Council refuses EV charging points at Settle supermarket due to impact on trees

North Yorkshire Council has refused a plan to build four electric vehicle (EV) charging points at Settle’s Booths supermarket.

The council judged that due to where the charging points were to be located they could damage the roots of two protected and “high-quality” mature trees.

InstaVolt Ltd was behind the application which would have seen 160kW rapid charging points installed as well as a substation and feeder cabinet.

Settle Town Council supported the planning application and said it would welcome the addition of new EV chargers in the market town.

Two of the charging stations would have been built on the existing car park however, the rest would have been installed on green land planted when the supermarket was built in the early 2000s.

The council’s tree officer said planting at the site had matured to form a “valuable green buffer” of mixed deciduous trees and shrubs between the highway and the supermarket car park.

The officer added that two mature trees, a beech and sycamore, could be damaged by the proposals as well as a maple tree.  He added: “The trees are protected by virtue of the conservation area and provide high amenity along Kirkgate and within the Booths car park area.”

A separate North Yorkshire Council officer wrote in a report that the authority asked for amendments so there would be no adverse impact on the trees.  However, no agreement was reached with the developer to address the council’s concerns.