ELECTRIC vehicle drivers living near Burnham and Highbridge will soon be able to charge their cars at a popular garden centre.
Planning permission has been granted for an electric vehicle charging company to install five ultra-rapid charging points at Sanders Garden Centre in Brent Knoll.
The garden centre is located just off the A38 Bristol Road and around one mile from junction 22 of the M5 – two key routes in the south west.
Permission was granted by Sedgemoor District Council on Friday, January 6.
The chargers will be installed on land currently used ‘informally’ for coach parking, meaning there will be no loss of car parking spaces.
Electric vehicle drivers will be able to charge their vehicles during the garden centre's opening hours.
The proposals were submitted by MER Charging UK Ltd, a European electric vehicle charging company owned by Statkraft, a renewable energy producer.
MER Charging has over 25,000 charge points for landowners and local authorities across the UK, Norway, Germany, Austria and Sweden.
The planning application said: “This site forms part of a wider car park serving Sanders Garden Centre and can be accessed off the A38 (Bristol Road).
“The site itself is currently in use as a hard surface-level car park which provides parking for the garden centre.
“The car park is owned and operated by garden centre operator Blue Diamond Ltd, and this application is being submitted with their support.
“The proposals will replace the existing informal coach parking area which is located in the south western corner of the car park.”
It added: “This proposal will provide ultra-rapid EV charging facilities for both customers at Sanders Garden Centre as well as to the general public, thereby improving the wider public’s access to such service.
“As the proposal is for ultra-rapid chargers, the application proposals will also include ancillary infrastructure in the form of a substation, triple bank unit, meter cabinet and harmonic filter.
“The substation will be enclosed by seven bollards that reach one metre in height for safety reasons to restrict public access to this technical equipment.
“To facilitate this development, this proposal will regularise the area of hardstanding which has been in informal use as a coach parking area.
“As such, no car parking is being lost as a result of this proposal.”
Sedgemoor District Council planning list
The following planning applications were received by Sedgemoor District Council between January 5 and January 11, 2022.
For more details and to comment on applications, visit www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/planning.
Badgworth
03/22/00015: Part retrospective change of use of land for the storage of 4 no. shipping containers in association with private and business use at Bow Farm, Bristol Road.
Bridgwater
08/22/00223: Erection of a single storey extension to the West elevation on site of existing (to be demolished) at 16 Hampton Close.
08/22/00230: Siting of a 6m x 2.4m portable building to be used as a community pantry at Victoria Park Community Centre, Victoria Park Drive.
08/22/00231: Fire door installation to replace windows to South elevation and associated internal works at 19 High Street.
08/22/00232: Fire door installation to replace windows to South elevation and associated internal works at 19 High Street.
08/22/00233: Variations of Condition 2 of Planning Permission 08/21/00134 (Erection of a dwelling on site of existing detached garage to be demolished) to remove the first floor accommodation from the development on land to the north of 118 West Street.
East Brent
24/22/00039: Demolition of conservatory and the conversion of loft to form additional living accomodation, including a roof alterations and the installtion of 3no. rooflights to the South, West and East elevations. Erection of a new garden screening wall to the East and South elevation, and fenestration alterations at Niagara, East Brent.
24/22/00043: Application for site access from Old Bristol Road on land north of Old Bristol Road, Highbridge.
Lympsham
31/22/00023: Erection of a two-storey extension with dormer to the SE elevation at Pix Barn, Rectory Way.
Mark
33/22/00052: Fell 1No. Ash tree (T39) (TPO Ref T16), Prune 1No. Beech (T47) (TPO Ref G1) to give 2m clearance from adjacent chimney stack. Fell 1No. Monterey Cypress (T48) (TPO Ref T17) at Sedgemoor Manor School, Blackford Road.
33/23/00001: Variation of Conditions 2 and 6 of Planning Permission ref. 33/21/00032 (Erection of 1no. single storey detached dwelling with the formation of new access) to vary approved plans and previously approved lux report at Vicarage Lane Farm, Vicarage Lane.
Otterhampton
39/22/00012: Erection of round house welfare building on land at Steart Drove, Steart.
Shipham
44/22/00022: Siting of a storage container within forest on land at Rowberrow Warren.
44/23/00001: Change of use of coach house accommodation to a holiday cottage, erection of a link extension to the swimming pool block, further extensions to the coach house along with internal and external alterations including new roofs and solar panels at The Old Rectory, Rowberrow Lane, Rowberrow, Winscombe.
44/23/00002: Change of use of coach house accommodation to a holiday cottage, erection of a link extension to the swimming pool block, further extensions to the coach house along with internal and external alterations including new roofs and solar panels at The Old Rectory, Rowberrow Lane, Rowberrow, Winscombe.
Wedmore
50/22/00080: Change of use of agricultural land to residential and the formation of new driveway access to Briar Hill House at Briar Hill House, Wells Road, Theale.
50/22/00116: Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed change of use of agricultural building to 2no. dwelling and associated operational development at Maldon Farm, Cocklake.
50/22/00125: Reconstruction and conversion of 3no. barns into 3no. dwellings at Paradise Barton, High Street, Blackford.
50/22/00128: Change of use of ground floor shop premises from use Class E to dwelling house use Class C3, Internal alterations and replacement fenestration on ground floor east elevation at 1-2 King Alfred Mews, Church Street.
50/22/00129: Change of use of ground floor shop premises from use Class E to dwelling house use Class C3, Internal alterations and replacement fenestration on ground floor east elevation at 1-2 King Alfred Mews, Church Street.
Wembdon
50/23/00001: Variation of Condition 2 of Planning Permission ref: 50/21/00069 (Change of use and conversion of barns A & B to a dwelling. Erection of a two storey extension to (south) elevation of barn A and demolition of outbuildings C & D, and metal shed. Change of use of agricultural land to garden, driveway and parking. Erection of timber framed carport and garden store) to allow variation of approved plans. South View Farm, Lane From The Old Byre To Long Hill, Crickham.
51/22/00023: Erection of car port to the North East elevation (Retrospective) at 23 Oak Apple Drive.
51/22/00040: Erection of 1no. single storey extension to the North elevation with external alterations at 9 Booth Way, Wembdon.
Planning applications and public notices can be found by visiting publicnoticeportal.uk.
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