Electric vehicle charging hub plan for Kilmarnock retail park as spaces to be axed..

A planning application for a facility with six 150kW rapid chargers and one standard 22kW charger was lodged with East Ayrshire Council recently.

A new electric vehicle charging hub is set to be developed at Queen’s Drive retail park in Kilmarnock.

The location of the proposed hub would be between Smyths Toy Store and Asda.

The location is partially within an area with a “low likelihood” of surface water flooding and is situated in an area with a “medium likelihood” of river flooding.

The retail park was given the go ahead in 1996.

The application seeks approval for the installation of Electrical Vehicle charging up stands; a substation and underground cabling; and
other associated infrastructure.”

 

According to the application materials, the ideas ‘upgrade, enhance, or create active travel infrastructure, public transport infrastructure, or multi modal hubs would be promoted.’ They also claim that the concepts complied with guidelines.

This includes suggestions for electric vehicle forecourts and charging infrastructure, particularly for those powered by renewable energy sources.

According to the applicant, this means that suggestions for EV charging facilities are supported by the national planning policy position.

Two spots will be lost as a result of the relocation, despite the fact that the report notes that there are around 408 places there.

According to the application, “this is considered negligible given the quantum of parking available within the wider retail park.”

“The proposed development won’t negatively affect the neighbourhood or lead to on-street parking given the extent of the space reduction and the retail park’s current parking arrangement.

“Furthermore, given that the proposal is for an EV charging hub at an existing car park and the number of proposed parking spaces is a small reduction over the existing, it is considered that the proposal does not meet the threshold for a Transport Assessment, as it would be unlikely to generate significant amounts of additional movement given the majority of users of the EV charging upstands are expected to be associated with linked trips to those using existing facilities at the retail park.”