NEW rapid charging points for electric vehicles are to be installed in six Wiltshire towns after the unitary authority won £225,000 of government funding.

Chippenham and Corsham are among the towns to benefit from the grant handed out by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles. The points will installed near major routes for mid-journey top ups.

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport John Thomson, said: “The council is working hard to reduce its CO2 emissions and its impact on climate change. We are committed to helping people travel in a more sustainable way and are always exploring new ways to reduce transport-related emissions across Wiltshire.”

The authority has already sited a twin, fast charging point at the railway station in Bradford-on-Avon in conjunction with First Great Western, and there plans to install more at Chippenham , Trowbridge and Westbury stations.

They are part of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund project which will eventually link up to a larger network of charging points across Wiltshire and will feed into the national network.

More funding from OLEV has also been provided to put charging points in the council’s office and campus car parks. When locations have been decided they will be available for staff and visitors.