Free parking for battery electric vehicles was unanimously approved by councillors.

From April this year, parking will be free at car parks controlled by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) for those driving battery electric vehicles (BEV).

It is hoped the move will encourage the use of low emission vehicles to improve air quality in the town. The council declared a climate emergency in April 2019.

The drivers will still need to log the parking session on the RingGo App as this software identifies the vehicle as a BEV and valid for a discount. This is so the council keeps an eye on lost income.

The decision was made at MBC’s strategic planning and infrastructure committee meeting on Tuesday evening .

Officers had recommended that councillors approve a 50% discount for BEV, warning of risks associated with free parking, but members wanted to go further.

Cllr Clive English said the move was the “most single dramatic thing the council could do in the next year to two years to actually show that we are serious about addressing climate change rather than waffling on endlessly and not actually achieving very much at all.”

It is estimated that at present only 0.52% of all off-street parking transactions are made by customers driving BEVs.

Officers estimated the move will result in an income loss between £6,240 and £12,960 per annum. The discount will be reviewed annually.

Cllr David Burton (Con) led the call for free parking.

Afterwards Cllr Burton said: “Not only is this a positive for the environment, but for those who are commuting and parking in Maidstone this represents a real cost saving, which we hope will help to more than offset the extra cost of buying an electric vehicle.

"This is one of a number of measures, Conservatives are leading on to encourage more electric vehicles on to our roads and make our air cleaner.”

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