PLANS to push ahead with improving the availability of electric car charging points could provide a tourism boost to Flintshire.

The hook-ups could be sited at tourist spots such as Wepre Park, Greenfield and Ewloe Castle to encourage owners of hybrid and electric cars to head for the region.

There are only 181 electric vehicles registered in Flintshire, but there are 10,000 in the nearby North West region and council environment chiefs hope they can attract more of them to head across to North East Wales by expanding charging facilities.

Currently, there are only two electric charging points in the county sited at Holywell, but Flintshire Council plans to act as an‘enabler’ entering long-term lease agreements to encourage other organisations to provide new charging points rather than installing them itself.

Steve Jones, chief officer for streetscene and transportation, told the council’s environment overview and scrutiny committee that the authority will bid for funding from the Welsh Government to ensure the underground infrastructure is in place for charging points to be sited.

It will also oversee undertake “soft market” tests to see what operators want

Leisure centres and council offices have also been suggested as potential locations for the hook-ups.

Phil Sutton of the Energy Conservation Unit said that the costs of charging the current most popular electric car, the Nissan Leaf, were between £4 and £5 and added: “There will be an estimated 25 million electric cars by 2035.”

Cllr Patrick Heesom said: “The world is changing fast and we have got to be a leader in this.

“This is the future and the quicker we get involved in it the better. This is a real opportunity for Flintshire to lead the way.”