Zest and Ryedale District Council announce partnership to bring electric vehicle charge points to the area
The District Council which oversees the market towns of Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Malton, Norton, and Pickering, secured investment from Zest to provide chargers to its citizens and visitors. The bid to bring in rapid chargers to Ryedale shows a commitment to the climate change actions set out in the Council Plan. The rapid chargers mean it will take less time for users to charge up as they go about their day.
The chargers will be fitted in the new year, at several locations, including:
- Water Lane, Malton
- Eastgate, Pickering
- Vivis Lane, Pickering
- Ropery, Pickering
- Cleveland Way, Helmsley
- St Nicholas Street, Norton-on-Derwent
The joint programme will significantly increase the current number of rapid EV chargers in the district, improving access to charging for residents, businesses and the five million tourists who visit each year. A total of ten rapid chargers are in development across the district in Helmsley, Malton, Norton-on-Derwent and Pickering car parks.
Access to charging is one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption. There are concerns that more rural areas where charge points are traditionally less common, such as Ryedale, risk being left behind in the EV transition if there is not visible reassurance of ample public charging.
Furthermore, with five million people visiting Ryedale each year tourism is one of the district’s most economically important sectors. As EV uptake increases across the country ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, more and more of these visitors will require EV charging to complete their journeys and continue to visit.
Phillip Spurr, Director for Place and Resources for Ryedale District Council said: “We’re delighted to make this commitment with Zest to deliver these facilities on our behalf. As the EV market continues to rise, the demand for charge points will also grow and it’s important that we are prepared for that.
“In our Council Plan, we made a commitment to promote sustainable transport by installing extra electric vehicle charging points. We already have charge points in eight locations across Ryedale and rapid charging at Water Lane car park, Malton, and at our St. Nicholas Street car park, in Norton. What’s more, we have two electric pool cars for our employees, enhancing our commitment to sustainable transport further.”
North Yorkshire County Council’s EV Charging Consultation Strategy recently launched, which is supported by Ryedale District Council’s move to add its own charging points to the area. The strategy recognises that a public charging network is needed for those without access at home or work. Helping to overcome the barriers to delivery is a key part of this strategy.
Based in Leeds, Zest is a fast-growing company investing in public charge points for public and private landowners across the UK, backed by the government’s Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF). This dedicated fund was established by the UK Government in 2019 and backed by HM Treasury to help develop public charging infrastructure points for electric vehicles throughout the UK.
CEO at Zest, Robin Heap said: “It’s great to see a district council, one that’s so important to this part of North Yorkshire, choose to benefit from the introduction of EV charge points. Our investment in this area continues to build on our fast-growing reputation for quality, hassle-free, charging infrastructure.”
The charge points are provided, operated, and maintained by Zest, meaning there are no costs or operational overheads for the council. As part of its commitment to boost local economies, Zest will engage contractors from Yorkshire to carry out the installation works and deploy infrastructure.
Groundwork is due to start in the new year, and the newly fitted charge points will launch shortly after that.
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