AFTER being vandalised Cotswold District Council's rapid electric vehicle charging Point has been activated at the Beeches Car Park in Cirencester.

The new charge point was damaged by vandals and required a repair before it could be commissioned and registered with the , Charge Your Car network, a data base of electric car recharging points.

It is the second charging point activated in the Cotswolds, which have been activated to encourage people to adopt a greener mode of travel.

The other was launched at Old Market Way car park in Moreton-in-Marsh, earlier this month.

Both charging points were made possible when the district council obtained funding from the government’s office for Low Emission Vehicles.

Chris Hancock, the district Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Partnerships, said:“This is a great day for the Cotswolds now that we have two charging fronts up and running. The launch of the first point at Moreton was a significant milestone, but now that we also have a hub in Cirencester we can proudly claim that we are providing an important strategic link between charging points on the M4, M5 and M40. Electric vehicle drivers can now be reassured that they are being provided with charging points in both the north and south of the District, and this should boost our tourism and hospitality industry.”

The charging points will allow motorists to charge their vehicles in about 30 minutes – up to 8 hours quicker than standard charge points, and also a three to four hours improvement on fast charge points.

There will be a £4 ‘charge and park’ fee which will cover a charge-up for each vehicle using the EVCPs and up to an hour’s worth of parking.

Users of then charging points can can access a pay as you go service via telephone or mobile phone app to pay for charging their vehicles.