Reduction in number of electric charging bays at busy M4 services approved

Twm Owen, Local democracy reporter

The number of electric vehicle charging stations at a busy M4 services can be reduced after amended plans were approved.

Permission was granted for 12 charging bays on land currently occupied by trees and bushes beside the BP petrol station at Magor Services at Junction 23a on the M4 in September.

But Rontec Service Stations, which had been granted approval for the charging stations, asked Monmouthshire County Council in December for permission to reduce the number of charging bays to eight.

Council planners have agreed the changes are minor and can be considered “non- material” and have approved the plan which will see four spaces converted to car parking spaces.

All of the eight electric vehicle charging bays will be disability act compliant, which will ensure better accessibility.

A canopy to cover the northern row of charging bays is also removed from the plans and changes have been made to the associated charging infrastructure though it remains in the same location and drainage and landscaping plans have been amended to fit the revised proposals.

Monmouthshire council planning officer Kate Young said four tests have have to be meet for changes to be considered “non-material” which are, is the scale of the proposed change great enough to cause an impact different to the original plans, would there be a detrimental visual impact or on local amenity and whether a third party be disadvantaged and would the changes conflict with planning policy?

Ms Young’s report stated: “The amendments outlined here would comply with all four of these tests and therefore can be considered as a non-material amendment.”