THE first public electric car charging point has been installed at Chepstow, with further facilities planned in other Monmouthshire towns.

The charging point, which can be easily identified with its bright blue logo, is located within Welsh Street’s free car park.

Tokens to obtain a supply of electricity are available from Monmouthshire County Council’s adjacent community hub, Chepstow Library during office hours and also from the town’s Greenman Backpackers Hostel in nearby Beaufort Square until 10pm.

The tokens cost £5 and cars will be granted free parking while using the charging point due to the charging process often taking longer than the 30 minutes offered to other vehicles.

Cllr Bryan Jones, cabinet member for county operations said: “The number of electric vehicles is increasing significantly and is set to increase further as the range of vehicles expands.

“A lack of charging points is a major drawback to the growth of electric vehicles so our new facility in Chepstow will encourage drivers to opt for a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly choice.”