being the most popular response for Tolbury Mill. However, the number of respondents who thought there should be no charging points was much greater than at Station Road, with over a third of respondents thinking that there should be no charging points at Higher Backway.
Where else?
Respondents were asked whether there was anywhere else in the town that chargers should be installed, and, if so, where. Over half the respondents answered this question. The most popular suggestions are listed below.
Budgens (suggested by nine respondents)
High Street (six)
Jubilee Park (five)
Community Hall/Packhorse Bridge (four)
Cole Road (four)
Any other comments?
18 respondents added further comments, some of which were supportive, ‘Electric cars are a rarity now, but they will become the norm so as many charging points as possible should be installed’ and others less so (‘stop trying to be London’). Several respondents expressed concern that the charging point spaces would become blocked and could reduce parking overall.
There is an issue where cars will need to be moved off charging points and this will vary between 30 mins and up to 4/5 hours depending on whether or not fast charge points are installed. Will parking time limits be modified? Also will these be free or charged. Some companies are better at maintaining points than others.