FOUR electric charging bays have been approved at a service station in Colchester despite huge opposition from nearby residents.

Planning permission for four new EV charging points have been approved on the site of the BP Eastwood service station in Ipswich Road despite a raft of protests.

The development will see new floodlights installed over the charging bays to ensure drivers can see the charging points.

Residents raised several concerns over light pollution to houses and wildlife and increased levels of pollution including noise pollution from construction.

Concerns were also raised over people using the car park late at night to charge their carmaking noise.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

On objection comment said: "This is a residential area. BP have two other sites in close proximity, on the A12 and A120 neither surrounded by homes.

"For this reason it would be more appropriate for these sites to have EV bays installed before we have them foisted onto us." 

The planning application took such concerns into consideration and has implemented measures to address them.

In order to combat light pollution, the new overhead lights will be in operation during the same hours as the BP carage.

The approved charging points will be in operation between 7am to 10.45pm on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

The planning application further states: “At no time shall vehicles be parked in the EV charging parking bays outside of the approved hours of use for the EV charging points to ensure that customers using the approved facilities have vacated the site prior to 11pm.”

Other residents expressed concerns over the noise emitted from the charging points but the applicant said measures would be in place to mitigate this.

The planning application also states trees and hedgerows will not be affected throughout the development and construction phases, apart from the removal of one tree on the site.

It also states that trees and hedgerows shall be monitored and recorded for five years.